Converter Temperature

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
The fan is variable speed and current controlled. Per the owners manual.
 
I am trying to add that feature manually by obtaining a temp/volt sensor and placing it between the converter and the power.  I don't like that the fan stays on all the time, not only is it a annoying sound but I feel I need to controll it.

I know there is a temp sensor I can get and they come in different temp levels, but im not sure if it should be an environment sensor or a equipment sensor as being placed on the cooling fins.  As far as the draw sensor I assume that can be placed on the power source and done. 

So for this model all I will need is a draw sensor.
 
Converters with thermostatically controlled fans have the temperature sensor on the cooling fins, as the regulator device attached to them contributes the most waste heat.

You might want to make your fan have low and high speeds instead of shutting the airflow completely off.  Make low speed slow enough so the noise isn't noticeable, then kick it to high when more cooling is needed.
 
Lou Schneider said:
Converters with thermostatically controlled fans have the temperature sensor on the cooling fins, as the regulator device attached to them contributes the most waste heat.

You might want to make your fan have low and high speeds instead of shutting the airflow completely off.  Make low speed slow enough so the noise isn't noticeable, then kick it to high when more cooling is needed.

I am not sure how to do that, I assume there are sensors available with both low and high speed dip switches?  What would I shop for online?

This must be why this converter was only $130 while others were $300+

So after some looking I guess the tech name for what I need is called a Thermocouple Probe

I found this list of Thermocouple Propes with Lead Wire Transition and tons of excessories, because I need to wire it between the fan power and the breaker.  But not sure what temp to get.

https://cdn.automationdirect.com/static/specs/psthermoprobelwt.pdf

When I built my computer awhile back, it had a flexible heat tester that used special tape to tape it to the fins.  But I am sure that is prob for low voltage only.

I just put the meter on this converter (the fins are cold but the fan comes on) with breaker off its 11.16 volts DC, with the breaker on (which turns on the fan) it is 13.92 volts DC and after a few min the fins are getting warm. So that tells me that the converter only works with the break on and fan on.  So it looks like I def need a temp sensor (low high speed) if I can find one.

What would be a good source to call and tell them what I need?



 
I think we have the same converter...

My fan only comes on if the battery charger is having to work extra hard. Note the part in the red. You may have a battery problem.

Absorption Mode: During this mode, the converter output is in the
13.6 Vdc range. This is the normal operation mode. This mode
provides the 12 Vdc and current required by the 12 Vdc RV appliances,
as well as slow charging the battery.
Bulk Mode: In this mode, the output voltage of the converter will
switch to 14.4 Vdc range for a maximum of four hours. If the converter
cycles between ?Absorption and Bulk mode?, there could be a shorted
battery cell or other issues.

Float Mode: In this mode, the converter is charging the battery with a
trickle voltage of 13.2 Vdc. When the converter senses a demand (by
turning on lights), the converter automatically returns to the
?Absorption mode?.
 
OK thanks Gizmo100, is yours factory or did you buy the same one i did from amazon. If you have factory and fan works, then yes my old one did the same.  But I have a feeling this one is $131 when everyone else wanted $300 because it has no fan control.  Now if you did get yours on amazon and the fan control works then yes i may have a battery issue.

I will turn on the breaker and leave it on to see what happens after 4 hours.  If it does not go off then I will have my batteries tested.  If the batteries test fine, then Iwill look into getting a probe because at that point we have eliminated everything else and that is what will be needed.

Here is the one i have, it is the 35amp model.
https://www.amazon.com/WFCO-WF-8935-MBA-Board-Assembly-Replacement/dp/B004LF140U?th=1
 
Mine is factory..

You might be able to disconnect the battery and see what the converter does. If you want to try this MAKE SURE YOU PROTECT THE POSITIVE LINE FROM TOUCHING GROUND.

Maybe someone could chime in and state if this is a good test to check the operation of the fan.
 
7 hours later fan still running last night.  So i will run some other tests and try to get the batteries tested today as well.
 
But I have a feeling this one is $131 when everyone else wanted $300 because it has no fan control.
Maybe, but that function wouldn't add more than a few dollars to the cost.  Yours is cheaper mostly because it's just the replacement mainboard component, not the entire package of converter/charger, shroud, front panel controls, etc.  There are top quality converter/chargers with thermostatic fans for around $200, e.g. this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Progressive-Dynamics-PD9245CV-Inteli-Power-Converter/dp/B000GANZZ6
If the amp load is fairly high, the fan is going to run to help shed the heat whether it has a thermostat or not.  A weak battery will cause a constant load, as will various functions in the RV that draw power, e.g. lighting, furnace fan, etc.    I see that the higher amp models (65 & up) do have thermostatic fans, but it's possible they didn't feel it was necessary on the lower output models like your 35.


 
Thanks Gary, how much do you know about thermocouple probes?  I may need to go that direction at some point (especially if my batteries check out fine) and it would be nice to try to find something that will do the job of controlling the fan without having to use the breaker, I don't want to wear out my breaker. 

One end of the probe would be 30V 120v AC  one or two wire, and the other end either a short round tube probe or a soft probe, and i would have to tape it to the fins most likely so i would need some special heat resistant tape.  Someone in one of the articles i was reading mentioned that their fan came on during hot humid days.  So maybe a good temp for  the probe of around 100 F to turn the fan on would work.

Now for the amps maybe a number around 10 amps might be a good number, that might be too much, but I am thinking that 10amp might be what is being drawn with all the lights on.  I know my old fan came on when i turned all my lights on.  Remember i have mostly switched out the normal bulbs for LED's on my lights.
 
I replaced the cheap, noisy fan for one of better quality.  WFCO saved less than a dollar by using the cheapest available so you might that the noise level will be acceptable by swapping it out.
 
lynnmor said:
I replaced the cheap, noisy fan for one of better quality.  WFCO saved less than a dollar by using the cheapest available so you might that the noise level will be acceptable by swapping it out.

Thats a pretty good idea and I had not considered that.  Just in case who sells those fans, and what DB (noise level) is good?  I know that computer fans are usually about 19DB so I am guessing anything lower than that is good.

Interesting, I also just found some thermo circuit breakers which is also a great idea, but i will have to find one with a auto timed reset. 
 
Back
Top Bottom