Victron Multi Inverter/Charger

[pmyatt]

Has anyone any experience of installing a Victron Multi Inverter/Charger. I have just installed one I bought abought 18 months ago (don't ask why it has taken me so long!) and, although the batteries are only 12.71v the inverter/charger only holds the bulk charge phase for about 5 secs before going to absorbtion phase. The changeover should come at 14.4v or 4 hrs, whichever is the sooner.

 

[pvb]

[ QUOTE ]
... the inverter/charger only holds the bulk charge phase for about 5 secs before going to absorbtion phase. The changeover should come at 14.4v or 4 hrs, whichever is the sooner.

[/ QUOTE ] Have the charging parameters been set up correctly for your battery bank?

 

[pmyatt]

I thought perhaps I should give a little more information. It is a 12/2500/120 Phoenix Multi model and I have left the default settings with which the charger was set up. Ignoring my engine bank and anchor windlass battery, I have a bank of 4 X 105Ah Delphi Freedom batteries connected at the moment. The default charging current on bulk charge is 75% of maximimum charging current (75% of 120 = 90 amps). The default set up allows the charger to switch from bulk charge to absorbtion charge when the battery voltage reaches 14.4v. It then holds absorbtion charge for 4 hrs before dropping to float charge at 13.8v. I measured the charge at the battery terminals yesterday and it was 12.39v. It had only risen to 12.71v after 24 hours. The batteries are 2 years old and 12.39v is the lowest I have let them get to in that time.

 

[sailinglegend420]

[ QUOTE ]
Ignoring my engine bank and anchor windlass battery, I have a bank of 4 X 105Ah Delphi Freedom batteries connected at the moment.

[/ QUOTE ]

You cannot ignore the other batteries if they are also connected to the Multi charger as well - they could be dragging the voltage down and stopping you reaching a 14.4v bulk charge. Disconnect the other batteries and see what happens.

If they are already disconnected then try charging each of the Delphi Freedom batteries one at a time, one of these could be faulty.

 

[pmyatt]

Have already isolated the other batteries but the problem is not so much not reaching 14.4v but that the Victron won't hold bulk charge for more than 5 sec. Have had the front off again and I see that on the same connector block which has the battery temperature sensor there is provision for connecting voltage sensor - how do I utilise that - maybe it will help.

 

[sailinglegend420]

Disconnect the temperature sensor and connector the battery sensor when its working properly. My temp setting is faulty and makes the batteries charge at 0.2 volts higher than it should. (Replaced once and still wrong so advised to disconnect - now under investigation by Victron)