Have new 3 stage PD4645 converter/chgr - no auto mode change?

[OldGuyOnTheRun]

2000 Winnie Itasca Spirit 24ft, 2003 CRV toad


My new pd4645 is charging my batts just fine. I can switch modes from boost to absorb to float manually. And it seems to select the proper charge mode when gen or shore power turned on. The issue for me is that, so far, I've not seen the charge mode switch automatically from one mode to the next as the battery charges up. Caveat,,,I do have near new batts and I am not the most patient observer. But I have placed the mode in boost mode manually and watched for about a half hour to check for change to float mode & no change.


Do I have a problem?


Note. I do have a battery monitor & can see batt voltage change as modes are changed manually. That is OK.

And with batts charged they hold at about 12.6-7 v with very slow discharge when no load is present.

Alan

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Your PD4645 operates in either Boost mode or Storage mode or Normal mode.  Normal mode utilizes Bulk, Absorption or Float stages as appropriate for the battery state-of-charge and does that automatically.  I don't see any way to manually select Bulk, Absorption or Float - those are automatic in NORMAL mode. The built-in Charge Wizard auto selects one of those 3 modes, usually Normal.

The Wizard button lets you manually select the mode, but there is rarely any need to do that except maybe to prepare for longer term storage.

This is all covered in the PD4600 Op Manual
https://www.progressivedyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/4600_operation_guide.pdf

 

[grashley]

Welcome to the Forum!

Sounds like you are a control freak on this.  Set it to Normal, as Gary said, and let it do its' thing.  Monitor the battery voltage from a comfortable chair.

 

[OldGuyOnTheRun]

Thanks very much for your help.

Well, maybe controlling is what I am. But I prefer to think I am rationally concerned.

The manual reads  "After the manual button is released the converter will stay in the selected mode.  When the battery charge status changes, the converter will return to the automatic mode of operation to prevent damage to the battery." So, having set it to boost mode manually, I was hoping to see it return to float mode automatically.

Maybe since my previous batteries failed though I was charging with shore power & the existing, original, Magnatek single stage converter/chgr?. maybe I just don't trust the new one yet. Also, not being an expert in the least and being a newbie to RV maintenance, it would not be surprising to me that I could be doing any number of things wrong.

So, that brings up a NEW QUESTION for me

-RV is sitting in my driveway. I have a battery monitor.
-I have two , new Interstate deep cycle 12v SRM-27 batts, 96 AH each

While the RV is sitting here I rarely use much power from the house batts. So, can I just plug it in to shore power and trust that the batts will be properly charged and maintained? I.e., how often should I check the charge on the batts & unplug shore power? What should my normal regimen for charging & checking my batts be?
And thanks again.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

The difference between your old Magnetec and the PD4645 is night and day.


The PD4645 is an excellent unit and can be trusted to handle battery charging by itself.  Just leave it in the standard, fully automatic "Charge Wizard" mode - forget using the manual Wizard button to select modes unless specifically needed.  The PD is supplying your 12v power while connected to shore power or running the generator, and also doing charging.  There is no need to disconnect from shore power until you are ready to move to another location. Checking the charge consists of an occasional glance at your battery monitor to see if anything has gone wrong, e.g. battery going dead.

The Interstate SRM 27 is what is known as a hybrid battery, a standard starting battery design modified slightly to give it better deep cycling performance.  "Better" does not mean "good", but they should last 3 years if you are mostly on shore power and rarely deep discharging them.  It's a flooded cell battery, so you should check the individual cells for proper electrolyte level occasionally and add distilled water if needed. I'd check once a month for 3 months until I established how much water is lost (if any) and then adjust my schedule based on that. If it goes 3 months with losing water, you can easily go 3 months between checks. Maybe even 4-6 months. Experience will tell you how often.

When the battery charge status changes, the converter will return to the automatic mode of operation to prevent damage to the battery." So, having set it to boost mode manually, I was hoping to see it return to float mode automatically.

I would too, but the manual is vague about the conditions for doing so.  "Battery charge status change" doesn't give much help as to when to expect return to automatic. Note that it doesn't say return to "float" - just resumes automatic (Charge Wizard control) mode.  Without specific info on how the battery reacts to the Boost mode, it's just guesswork.  It may be that your battery never achieves a state where manual Boost mode would exit.  When the PD is in it normal automatic mode, do the batteries ever reach Float status (as indicated by the blinking light on the PD)?  What does your voltage monitor say when that happens (or doesn't  happen)?

 

[OldGuyOnTheRun]

Gary:

Checked batts. The shore power has not been used for several days. Batts at 12.55v.  Attached SP & batts are charging in what looks like float mode, i.e., at 13.35v. I assume this is in normal, automatic mode.


Thanks.

 

[grashley]

Gary is out battery expert.  I would like to add you do need to disconnect shore power before you go camping !!  ;D ;D

 

[OldGuyOnTheRun]

Thanks Preacher Gordon. I need a camping expert too.

 

[BoomerD]

Gary is out battery expert.  I would like to add you do need to disconnect shore power before you go camping !!  ;D ;D

Or just run a VERY VERYlong extension cord...

 

[John From Detroit]

You do not often see it change unless you watch it 24x7 like a hawk. All I know is I do see voltages changing on my battery monitor (A vector plug in voltmeter) when voltage drops low enough. the think kicks back into boost/absorption and up they go.

I have used the manual override when I was on bloks in GA and only had 15 amp service. to make coffee I had to go out and kick 'er into BOOST or the inverter would load down the batteries.

Inverter failed shortly thereafter (Should not have drawn that much juice).

New inverter has yet to be tested in "offline" mode, do not yet have the proper feeder cables (will do later this week or next).