Sterling 30amp charger (bought this year) anomaly

[PaulRainbow]

I have the same charger albeit the 30amp @24v version. The display on the charger shows charging voltage and charging amps. If you have no solar or wind connected, the display should show some current going onto the batteries. This is normal so a figure of 0.9 amps is fine. I dont understand the 12.6v figure though. This would appear to be below your float voltage settings. It might be worth firing off an email to the manufacturer unless this low figure is explained in the instruction manual

Yours may not have the standby feature, depends how old it is. In standby the charger will not put anything out.

If the OP has a battery monitor it will show circa 12.6v, as the charger will have gone into standby when the battery was fully charged and had been on float for some time. If his monitor is showing a discharge (note he said discharge in post #1) with nothing apparently turned on, he needs to investigate.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I have a hunch that if he isolates the batteries at least one will lose voltage quite quickly.

Not sure why you'd think that. If the mains charger has gone into standby it thinks the batteries are full charged and have been on float for some time. A reading of 12.6v when in standby mode is something approaching a rested charge, depending how long it's been in standby, which doesn't scream duff battery to me.

He says he has a 0.9a discharge (would be nice if he'd reveal where he is getting that reading from and confirm it is definitely a discharge). I think he needs to investigate this.

 

[RichardS]

Not sure why you'd think that. If the mains charger has gone into standby it thinks the batteries are full charged and have been on float for some time. A reading of 12.6v when in standby mode is something approaching a rested charge, depending how long it's been in standby, which doesn't scream duff battery to me.

He says he has a 0.9v discharge (would be nice if he'd reveal where he is getting that reading from and confirm it is definitely a discharge). I think he needs to investigate this.

Why is everyone talking about a 0.9V discharge. Post #2 refers to a 0.9A discharge and I can't see where this has been modified by the OP?

Richard

 

[Richard10002]

Why is everyone talking about a 0.9V discharge. Post #2 refers to a 0.9A discharge and I can't see where this has been modified by the OP?

Richard

+1 !!!

When we have an answer to my question, (also asked by other in a different way), we will know more and be in a position to comment further.

My guess is that the charger shows 12.6V in the voltage display, and 0.9A in the Amps display, but I will wait to hear before commenting further.

 

[PaulRainbow]

Why is everyone talking about a 0.9V discharge. Post #2 refers to a 0.9A discharge and I can't see where this has been modified by the OP?

Richard

Because 0.9a discharge with nothing on is needs looking into, as you suggested in post #2

It is, as i keep saying, not the output from the charger. In standby mode the charger does not put anything out. It's in standby, standing by, waiting until it needs to start charging again.

Everyone seems confused by the Sterling standby mode, not helped by post #11 where the OP now refers to the 0.9a as charge, rather than discharge. Although i suspect this is a typo, as the charger will (as i keep saying) not show amps in standby and unless he has an alternative charging system a battery monitor cannot show a positive input to the batteries.

When there is no "activity", as in not much going into the batteries, the charger goes into standby, it does nothing more than monitor the battery state. It doesn't put anything in at all, that would be pointless, it may as well stay in float mode.

The display on the charger shows what the charger is doing, it shows the voltage and amperage that it's outputting. When it's in standby it shows "standby". It does not and cannot show discharge from the batteries. If there is a 0.9a discharge, as reported in post #1, the OP must have a battery monitor.

 

[PaulRainbow]

+1 !!!

When we have an answer to my question, (also asked by other in a different way), we will know more and be in a position to comment further.

This would be extremely useful. How is is reading these figures and caan he confirm it's i a 0.9a discharge

My guess is that the charger shows 12.6V in the voltage display, and 0.9A in the Amps display, but I will wait to hear before commenting further.

No, see my previous post.

 

[Richard10002]

This would be extremely useful. How is is reading these figures and caan he confirm it's i a 0.9v discharge

No, see my previous post.

1) From the OP, "The Sterling also shows a 0.9 amp discharge with everything turned off."

That's a 0.9 AMP discharge being shown somewhere, so we need to know where it's being shown. He says, "The Sterling" shows it, but is that the battery charger, or a Sterling monitor, or something else.

Which is why i refrain from comment until we have more certainty.

PS: There is no 2)

 

[Caladh]

1) From the OP, "The Sterling also shows a 0.9 amp discharge with everything turned off."

That's a 0.9 AMP discharge being shown somewhere, so we need to know where it's being shown. He says, "The Sterling" shows it, but is that the battery charger, or a Sterling monitor, or something else.

Which is why i refrain from comment until we have more certainty.

PS: There is no 2)

What a lot of replies !! So the discharge I see, is on the Sterling charger - as yet I have no other metre other than a standard voltmeter tester. The 12.6v I saw yesterday whilst doing some rewiring was at the switch panel at the chart table. This is when I checked the charger to see what it was doing and it WAS in standby mode with the float light lit as well. Firing the charger up (off/on) produced the 13.6v shown on the charger. Tomorrow I will do further investigation and see if I again see 12.6v again with the charger in standby. I will then of course also check to see what voltage I'm seeing at the actual batteries. The Sterling bumf says that in standby mode the charger will fire up when the batteries fall to 12.8v.................
Yes I have both the start and house battery switches turned off. There is of course the bilge pump and VHF permanently connected but their switches are off.

 

[RichardS]

This would be extremely useful. How is is reading these figures and caan he confirm it's i a 0.9v discharge

I'm afraid that I just can't understand where this 0.9V comes from?

The OP and my post #2 don't mention it.

Richard

 

[GHA]

What a lot of replies !! So the discharge I see, is on the Sterling charger - as yet I have no other metre other than a standard voltmeter tester. The 12.6v I saw yesterday whilst doing some rewiring was at the switch panel at the chart table. This is when I checked the charger to see what it was doing and it WAS in standby mode with the float light lit as well. Firing the charger up (off/on) produced the 13.6v shown on the charger. Tomorrow I will do further investigation and see if I again see 12.6v again with the charger in standby. I will then of course also check to see what voltage I'm seeing at the actual batteries. The Sterling bumf says that in standby mode the charger will fire up when the batteries fall to 12.8v.................
Yes I have both the start and house battery switches turned off. There is of course the bilge pump and VHF permanently connected but their switches are off.

If the 0.9A was seen just after you turned the charger back on and the voltage went back up to 13.6v then that sort of makes sense (it's charging) , it would take a little while to stabilise at a lower current output. Though sounds odd that it didn't go back into absorption at 14.8v if it's set to open lead acid - what battery program is the charger set to?

 

[Richard10002]

So the discharge I see, is on the Sterling charger

OK... I'm struggling to see how the Sterling Charger can show a current discharge. My understanding is that all the readings in the Amps display are positive, that it is not reading the current in the circuit as a whole, and that any number you see is Amps being sent along the wires to the battery bank. I may be misunderstanding, and/or wrong, but how are you seeing the Amps reading on the charger as a negative?

I'm actually thinking that there is nothing wrong. Your chart table panel showing 12.6V is quite normal for a fairly well charged bank in use and, assuming that the charger shows no display when in standby, a reading of 0.9A when turned on will be a trickle/float charge, or the small charge the batteries are drawing, which suggests they are fairly full.

 

[PaulRainbow]

What a lot of replies !! So the discharge I see, is on the Sterling charger -

The Sterling charger cannot display a discharge, so you must have been seeing something else.

The 12.6v I saw yesterday whilst doing some rewiring was at the switch panel at the chart table. This is when I checked the charger to see what it was doing and it WAS in standby mode with the float light lit as well.

Having both lights on in standby mode is normal. You would not be seeing 13.6v at the chart tables at this time, because the charger is in standby. What you will have been seeing is battery voltage, which may not be 100% accurate depending on the quality of the voltmeter and the wiring.

Firing the charger up (off/on) produced the 13.6v shown on the charger.

This is also normal. The actual voltage and amps may vary depending on the SOC.

Tomorrow I will do further investigation and see if I again see 12.6v again with the charger in standby. I will then of course also check to see what voltage I'm seeing at the actual batteries.

In standby you will see battery volts, as mentioned earlier. It would be useful to accurately check at the batteries to verify that your chart table voltmeter is accurate.

The Sterling bumf says that in standby mode the charger will fire up when the batteries fall to 12.8v.................

No mention of that in my documentation, where are you reading that please ?

Yes I have both the start and house battery switches turned off. There is of course the bilge pump and VHF permanently connected but their switches are off.

I don't think you have anything to worry about, but of course check and let us know what you find.

 

[PaulRainbow]

I'm afraid that I just can't understand where this 0.9V comes from?

The OP and my post #2 don't mention it.

Richard

Ah, i see what you did there Richard. You have gone from patronising mode to facetious mode :encouragement:

 

[Caladh]

The Sterling charger cannot display a discharge, so you must have been seeing something else.

The 12.6v I saw yesterday whilst doing some rewiring was at the switch panel at the chart table. This is when I checked the charger to see what it was doing and it WAS in standby mode with the float light lit as well.

Having both lights on in standby mode is normal. You would not be seeing 13.6v at the chart tables at this time, because the charger is in standby. What you will have been seeing is battery voltage, which may not be 100% accurate depending on the quality of the voltmeter and the wiring.



This is also normal. The actual voltage and amps may vary depending on the SOC.



In standby you will see battery volts, as mentioned earlier. It would be useful to accurately check at the batteries to verify that your chart table voltmeter is accurate.



No mention of that in my documentation, where are you reading that please ?



I don't think you have anything to worry about, but of course check and let us know what you find.

Paul - my documentation states on page 6 For CEC mode (default) - After float mode the unit turns on to Conservation Mode (purely monitoring, no charge) and shall remain in this mode for 72 hours. If or when the battery voltage drops below 12.8v the charger resumes in float mode.

 

[RichardS]

Ah, i see what you did there Richard. You have gone from patronising mode to facetious mode :encouragement:

And you've lost me again Paul. We (me and others) can only keep asking the same question so many times before we have to accept that you mean what you say.

Richard

 

[PaulRainbow]

Paul - my documentation states on page 6 For CEC mode (default) - After float mode the unit turns on to Conservation Mode (purely monitoring, no charge) and shall remain in this mode for 72 hours. If or when the battery voltage drops below 12.8v the charger resumes in float mode.

Thanks for that, i may have one of the early units with the standby feature and they didn't fully update the manual. Annoyingly, it's not in the one on the Sterling website either.

 

[PaulRainbow]

And you've lost me again Paul. We (me and others) can only keep asking the same question so many times before we have to accept that you mean what you say.

Richard

Does facetious mode last 72 hours, same as the Sterling standby mode Richard, or is there a manual override ?

 

[GHA]

Firing the charger up (off/on) produced the 13.6v shown on the charger.


This is also normal. The actual voltage and amps may vary depending on the SOC.

.

Do the new models go straight to float when turned off then on again, not back to absorption? How could they know when not to go to float? Off/on mine goes absorption for a good while anyway, never timed it.

 

[RichardS]

Does facetious mode last 72 hours, same as the Sterling standby mode Richard, or is there a manual override ?

Best ask Richard10002.

Richard

 

[PaulRainbow]

Do the new models go straight to float when turned off then on again, not back to absorption? How could they know when not to go to float? Off/on mine goes absorption for a good while anyway, never timed it.

Mine comes on at 13.6, but very briefly, then goes up to 14.4.