DE0061 12VDC Refrigerator Duty Cycle

[Kayak73]

This also explains why I could not get on top of the power curve during our last boondock. If the batteries are not depleted enough to take the converter into BULK charge mode, the amp draw with solar ON is about right to cancel out the converter charge with generator running - so the batteries just went down, down, down. Then with bulk charge on and complete there was not enough hours to run the genny to get out of absorption and into maintenance.

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by Kayak73

The graphs are posted in the gallery, shows it clearly. All readings are doubled when solar is on and in full sun, doubled. That shows the baseline draw doubled as well as the cycle amps. The graphs will help you see the issue. WGO wiring diagram says the wires are properly connected to the controller. To say it in words, amp load with fridge on and cycling and only the baseline draw of stereo and LP detector goes over 6 amps, with solar off the load averages around 3 amps. What that means is with solar on and in full sun the load on the batteries is doubled. Just unplug the solar panels and the load goes back to normal.

Maybe I am the only one confused by the positive and negative amp readings along the left side of your graphs.
Would you review in words for each graph, 1) where the induction probe is placed and 2) if the + and - amps mean the battery is being charged or discharged or if it not showing charging/discharging of the battery just what are we looking at.
For example picture #2 shows going from a minus 18amps to a minus 11 amps when the engine alternator is supplying charging current. I would expect to see a good solid positive charging current going to the batteries not just a 7 amp decrease in battery discharge current.
I believe you have written before that when your probe on the negative lead to the battery a minus reading means the battery is being charged because of the direction of electron flow. I may be mistaken in my understanding, but that is what I thought understood.
Additionally in picture #5: The plus 6amps is that the charging current from the solar panels and then when the fridge compressor turns on it drops to 1amp charging?

[creativepart]

I know you want to let Zamp get to the bottom of this, but you already have a Victron BMK and like it so a simple change to the Victron SmartSolar controller would solve your problems and work well with your BMK.

I didn’t have any specific problem with the Zamp PWM controller but switching to the Victron controller was a major improvement for me.

Again I understand that you’re working with Zamp (are you dealing with Zack?) and you want to see that through.

[Kayak73]

Al, the Fluke 375 FC is clamped onto the battery to ground load in every graph, no change in location. Clamped means the load leads are inside the clamp. In the alternator graph you see -18amps leveling off while the refrigerator is cycling to around -11 amps. The charge voltage of the alternator started around 14.4 and dropped to 13.9 quickly. As I said before this current is just like using a shunt to measure the tiny current flow between the shunt leads but my Fluke is not reversing the picture at all. Your battery monitor only shows the combination I assume, don't know your monitor. Normally a solar controller will also show amps positive because that's how people want to "see" the representation. If shown the way I think they would all show just like the Fluke but my brain is different - DW says that anyway. Negative amps on the graph is charge in excess of load. The graph with solar ON in full sun is with background load as noted and the refrigerator in operation cycles. What that shows in that particular graph vs one which is no charge applied is the amp load with solar in full sun and ON the load on the battery is approximately doubled the entire time the solar controller is ON. Any LOAD or graph above the 0 volt (positive) is load applied to the batteries.

[Kayak73]

Originally Posted by creativepart

I know you want to let Zamp get to the bottom of this, but you already have a Victron BMK and like it so a simple change to the Victron SmartSolar controller would solve your problems and work well with your BMK.

I didn’t have any specific problem with the Zamp PWM controller but switching to the Victron controller was a major improvement for me.

Again I understand that you’re working with Zamp (are you dealing with Zack?) and you want to see that through.

Not Zack yesterday but I have worked with him before on the bad panel. The thing is just to understand how and why this thing is showing double load applied - is it a WGO install issue under the seat (good guess) or is it a bad controller. The advantage of the Victron controller MPPT is better efficiency, especially in a larger panel array. The PWM will never be as efficient, you could loose 10% or way more of your panel array capability with the PWM. In a small app like the View, not so big a deal - if it works right.

The larger quest for me is so many of us have had issues with the refrigerator, lost a ton of time, had shifty answers from WGO (meaning to me they did not research the issue far enough to find out what is happening) and it appears the blame indeed does not rest on Norcold at all. these graphs represent a perfectly good, normally operating 12 VDC refrigerator drawing at or just under the spec amps in duty cycle. In all my reading the duty cycle is normal for these 12VDC refrigerators to help extend battery life. I believe we just possibly can get to the real root cause of all that discontent with the original first owners of this thing in the 18V24D models. If WGO found the problem and fixed it really in later versions they have not shared the true fix with any of us to my knowledge. Really chopping that fuse is not the problem in my rig. That fuse removed or not will never explain the current draw with solar ON. It could be a problem if there are versions in the wild with a poor fuse holder, but if it caused an increase in current flow (load due to resistance) it would in all power situations regardless.


Think about this, right now if I unplug the solar and start with the batteries at full charge I can easily run the fridge two full days and night and be around 60% SOC with nothing else going on, no charge applied at all.

[creativepart]

WBGO wiring is not always correct. When I got my Adventurer the Zamp controller display read P-01. It took me a few weeks to get around to figuring out what that meant. Turns out it meant that the OEM panel was wired backward from the factory.

Easy fix I just reversed the polarity at the controller.

Months later I was watching a dealer’s video tour of another WBGO RV with OEM Zamp solar installed. The dealer on camera points to the controller to announce this great feature... on the controller screen... P-01.

[Kayak73]

Originally Posted by creativepart

WBGO wiring is not always correct. When I got my Adventurer the Zamp controller display read P-01. It took me a few weeks to get around to figuring out what that meant. Turns out it meant that the OEM panel was wired backward from the factory.

Easy fix I just reversed the polarity at the controller.

Months later I was watching a dealer’s video tour of another WBGO RV with OEM Zamp solar installed. The dealer on camera points to the controller to announce this great feature... on the controller screen... P-01.

I wish my issue were that easy! Polarity is correct, no errors on Zamp controller either. Actually I have no errors in the wiring so far, no explanation at all. Well, if POS with the meter should go to POS on the controller etc, all is good here. Mechanically and electrically the only possible way the Zamp controller can induce resistance is through the controller itself. That resistance or load would have to be between POS and ground on the output side and I can measure the full load at that point. I'm thinking the thing is allowing current flow internally which load is applied to the battery through direct connections.

[creativepart]

Zamp panels and most all others have a diode to prevent reverse current flow mounted between the panel’s output terminals and the wiring but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible with wiring or diode problems

[Kayak73]

Agree, that's not the problem. The controller would be the problem.

[al1florida]

Lets go back to the graphs showing current readings you put in Pictures and Albums.

I sure wish you would have included your house battery voltages along with the current readings in your charts. Voltage readings along with current readings would tell us a lot about what is going on.

The problem, as I see it, is this. In picture #5, why is there NO charge current from the solar controller with the panels in full sun. Additionally what is the voltage reading at the battery with the panels in full sun. If you are not seeing a voltage increase, then the simple answer is you have a bad solar controller or open wire from the controller to the battery, or possibly the solar panels to the controller. The detail that there is an extra 3 amps being discharged from the batteries when the fridge compressor is on, is interesting but extraneous to the problem.

I know you have measured the open circuit voltage at the panels so they seem to be OK unless something is happening when a load is applied. Voltage readings at the input to the solar controller would be helpful. As would voltage readings at the output from the solar controller.

[Kayak73]

Creativepart,


Last answer from me was too brief. There is no reverse current flow happening at night or when the solar controller is OFF, checked for that. I think also the "hype" about MPPT vs PWM is well overstated. (It is "kinda" like the lithium hype going around now. If you sell the stuff you can say anything but price point is something else.) Especially in a small install like the roof of the View. I would just as soon have a working Morningstar PWM as any MPPT in this small install. If I were doing the install myself it would be a tad more logical with larger gauge wiring and the solar controller would be mounted much closer to the batteries and not pass through all those jumpers and connections under the passenger seat. For example why did they choose to mount the controller on top of the fridge? Tradition and not function - Mount the 3-port forward of the coach door, run the cables down to a controller, larger ga. wire. The solar supply line POS from solar controller goes to a 30 amp bkr under the seat, back side of that bkr is a bus bar to the bkr for battery disconnect. Output from the bus bar goes to house side of thermal disconnect to house batt jumper to house batt side of trombetta. In a perfect world I would like one gauge larger (WGO used 8awg stranded) wire and a disconnect bkr clean on that wire in the batt tray, then directly to battery #2 POS. My charge loads are "balanced" for parallel connection, Main NEG to GND in on batt#1, all charge POS to POS on batt#2. Right now all POS charge is coming from under the seat rat's nest. If you only have two batteries in parallel just put GND connection on 1 and the POS charge on the other battery, that means both batteries get equal charge and are "balanced". Loads in parallel battery bank are shared equally - almost but never perfectly, wires should be the same length etc., I think my install is exactly right for parallel. I would have preferred series but that's life because I wanted max AH. Now that I have actually graphed what is happening I would bet that with a proper solar system install, everything working, two T-145's in series would have made me happier long term.



For those who still have problems with the refrigerator - guess what - it probably is NOT a refrigerator problem at all. Before you try to get a refrigerator replaced or trade rigs (extreme) put a Fluke on the thing and see with your own eyes. This refrigerator is working perfectly and the stupid little fuse on top is not heating up causing resistance at all. Said another way, if you have the solar issue I have and leave the panels plugged in all the time the batteries will discharge, don't care if you have 600AH of battery - it will go down in about 5 days or so. When it goes down the refrigerator is not going to behave properly, period. If you run the generator or plug into shore you will eventually recharge the batteries to some level overnight but not during the daytime when the panels are getting sun. Indeed, and in this condition do not even look at the ZAMP panel - it is not truthful. That panel on the controller will flash and shimmy and proudly turn on a blue light and whiz bang show the "charge" going to batteries and even proudly display a charge level. It might even tell you it is charging at 10 or 11 amps - it ain't. It might say you collected x number of AH during the day - nope, it lost em.

[Kayak73]

Originally Posted by al1florida

Lets go back to the graphs showing current readings you put in Pictures and Albums.

I sure wish you would have included your house battery voltages along with the current readings in your charts. Voltage readings along with current readings would tell us a lot about what is going on.

The problem, as I see it, is this. In picture #5, why is there NO charge current from the solar controller with the panels in full sun. Additionally what is the voltage reading at the battery with the panels in full sun. If you are not seeing a voltage increase, then the simple answer is you have a bad solar controller or open wire from the controller to the battery, or possibly the solar panels to the controller. The detail that there is an extra 3 amps being discharged from the batteries when the fridge compressor is on, is interesting but extraneous to the problem.

I know you have measured the open circuit voltage at the panels so they seem to be OK unless something is happening when a load is applied. Voltage readings at the input to the solar controller would be helpful. As would voltage readings at the output from the solar controller.

Al, yes the last picture is the only picture showing a problem, that problem is with the added amp load with solar turned on. Yes, I pulled the solar controller and yes I measured input voltage at the controller with panels plugged in exactly the same as open voltage - 20.3 in full sun, no loss measured at all there. Voltage is important but the way I measured it is not available except through another meter. There has to be more "pressure" on the charge side or no charge happens, where pressure is voltage. At this point I agree, bad controller, just waiting for Zamp to go over all the info I sent them yesterday. In every case tested the voltage decreased normally with no charge applied but mostly stayed around 12.7 with the fridge in OFF cycle, these batteries take a while to discharge with the solar unplugged, really converter off. The voltage on the display with the PV plugged in was usually around 13.5 - 13.6. Now that the passenger chair is removed I'll check the voltage from the solar POS to gnd at the feed post.


All the extra information about the refrigerator is indeed pertinent to the problem overall, that is the complaints about the refrigerator being the problem, folks getting refrigerators replaced even trading rigs because they think the issue is the refrigerator. I agree, in theory and reality, the amp draw of the fridge is not necessary to diagnose the solar problem but it sure as heck is important to those with a fridge like this to know it performs to spec and even a tad better. The symptom first is always a problem with the fridge, like a lot of problems you need to peel the onion. Thermostats replaced, fridge replaced, bad fuse - none of those things are really the issue. The issue is probably a combination of things and I'm still trying to get all the circuit connects drawn and figure out how each might add resistance to the circuit from solar. So here I am later on in the troubleshooting process and it does almost seem silly that I started the post with a theory about a bad refrigerator duty cycle with high amp load - but that's frequently how troubleshooting goes. When I started I had no idea the solar was somehow adding current load in charge mode and full sun. The last graph was actually the first one taken or one similar which gave me reason to believe the fridge was actually drawing more amps than spec, as I progressed in the process I realized that was not the case so yes, the amp load of the fridge is NOW not an issue at all, it is great.

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by Kayak73

......................If you run the generator or plug into shore you will eventually recharge the batteries to some level overnight but not during the daytime when the panels are getting sun. Indeed, and in this condition do not even look at the ZAMP panel - it is not truthful. That panel on the controller will flash and shimmy and proudly turn on a blue light and whiz bang show the "charge" going to batteries and even proudly display a charge level. It might even tell you it is charging at 10 or 11 amps - it ain't. It might say you collected x number of AH during the day - nope, it lost em.

Out of curiosity what current and voltage readings are you seeing at the controller output when the controller is showing 10-11amps? I gather from your statement your meter is showing something much lower.

When your batteries are say 75% SOC and the panels are in good sunlight, do you see the controller going through the bulk, absorb and float cycles?

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by Kayak73

Al, yes the last picture is the only picture showing a problem, that problem is with the added amp load with solar turned on. Yes, I pulled the solar controller and yes I measured input voltage at the controller with panels plugged in exactly the same as open voltage - 20.3 in full sun, no loss measured at all there. Voltage is important but the way I measured it is not available except through another meter. There has to be more "pressure" on the charge side or no charge happens, where pressure is voltage. At this point I agree, bad controller, just waiting for Zamp to go over all the info I sent them yesterday. In every case tested the voltage decreased normally with no charge applied but mostly stayed around 12.7 with the fridge in OFF cycle, these batteries take a while to discharge with the solar unplugged, really converter off. The voltage on the display with the PV plugged in was usually around 13.5 - 13.6. Now that the passenger chair is removed I'll check the voltage from the solar POS to gnd at the feed post.


All the extra information about the refrigerator is indeed pertinent to the problem overall, that is the complaints about the refrigerator being the problem, folks getting refrigerators replaced even trading rigs because they think the issue is the refrigerator. I agree, in theory and reality, the amp draw of the fridge is not necessary to diagnose the solar problem but it sure as heck is important to those with a fridge like this to know it performs to spec and even a tad better. The symptom first is always a problem with the fridge, like a lot of problems you need to peel the onion. Thermostats replaced, fridge replaced, bad fuse - none of those things are really the issue. The issue is probably a combination of things and I'm still trying to get all the circuit connects drawn and figure out how each might add resistance to the circuit from solar. So here I am later on in the troubleshooting process and it does almost seem silly that I started the post with a theory about a bad refrigerator duty cycle with high amp load - but that's frequently how troubleshooting goes. When I started I had no idea the solar was somehow adding current load in charge mode and full sun. The last graph was actually the first one taken or one similar which gave me reason to believe the fridge was actually drawing more amps than spec, as I progressed in the process I realized that was not the case so yes, the amp load of the fridge is NOW not an issue at all, it is great.

For what it is worth, my solar controller (Morningstar MPPT controller) will not put out 12V if it is not connected to a battery. In other words it won't turn on with only solar power, it has to see the 12V from the battery. My controller does use some power if left on at night. I forget the exact amp load, 1 amp or less.
Since it appears your controller is not putting our ANY amps when the solar panels are in full sun, it will be interesting to see what your readings are with a new controller.

[SeeTheUSA]

Bill,

Trying to follow this thread, but have limited internet/cell access! But I am severely overloaded (my brain) because of my electrical proficiency deficit

Wondering ... any idea what the “fix” might be?

Oh, I never did believe that the overheated fuse was a real thing. Could have been for someone, but not me.

[Kayak73]

Al,
Bear with me. I plugged in the Solar this AM with fridge OFF, converter OFF. Recorded reading for an hour, it went through 14.7 long time, batteries almost equal now. Will post later but I think I'm learning how the solar controller works. Going to let it rip with no converter for long term, like 5 days with monitor. The real issue may be the PD9245 converter will never really charge the batteries and the bulk rate can't be set to burn high voltage, low amps. The Zamp just did that and the resistance went almost to 0 after that run. Perhaps I'm chasing a ghost or the reality of converter charging is it trashes good batteries long term. The polarity means nothing with the solar as near as I can tell. Still trying to explain that one.

[Kayak73]

Al, I scratched my head a very long time with the current flow issue and + or - reading on the Fluke, still am doing so. The Fluke and most clamp meters have a clearly marked current flow on the clamp, mine has a - sign which I pointed toward the NEG post which is at chassis ground. If you turn the clamp around it shows the opposite "current flow". Since we know the naming convention is backwards of reality, ie, electron flow is toward POS and current is actually POS to NEG. Yes, convention is backwards but it became a convention of naming thanks to Ben Franklin. I'll get that right - maybe but it still bothers me that charge from the converter shows one flow and charge from the solar another...


The crux of the problem. Yesterday as the sun came up with converter OFF and solar ON, the refrigerator OFF I monitored for two or three hours. Will get a spread sheet but essentially the solar controller went to absorption charge immediately at 14.7 VDC, low amps. I think it only ran that stage for about 1.5 hours - then to float at demand amps. Bottom line the solar controller is meeting the Trojan charge needs far better than the PD9245. Long term, one year now, using the PD9245 has probably shortened the life of the Trojans. Anyway I turned on the fridge after absorption stage on solar completed and it has run that way since. This AM I did not unplug the batteries to get resting real voltage but probably at around 80-75% SOC. I'm going to let it run that way as long as it is happy, at least 5 - 7 days.


I am looking for the best converter to ADD to the rig, 55amp with a bulk charge of just over 14.7 and to match wet cell needs. The ZAMP controller is a bit confusing in spec which says BULK charge is 10-14.0VDC. That does not work for WET cells very well according to Trojan. Then I find that several converter spec sheets label things wrong and there is confusion about the BULK needs and time vs Absorption. Smarter minds than mine are at play so I'll assume Trojan accepts Bulk + Absorption as the 14.786 requirement and FLOAT is maintenance but is usually too low at 13.2 for wet cells, should be 13.5. Now, if those Trojans are charged at real BULK 14.786 VDC for about an hour I will have about 90% charge back based on my normal draw, turn off the converter and let solar work for the rest. I'm still working testing but there is a real conflict with both the solar and PD9245 ON, just does not work. I have found several converters that spec near right for wet cell charging but the PD9245 just does not cut it WGO. It is OK for AGM, not FLA. In any case I'll add the new charger in the compartment with the inverter and run a new charge line to a breaker to the POS of appropriate battery. That will save pulling new charge line all the way to the batts, just leave the PD9245.

[Kayak73]

I've got some work to do for certain. Yesterday and today were about as good solar days as we ever get here. Today I harvested 73AH of solar. The fridge plus base draw only thing running for two days. 1st day I do great, start off batteries 100% (which is some number below 150AH to use to stay within 50% SOC). Use 4amp/hr as the load with a 70-75% duty cycle.
24 hour run then is just for the fridge and base about 18x4=52AH used in 24 hours - no other loads applied. That only left 21AH to put back in batteries so best case 150-52 = 98 +21 = 119 AH for next day, continue the math and I have enough to safely run three days which has been proven.
Now what to do?, Add another solar panel is obvious, change all three out maybe to rigid with higher output. That would almost do it but...we still need to live in the rig with other loads. As noted adding a standalone higher capacity charger better suited for the batteries when the generator is run to lessen genny run time will be necessary. There is just not much roof space on the View. It appears I will be taking the EU2000i along to boondock or folks will smell diesel fumes.


BTW, no matter what direction I place the meter clamp on the solar feed there is no polarity indicated, whether on a POS feed on on the NEG to GND feed. Guess it is the nature of solar or the Pulse Width Modulation. So far the Zamp controller is working after the manual reset.


I'm content with the refrigerator, it is working. Overall not a good idea to not use LP 2 or 3-way in this tiny rig. To actually dry camp with little or no generator use I would need over 400watts up there, 500 even better. With a better charger I can pretty much nail BULK charge and perhaps solar can help on good days. It does have output on sunny days, cloudy or rainy days and yes, even in partial shade. I doubt that after three days I can get out of absorption or into FLOAT at all with the duty cycle and 300 watts of solar and a few hours of genny time each day. The solar controller never got out of the defined Zamp bulk charge today. I fail to see how lithium is a solution, especially at price point. You still need a way to pump amps back into the things and you can only pump in what is harvested and not used. Now if a panel is rated for 6.3 amps output you will seldom get that. So it doesn't really matter if they recharge faster, you can only put in what your panels harvest and do not use. Today the two panels were fairly consistent putting out 10-11 amps from 11:30 AM until 3:30 PM, later they were up and down as the sun moved toward the West.



IMHO, the root cause of failure is poor design of the power system for a 12 VDC refrigerator by WGO or purchasers like myself buying the things with the hope of dry camp. It is too big a hurdle to mess with after 3 days. The battery monitor won't help with genny run time, just tell me it has to run. Thinking back about the failures early on they all seemed to be related to the load of that fridge. Converter failed, OEM batteries died (of course), solar panel failed. Just too much stress on the system. I understand you get group 31 batteries now (not as many AH as I have with the Trojans now) with a View and have heard about a lithium power pack coming for mega dollars. How are they gonna charge it? Can't run the add-on alternator because the engine is a new generation diesel - no idle allowed. The View has become a plug-in RV with occasional short dry camps. What you can do is dry camp while touring, drive all day, dry camp at night, drive all day etc.

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by Kayak73

Al,
Bear with me. I plugged in the Solar this AM with fridge OFF, converter OFF. Recorded reading for an hour, it went through 14.7 long time, batteries almost equal now. Will post later but I think I'm learning how the solar controller works. Going to let it rip with no converter for long term, like 5 days with monitor. The real issue may be the PD9245 converter will never really charge the batteries and the bulk rate can't be set to burn high voltage, low amps. The Zamp just did that and the resistance went almost to 0 after that run. Perhaps I'm chasing a ghost or the reality of converter charging is it trashes good batteries long term. The polarity means nothing with the solar as near as I can tell. Still trying to explain that one.

It took a little searching, but I found the Owners Manual for your converter. As you have written, it is questionable if the PD9245 will be able to quickly get enough amps back in your 300AH of battery.
When your batteries are down to 75% SOC or less, (needing 75AH to get back to 100%) and you are watching a battery monitor, or even your Fluke meter, you will probably see the initial charging amps jump to 30-40amps and then drop off some after about 15 minutes and by the end of the hour you may be down to 10amps or so, maybe even 15amps.
I see that there is a "manual" button to force the converter into "boost" mode. That may help. It is worth a try and monitor the charging current to verify that the amps going in stays higher than just the auto mode.
The experience(12 years) I have had is only with Magnum inverters with the built in chargers, which are some what programmable. Even then what I have seen is a pretty high initial current (about 1/4C or 90amps with 400AH of battery) and it drops off to less than 1/10C within 1 to 1.5 hours.

[al1florida]

Originally Posted by Kayak73

Al, I scratched my head a very long time with the current flow issue and + or - reading on the Fluke, still am doing so. The Fluke and most clamp meters have a clearly marked current flow on the clamp, mine has a - sign which I pointed toward the NEG post which is at chassis ground. If you turn the clamp around it shows the opposite "current flow". Since we know the naming convention is backwards of reality, ie, electron flow is toward POS and current is actually POS to NEG. Yes, convention is backwards but it became a convention of naming thanks to Ben Franklin. I'll get that right - maybe but it still bothers me that charge from the converter shows one flow and charge from the solar another...
I have really found the plus & minus reading with your Fluke very confusing. All I want to know from a monitor is: "Are the batteries charging or discharging and the number of amps".

The crux of the problem. Yesterday as the sun came up with converter OFF and solar ON, the refrigerator OFF I monitored for two or three hours. Will get a spread sheet but essentially the solar controller went to absorption charge immediately at 14.7 VDC, low amps. I think it only ran that stage for about 1.5 hours - then to float at demand amps. Bottom line the solar controller is meeting the Trojan charge needs far better than the PD9245. Long term, one year now, using the PD9245 has probably shortened the life of the Trojans. Anyway I turned on the fridge after absorption stage on solar completed and it has run that way since. This AM I did not unplug the batteries to get resting real voltage but probably at around 80-75% SOC. I'm going to let it run that way as long as it is happy, at least 5 - 7 days.
The Trojan's are pretty robust, so hopefully yhou haven't lost very much of the initial capacity.


I am looking for the best converter to ADD to the rig, 55amp with a bulk charge of just over 14.7 and to match wet cell needs. The ZAMP controller is a bit confusing in spec which says BULK charge is 10-14.0VDC. That does not work for WET cells very well according to Trojan. Then I find that several converter spec sheets label things wrong and there is confusion about the BULK needs and time vs Absorption. Smarter minds than mine are at play so I'll assume Trojan accepts Bulk + Absorption as the 14.786 requirement and FLOAT is maintenance but is usually too low at 13.2 for wet cells, should be 13.5. Now, if those Trojans are charged at real BULK 14.786 VDC for about an hour I will have about 90% charge back based on my normal draw, turn off the converter and let solar work for the rest. I'm still working testing but there is a real conflict with both the solar and PD9245 ON, just does not work. I have found several converters that spec near right for wet cell charging but the PD9245 just does not cut it WGO. It is OK for AGM, not FLA. In any case I'll add the new charger in the compartment with the inverter and run a new charge line to a breaker to the POS of appropriate battery. That will save pulling new charge line all the way to the batts, just leave the PD9245.

I have seen folks write that it is perfectly fine to have multiple charging sources going at the same time, you will get more amps that way. HOWEVER I have always felt that the only way any charger knows how much current to feed to the battery is by reading the battery voltage. So if a charger sees 13.9V being supplied by a second charger I don't know why it would supply full charging current.