Hi there, thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
I've just finished my solar setup in our small van and turned everything on. Everything appears to be working properly except the DC Charger is not powering on. My MPPT solar charge controller right next to it powered on just fine. Any tips from the community on how I can check what the problem might be?
Setup:
- 2 x 100ah 12v LiFePO4 batteries wired in parallel
- Negative from Batteries run through Victron's BMV712 Smart Shunt, and then to Blue sea systems Safety Hub 150 fuse block, and from the fuse block I run a ground to the van chassis
- Positive from batteries run through a fuse, then through a cutoff switch, and then finally over to the positive side of the Safety Hub 150
- DC charger is wired from Alternator
- DC Charger is not yet connected to the alternator, as I need to power off my starter battery from what I have read
- and yes, it is actually more convenient and shorter to run 6AWG cable from my alternator, about 6-8ft, than it is from my starter battery 10+ feet and more difficult
- Wire from Alternator is ran through a fuse, and then to a cutoff switch, finally ending in the DC charger
- DC Charger to Safety Hub Fuseblock is very close, less than a foot, and the wire is 8AWG
- Voltemeter test says there are 17-20 volts on the output posts
Does this sound like the unit itself malfunctioned somehow, or did I set something up wrong? I shouldn't need to connect the charger itself to the Starter Battery or the Alternator for this to work, as long as I have it connected to the battery bank, correct?
