Continuous Battery Charging

[JohnM20]

My Lunar Quasar 524 has a Sargent EC175 power supply unit / charger. Is there any reason why I shouldn't leave the charger continually switched on over the winter to keep the battery topped up? I can find nothing in the Sargent literature to suggest yes or no.
I can't take the battery off during the winter to use an external charger as I need the motor mover to get the caravan into it's parking space and, when parked, I cannot get to the battery box.

 

[JTQ]

In your position I would simply ring Sargent and ask them directly.

With my unit that is the recommended practice, but it I suspect cost a bit more in electrical power, though likely to be trivial. Certainly where the kit is designed to do this it avoids any thinking about things and the battery being fully charged is a healthy situation.

 

[Raywood]

We had the last caravan at home over one winter with the electricity connected to keep the battery charged and no harm came to it. The caravan had an alarm so there was some use of the power though.

 

[SirRogerFFS]

If in any doubt give Sargents a ring they are a very helpful lot of people ,nothing too much trouble.. Then you will be at ease .
Sir Roger

 

[ProfJohnL]

You should have the instruction book for teh unit, if so read it. If you havn't got it then look here

file:///C:/Users/Carillon%20Core%204/Desktop/System-Instructions-EC175-and-EC350-and-EC360-Issue-1a-Email-.pdf

Look at the top of page two

 

[SirRogerFFS]

Hey Prof .Thats a bit harsh. Maybe the OP doesnt have the hand book.as we dont know the age of his van.,Again for his own satisfaction and peace of mind a call to Sargent wont hurt .
Sir Roger

 

[chrisn7]

A link to the Profs computer isn't likely to help, but this might:
https://sargentltd.co.uk/tech-support/article/22/download/221

The info on P2 doesn't answer the OPs question.

If you are concerned about the Sargent unit, why not leave the mains connected, but the charger switched off, and use a CTEK charger instead. These are very reliable and specifically designed for long term use for vehicles used occasionally like classic cars. I have 2 of these, which have been in use for several years now

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hey Prof .Thats a bit harsh. Maybe the OP doesnt have the hand book.as we dont know the age of his van.,Again for his own satisfaction and peace of mind a call to Sargent wont hurt .
Sir Roger

Hello Roger,
I disagree; I wasn't being harsh, The problem was I pasted the wrong link which Crisen7 has put right for me.

As for the age of the caravan, that is irrelevant as he tells us the make and model of charger he has.

The instruction book does give advice, though I do agree its not perhaps. as clear as it could be. There is nothing wrong with contacting a supplier or manufacturer, but if a hand book is available then its always wise to check it out.

 

[JohnM20]

Problem solved! Quick email to Sargent got a speedy reply. Yes, I can leave the charger switched on but as Prof JL pointed out, the handbook that I had read before I posed the question is not totally clear as it covers two different power units.
I'd considered a Ctek charger but as the battery box is right up against a wall when the caravan is stored I couldn't get the cables in and, of course, there is no unsealed access to the battery from within the caravan.

 

[chrisn7]

You wouldn't need to access the battery terminals directly. The cables from these pass through the battery box into the van, where there should be a (20amp) fuse in the +ve line to the PSU/charger unit. You could arrange to connect a CTEK there if preferred.

 

[RayS]

My van is stored at home and I always leave it on EHU with both charger and fridge working. I've been doing this for about 20 years and not had a problem. Fridge is used as 'overflow@ particularly at this time of year.
In general I think it is true that more damage results from frequent switching on and off of electrical and electronic components - particularly if they have no moving parts - than leaving them on steady state. It is certainly true of incandescent lamps and some early LED types, so probably so for fridge heating elements.

just hope this is not tempting fate !

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Ray,

I suspect you have been lucky with your element. Assuming you are using the Mains element, then this is actually switched on and off by the fridge's thermostat. So it will have been repeatedly heating and cooling which will be stressing the elements conductor and its mineral packing. Also depending on how hot the element actually gets, will affect how quickly the elements conductor oxidises and hardness rendering it more likely to stress fracture.

However even turning it off is no bed of roses, and again the mineral filling tends to be highly hygroscopic and any fault in the element's outer casing may allow moisture to get in and damage the filing reducing insulation resistance and encouraging corrosion of the actual element.

Generally using an element will shorten its life time more than leaving it off when in storage.

 

[Gabsgrandad]

My 'simple' philosophy is that all machines have a life span. Shortened by running. I therefore turn my charger off when in storage (at home) once the battery is recharged from putting it away on the motor mover, rather than letting it 'grind' away indefinitely. We thne put the charger on for about 24 hours before we go away. (If parked for longer than 2 weeks (not very often) give it a 24 hour boost. Works for me.