hookup Sun saver 20
By mountianman, Section Controls Posted on Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 10:11:14 PM MST
hookup sun saver 20

Would I hook-up the inverter to the load side or the batt. bank also it says remove jumper wire for flooded batt. What does this mean. Thanks for your help, Mountianman

hookup Sun saver 20 | 9 comments (9 topical)

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#1) by willib on Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 04:49:26 PM MST

a jumper wire is usually a connection between two pins on a circuit board. " wire" is sort of just a term , "jumper" is a more common name. bill Carpe Ventum (seize the wind)

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#2) by willib on Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 05:25:53 PM MST

they provide a jumper to change the rate of charge depending on what type of battery you have. Carpe Ventum (seize the wind)

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#3) by Ungrounded Lightning Rod on Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 09:18:34 PM MST

"Flooded battery" is the kind where you take off the caps and see liquid - and may have to add water occasionally (though some of them have a catalyst in the cap to recombine the hydrogen and oxygen that form when you approach full charge - so you only have to add water VERY occasionally). This is as opposed to sealed batteries such as "jell cells" where the sulfuric acid is mixed with material that causes it to form a jelly, or "AGM" where the sulfuric acid is absorbed into a piece of felt-like material made of fiberglass.  (AGM = absorbed glass mat.)  These type operate at a higher pressure than atmospheric and also catalyze the recombination of hydrogen and oxygen, rather than venting them to the air when they form (though they do have a pressure-regulated vent to let them release gas rather than exploding if charged too fast). Flooded cells have a slightly different voltage than AGM or jell cells.  The jumper is left in place or removed to adjust the voltage of the inverter's decision points for the battery type.

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#4) by Ungrounded Lightning Rod on Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 09:28:50 PM MST

Also: Flooded batteries want to have an "equalizing" charge occasionally.  This is where the controller pushes the voltage up and forces current through the fully-charged cells to bring any not quite fully charged cells up to full charge.  Doing this causes the fully charged cells to electrolyze water and vent it off as hydrogen and oxygen.  That's the main reason you have to add water to flooded cells occasionally. Sealed batteries should not be equalized:  It will cause them to vent gas and as a result lose water, which can't be replaced.  The jumper also disables/limits or enables the equalization cycle if the inverter/charge-controller has one, as appropriate for sealed or flooded cells. [ Parent ]

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#5) by mountianman on Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 10:08:15 PM MST

Thank you for all the good info. Do I hook up the inverter to the load +/- side of the sunsaver or to the batteirs. Thanks

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#6) by fungus on Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 05:57:47 AM MST

I'd probably just hook it straight to the battery; the 'load' terminals on the controller have a low voltage shutdown, to stop the battery being drained too low. On the inverter this is already built in on all the ones I've seen, so you should be fine just connecting it to the battery. Also you're not limited by the ratings of the controller for current. 'Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.'-Albert Einstein Fungus - www.reenergy.co.uk [ Parent ]

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#7) by Tritium on Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 09:13:26 AM MST

Hook the inverter directly to the battery. The "load" contacts of my sunsaver 20 will only handle 20 amps max so if you have much inverter it would overload the output of the controller. Thurmond

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#8) by ghurd on Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 09:29:21 AM MST

Remove that silver horse shoe from the screw terminals for regular batteries. Leave it there for gel or SLA batteries. I would seriously NOT connect an inverter to the load terminals.   Not even a little tiny inverter. G- Ghurd.info

Re: hookup Sun saver 20 (3.00 / 0) (#9) by mountianman on Tue Jun 09, 2009 at 09:49:13 AM MST

Thanks guys for the info have a good one. Mountionman

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