shunt location lithium upgrade

[WinniMN]

Greetings,

I’m sorry my first post is a question.

I have replaced the original Napa flooded deep cycle batteries with LifeBlue Ultimus LiFePO4. I maintained the original wiring configuration. They are working good and charge from all sources.

The goal was to get 2 days of power for the refrigerator without charging from a source other than solar.

My question is, in the process of installing a Victron 712, where do I place the shunt in the wiring? I read the instructions and understand it mounts in the ground between the battery and the loads, but i am not sure where the jumper goes that connects the 2 batteries.

this pic is the installation with the new batteries preserving the original cable routing.



This is the original diagram.



This is option 1 which is where I think the shunt goes.



This is option 2 which is where Victron thinks it goes.



If there is someone who would be able to advise which option I should chose I would appreciate it.

Also:
After staring at my setup, I am not sure that it was wired correctly in the first place.
I found this member’s video and took a screen shot of his cabling. It looks like this:



Here is a diagram of what I am wondering if this is what mine should be, option3.



I am making an assumption on the cables exiting to the right. I assume a ground and power go to the Chargemate Pro under the seat and the other ground is the chassis ground. It is a lighter weight cable. Is this a correct assumption?

I am installing the Victron to have an “at a glance” SOC without having to open the app.

Thank you for any help you can provide.

Bruce

 

[creativepart]

I’ll post a bit more on this tomorrow when I can study your diagrams a bit more, but I think you are missing a key point. All negative loads go to the load side of the shunt. And then one negative from the battery side of the shunt goes to the first neg on the first battery in your parallel battery bank. You want the shunt to intercept all loads on their way to the battery bank.

By all loads I mean the inverter neg, the chassis neg, any solar controller neg. Those all combine on the load side of the shunt. Then the shunt connects to negative side of one battery. That same neg battery terminal is then connected to the other battery’s neg terminal making the negative side of the parallel connection.

You can stack all the load negs on one lug of the shunt but many find it more convenient to use a negative buss bar.

I went that route and here’s a photo where I labeled everything. It might help clear up the concept of all negative load on the load side of the shunt. Also I’ll attach a diagram that explains the battery wiring with the shunt.

Hope this helps.

 

[WinniMN]

I’ll post a bit more on this tomorrow when I can study your diagrams a bit more, but I think you are missing a key point. All negative loads go to the load side of the shunt. And then one negative from the battery side of the shunt goes to the first neg on the first battery in your parallel battery bank. You want the shunt to intercept all loads on their way to the battery bank.

By all loads I mean the inverter neg, the chassis neg, any solar controller neg. Those all combine on the load side of the shunt. Then the shunt connects to negative side of one battery. That same neg battery terminal is then connected to the other battery’s neg terminal making the negative side of the parallel connection.

You can stack all the load negs on one lug of the shunt but many find it more convenient to use a negative buss bar.

I went that route and here’s a photo where I labeled everything. It might help clear up the concept of all negative load on the load side of the shunt. Also I’ll attach a diagram that explains the battery wiring with the shunt.

Hope this helps.

Thank you, that answers what i was questioning.

Bruce

 

[WinniMN]

By all loads I mean the inverter neg, the chassis neg, any solar controller neg. Those all combine on the load side of the shunt. Then the shunt connects to negative side of one battery. That same neg battery terminal is then connected to the other battery’s neg terminal making the negative side of the parallel connection.

Greetings,
I am continuing my battery monitor project. I will have some warm days this week to be able to work outside.

I am working with the instructions from “creativepart".

The goal is to bond all negative connections together?

I am going to use a bus bar to complete this because I am constrained by existing cable lengths to be able to get them together.

This is the current configuration (how it was delivered to me by the first owner).

This is the current installation

This is on the back of the Victron box

This is what I have

This is what I would like to use.

Notes:

-The box shows the 2nd battery connected to the “Loads and Chargers” side of the shunt.

I would like to connect the 2nd battery to the bus bar instead of the shunt. The box shows the 2ndbattery connected to the shut.

And, I would like to connect the inverter to the shunt instead of the bus bar. I cant pull enough cable into the box to connect the cable coming in from the front and rear.

Can I stack 2 cables on one post?

Does this look like I could go with this plan?

Thank you for your help,

Bruce

 

[bigb56]

Wouldn't your proposed diagram allow current to flow from the second battery without going through the shunt? I believe the diagram on the box is intended for 2 separate battery systems, like house and chassis, so the shunt can monitor voltage of your chassis battery when parked. The 2 batteries in your house are considered a single battery system, or bank.

 

[creativepart]

o use.
View attachment 869663

Notes:

-The box shows the 2nd battery connected to the “Loads and Chargers” side of the shunt.

I would like to connect the 2nd battery to the bus bar instead of the shunt. The box shows the 2ndbattery connected to the shut.

And, I would like to connect the inverter to the shunt instead of the bus bar. I cant pull enough cable into the box to connect the cable coming in from the front and rear.

Can I stack 2 cables on one post?

Does this look like I could go with this plan?

I'm no expert... but that doesn't stop me from commenting. I would connect the 2nd battery negative to the 1st battery neg post (cable between Post #1 and Post #3) which is what you have originally from the factory. But what you're thinking looks like it would work. Just not how I'd do it.

And, I'd put the Inverter neg on the buss bar, but you can certainly stack two cables on the shunt load post. Best to not have more than one on a post, but two is "ok" just not ideal.

In short, your layout looks to me like it would work but it is not how I would do this.

PS. The cable gauges should be the same gauge (or larger) as each other between the shunt and the buss bar and between the shunt and the battery NEG. Don't mix smaller and larger gauge cables. If they can be similar lengths that would be better too. Go for a balanced setup.

 

[creativepart]

Wouldn't your proposed diagram allow current to flow from the second battery without going through the shunt? I believe the diagram on the box is intended for 2 separate battery systems, like house and chassis, so the shunt can monitor voltage of your chassis battery when parked.

He's correct. I didn't see that possibility. Refer to my post about using the OEM wiring of NEG to NEG between the two batteries.

 

[bigb56]

You can also place 2 cables on one shunt terminal, I have 3 on one of mine. So he could just move the second battery negative from the bus bar to the battery post on the shunt if it reaches.

 

[WinniMN]

Wouldn't your proposed diagram allow current to flow from the second battery without going through the shunt? I believe the diagram on the box is intended for 2 separate battery systems, like house and chassis, so the shunt can monitor voltage of your chassis battery when parked. The 2 batteries in your house are considered a single battery system, or bank.

Thank you big56 and creativepart

Is this it?

 

[bigb56]

That should work.

 

[creativepart]

To be tidy why not put the final cable to the shunt on the left end of that Buss Bar and put the Inverter on that 2nd Buss bolt?

 

[WinniMN]

To be tidy why not put the final cable to the shunt on the left end of that Buss Bar and put the Inverter on that 2nd Buss bolt?

“I can’t get there from here"

The cables lengths won’t let me move it over one terminal. On the end, the cables will have an appropriate amount of slack.
So far it is going good. I have the bus bar located, now i am working on making cables since i now know the location of the parts. I am looking for a place that will sell me short lengths of cable and lugs and heat shrink tubing.

Thanks again for all the help.
Bruce

 

[bigb56]

“I can’t get there from here"

The cables lengths won’t let me move it over one terminal. On the end, the cables will have an appropriate amount of slack.
So far it is going good. I have the bus bar located, now i am working on making cables since i now know the location of the parts. I am looking for a place that will sell me short lengths of cable and lugs and heat shrink tubing.

Thanks again for all the help.
Bruce

Bruce, you can't beat Battery Cables USA. They will make the cables to your specification even going as far as turning the lug 90 degrees from the other end if you want. You get to choose the size and type of each end. They even make Y cables. They use high strand count flexible cable. Best of all they ship super fast for like $4. They made all my cables for my conversion, can't say enough good about them.

 

[WinniMN]

Greetings,

I have completed my Victron 712 install project.
Thank you all who have helped. You have contributed to my success.

I followed this plan

To install this

To get this

I still don’t understand mid-point monitoring
I have 2 x 100a batteries in parallel.
There are 2 red, fused positive leads that connect the batteries to the shunt.
Do I use both leads or just one to the first battery in the system?
Currently i have one lead connected to each battery, but i am not sure that is correct. My second battery is not another system like the chassis battery.

Thanks again
Bruce

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

Nice setup, thx for the pics. Looks like you have this setup in your passthru? (Not outside) what battery box is that?
Thx! Bill

 

[WinniMN]

Thanks, so far working as I had hoped.
This is all in the original location under the step. As from the factory it was open to the outside. The battery box is an OEM from Winnebago that they install with the lithium upgrade. It drops in place. Stays a lot cleaner inside now.

Bruce

 

[Wmlunt-WO]

Nice setup, thx for the pics. Looks like you have this setup in your passthru? (Not outside) what battery box is that?
Thx!