As I started to put together my Xantrex LinkPRO battery monitor yesterday, I needed clarification as to where to fit my main 150A fuse into their wiring diagram. They had the battery monitor fuses tied directly to the positive battery terminal, while my battery bank wiring diagram has only the main 150A fuse tied to the battery and all other positive connections attached to the fuse.
I also wanted to know if my battery monitor cabling could follow the same route to the study as would the 120V wiring from the inverter.
I fired off an email to Andy Baird. His memory was fuzzy as to where I should locate the fuses, but he said that the frequency emitted from the 120V wiring would interfere with the battery monitor. Darn! Since finding one route from the battery bank to the study was difficult, finding two is out of the question. So it looks like the battery monitor will be installed in the living room. 🙁
That said, my mother had originally found a way to route wiring fairly neatly from the living room to the study, so I may be able to convince her to help me route the battery monitor cable under the rig and the 120V wiring through the rig. We are running short on time, but it never hurts to ask. 🙂
Since my guru left me at an impasse, I decide to try emailing Xantrex directly late Sunday, making sure to include my monitor’s serial number so it would be clear that I had purchased one of their products. Can you believe I just received an answer (noon Monday) from them?!
My question:
I would like clarification on two steps of the battery monitor connection kit instructions. This is in reference to an RV battery bank that includes a 1,000W inverter and a 150W solar panel. So all the positive connections are made from a 150A fuse.
Step three (3) of the instructions states:
“Connect the single inline fuse holder to the main battery + terminal.”
Should I be adding the inline fuse holders to the battery terminal (before the 150A fuse) or to the fuse 150A itself?
(Incidentally, the wiring diagram shows that that should actually be fuse holders, plural.)
Additionally, my battery bank is located below the living room of my RV, but I want to install the monitor in my home office, a distance of about 25 feet.
The instructions state in note one (1) below the diagram: “When routing the cable from the battery monitor to the battery system, avoid running it along with mains cables over long distances or in the neighbourhood of large relays or generators/motors.”
The connection kit comes with more than enough cabling to do this, so I know the distance is not an issue. But would there be a problem with running the monitor cables along with 120V wiring that provides a hard wired connection between the inverter and an outlet in the office?
Reply from Xantrex:
The fused power lead can connect to either side of the 150A fuse, however, if the 150A fuse blows, you will also lose meter power if connected to the inverter side of the fuse. The link wires should not be run with AC wires, as this can induce noise that may corrupt readings.
So not only does Xantrex answer its emails quicky, it actually reads them and provides clear and pertinent answers. I am very impressed!
I just may get a battery monitor installed in this lifetime!
Hi Rae:
I have been reading your 2008 and 2009 blog with interest and decided to jump to the end to leave some comments about your 120V system.
I have a wire connected from my 2,000W inverter to the RV power cable storage area. The end of this cable has a socket that matches the end of my power cable.
When I am not connected to shore power I plug the RV power cable into this socket and now the inverter provides 2,000W of power to all the AC outlets in the RV. With this method there is no need to run your own wires to the study, all the outlets there will have power.
The socket only cost about $30 and the proper plastic electrical box is around $5. I would buy stranded SJ cable from Home Depot, 14 Gauge is good for 15A but 12 Gauge is just a bit more expensive. You need plenty of wire to reach from the inverter to the box where your RV power cable is stored.
You would also need a plug that you can attach to the other end of the SJ wire to match the outlet on your inverter, the heavy duty types are yellow and cost about $7 to 12.
I also had a power bar connected to the inverter for the old desktop computer to act as a giant UPS but that is no longer needed with laptops.
BTW, unless you are using a catalytic propane heater (which I would not use) you are not getting any moisture from an RV propane furnace that works properly. Unless the heat exchanger in the furnace is rusty and has holes in it you will not get any moisture from the propane flame inside your RV.
All the hot combustion gases are forced out the side of your RV through a dedicated vent. You may see steam coming from this vent when it is below freezing outside.
You will however get moisture from the gas flame when you are using your stove or oven so ventilate when cooking.
I forgot to mention, if do not want to make your own electrical connections you could buy a 15A to 30A converter cable instead of the electrical box and socket.
Personally I do not like the mini 15A to 30A converters but prefer the cable ones with a 15A plug at one end and the 30A socket connector at the other end of the cable.
You would then need to buy a good extension cord (14 gauge minimum. most extension cables are 16 gauge) that reaches from your inverter to the box in the RV that holds the power cable and fasten it securely.
That RV cable box can usually be reached from the inside of the RV it may be under the dinette or under the kitchen.
You would need to drill a hole (pull the RV cable out of the storage box first, we do not want to puncture the cable) that is big enough to allow the inverter extension cord to pass through and then close the hole again with caulking or other.
Have Fun
Carl
Carl,
Thank you so much for commenting with this information! It never occurred to me that I could use my 1,000W inverter as a whole house model!
I just ran outside so I could figure out where my cable compartment is located. I appears to be under the study right next to the converter, so I’d have to make a hole in the floor. While the logistics are still a little fuzzy at this point, I am envisioning having the compartment accessible from inside so I can do the switch over from in here. You’ve given me a lot to think about and I am so very grateful!
As for propane and moisture, let’s just agree to disagree. I know the theory, but it doesn’t match my reality or that of the folks I know who have spent a winter in a damp climate heating with propane versus those who used electric heaters. 🙂
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