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Trace inverter reporting overcurrent
24 volt batteries are reading 33.4 and 12 volt are reading 16.6. the inverter panel is flashing red “overcurrent”. This is a 2000 Vantare. We are hooked up to 50 amp shore power and I have had to bypass the inverters. Ambient is 105. Inveverter or ?
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12 Replies
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Overcharging is dangerous so taking the inverters off line is a good choice. However you still have to maintain the battery charge. Short of running the engine so the alternator is restoring the charge, is it possible with the Vantare set up to run a single inverter?
I doubt if both inverters are overcharging and running one at a time will show which one is the culprit.
If both show signs of overcharging the problem is likely a bad ground and in that case the only solution is to find it and clean it up so it is a good connection.
Keep in mind I have zero experience related to Vantare and my comments are generic.
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Any chance the inverters are stuck on Equalization charge? Equaliztion should not exceed 15.5 for Lifelines.
You could also have one or more bad batteries. Contact me if you need battery help.
Thermal Runaway is also a possibility.
Charging could possibly push the internal temperature up to the point where the self-heating process takes over and thermal runaway begins. Charging at a rate of charge (amps) in excess of the manufacturers recommended limit will also raise the internal temperature significantly. Similarly, an excessive discharge will also cause the cells within a battery to heat up, and if the ambient temperature is high, then the critical temperature will be arrived at faster than in a cooler environment.
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If your inverters were Magnum, I would definitely recommend that you reset them.
Regardless, a reset would not be a bad idea, unless someone knows a specific reason not to.
When I reset a Magnum, I turn off the breaker that supplies AC to the inverter, turn the inverter off, reset the breaker in the main box, make sure the push-button breaker on the side of the inverter is reset (pushed in and stays in), and then turn on the inverter.
Twice when I have had a loss of shore power and the air conditioners are pulling a very heavy load, the sudden surge will trip one of the inverters. I get the “overcurrent” fault. Resetting the inverter clears the fault.
Again, this is on a Magnum so yours may be significantly different.
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Is it one or both Inverters?
I would shut them down, and restart everything first. The manual will tell you what to do.
Yes, in a Vantare, it has separate bypasses for each Inverter.
What are the battery chargers set at?
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Thanks all for the input. I’m sorry I have taken so long to respond. I have been on the road trying to get home to address problems at work.
I was able to bypass the inverters for AC shore power and I ran the generator during the day as we were traveling. It was a single inverter that reported the overcurrent and it was right after I had tripped the 50 amp pedestal at LVMC. By the way, Las Vegas Motorcoach Resort was very helpful with fuel leak we had upon arrival!
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Too long between letters! Typing real slow!
We made it home and all seems well with the batteries. Still have to deal with the inverters!
I am going to reset the offending inverter and see if the fault goes away.All in all a great trip. Still grinnin!
Thanks again!
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I left inverter 2 off for the last few days. Been plugged into shore power using A/C bypass with very little load except roof air. Batteries are reading OK and when I fired up #2 inverter the overcurrent condition did not refault. Thanks for all the input and I’m sorry I drug this out so long!!
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Doug, good results, but keep in mind that almost nothing on our coaches repair themselves. A temporary glitch happens from time to time, but this specific issue that appears to relate to one of the inverters can have serious consequences if it was not an isolated problem.
Until your total confidence is restored, when the coach is unattended it might be safe to only leave the good inverter on to maintain the battery charge. When the coach is in use turning it back on my be OK, but it clearly needs monitoring until you are sure the glitch was a one time occuirrance.
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Doug,
Everything runs through the inverters on a Vantare, so if you had more than 35 amps (Per inverter) being used when the breaker on the pole tripped, that would cause that inverter to show an overcurrent red light.
Vantare manual says to reduce loads to below 35 amps per inverter before disconnecting shore power, But , in your case, the breaker tripped, so you didn’t have a chance to reduce the loads.
Check your settings to make sure everthing is set correctly, plus, you can reduce your battery charger amperage while plugged in to save some amps. Usually they are set at 15 amps per inverter, I would reduce that down to 5 amps or so, if you are on a weak shore power breaker, or using a lot of amps.
Each inverter should be set at 46 amps for Shore power input, which will help keep a 50 amp breaker from tripping.
Your battery charging settings may be too high, also.
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Good advice from Jerry, also keep in mind, as you lower the charge AC voltage you should increase the charge time for Absorption.
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Regardlless of the converter, or how the electrical system functions each of us have to be fully aware of power management, especially as it relates to phantom loads (altimeters, thermometers, burglar alarms, clocks, TV memory, dash radio memory, and countless other small current draws). unexpected loads such as water piump, aux compressor, HW heater, plus starting current loads such as the refrigerator and the AC units.
We have to be aware if we set the inverter charging current at a low value so we don’t trip shore power when running multiple AC units along with other things, the same charging current may not keep the house batteries charged if we make use of a lot of lighting (tivoli lights are a big draw as are the Halogen lights) or a Websto or Aguahot with a lot of heat exchanger fans running. How we set our inverters and how we power various circuits depends on how the converter set up the electrical systems and what our objective might be.
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Thanks Jon, Jerry and Tom.
When the shore tripped and created the inverter over current I was running all 4 roof airs and had the inverters both set at 38 amps. The fridge or waterpump or both probably tried to kick on and did me in. Just trying to run too much load and know better now. Next day I had shut down the faulting inverter and ran the generator while underway (using the inverter bypass). Dry camped that night with all off and started the next morning no problem. All this time the dash voltmeter showed only a half needle variation +-28v.
I have much to learn about the inverters!Two weeks B4 next trip. Study study study!
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