240v hook-up and charge controller

[Peter-T]

Morning all. I have a question about 240v hook up. On my 81 Devon, the hook-up currently only powers the two 3 pin plug sockets in the rear and this is what I want to change.

I'm going to be swapping out the current 2-way fridge with a 3-way fridge which obviously will need to have a connection to the hook-up. I'd also like the hook-up to charge the main and leisure batteries.

Question is, how do I do this? Many thanks

[ghost123uk]

Do you want the cheap n cheerful option, or will you be fitting a proper mains "consumer panel" (if not already fitted) ?

The charging bit is easy. Just buy a decent make "intelligent" charger, around 5 to 10 Amp, and hard wire it to the mains and your main battery. Then swap your old style split charge relay for one of the newer automatic voltage sensitive ones LIKE THIS that will charge both batteries automatically when on hook up and also when the motor is running.

[Peter-T]

That's a great question. I honestly have no idea. All I know is that the hook-up currently only does the plug sockets, but I want it to do fridge and charging also. I like the idea of cheap, but I don't know what i'm even looking for of what constitutes 'cheap'...

[ghost123uk]

Just either fit a normal 13A plug to the mains cable on the 3 way fridge and plug it in. Or, take a "spur" of 3 core mains cable from the back of the already fitted sockets and hard wire that (safely) to another (concealed) 13A socket and plug the fridge into that. By the way, the reason I am suggesting sticking with plugs and sockets, rather than simply hard-wiring it into the mains wiring is so as to retain a fuse in the fridge circuit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Did you get enough info from my previous reply regarding the simple/easy charging system then?

[Peter-T]

Right, yeah, that makes sense.

I think so, yeah. Swap out the current split charge relay for an intelligent one, wired into the mains and done.

Thanks very much for your help

[ghost123uk]

Right, yeah, that makes sense. I think so, yeah. Swap out the current split charge relay for an intelligent one, wired into the mains and done.

Whoa, hang on, don't for Gods sake wire the relay into the mains

[Peter-T]

I don't think this electrical business is something i'm going to pursue! I think it'll have to be a job for somebody who knows that they're doing!

[ghost123uk]

I don't think this electrical business is something i'm going to pursue! I think it'll have to be a job for somebody who knows that they're doing!

Aye, for sure, when dealing with the mains don't ever guess !!

The job could be very simple (if you avoid the "consumer unit" route) and someone (like me, but I'm too far away) could do it in likely less than 2 hours for beer money.

[ghost123uk]

p.s. Just noticed, you list Shropshire in your profile. I am in N. Shropshire, near Whitchurch if that is any help?

[Peter-T]

I'm picking the bus up in Shropshire, but I'm only here for another day or so before heading back down to Hampshire, then off out of the country with work for a couple of months. Thanks very much, but i'll hang off til I get back.

[Budgie7]

Do you want the cheap n cheerful option, or will you be fitting a proper mains "consumer panel" (if not already fitted) ?

The charging bit is easy. Just buy a decent make "intelligent" charger, around 5 to 10 Amp, and hard wire it to the mains and your main battery. Then swap your old style split charge relay for one of the newer automatic voltage sensitive ones LIKE THIS that will charge both batteries automatically when on hook up and also when the motor is running.

Hi John, I understand that the relay charges the leisure battery when you start the engine etc, but how does it charge the leisure battery when you are on hook up ?. I have one of those relays on my van at the moment but it only charges my leisure batt when I am running the engine.
So am I right in reading that if I hard wire a charger to my main batt from my consumer unit that it does the same
Thanks for any help

[ghost123uk]

@ Budgie7, yes, as long as you have one of those "voltage sensitive" automatic split charge relays. Wire your mains charger to the main battery and as soon as the voltage rises above about 13 Volts (which it will quite quickly) then the relay activates and so the charger then charges your leisure battery

[Budgie7]

@ Budgie7, yes, as long as you have one of those "voltage sensitive" automatic split charge relays. Wire your mains charger to the main battery and as soon as the voltage rises above about 13 Volts (which it will quite quickly) then the relay activates and so the charger then charges your leisure battery

Thanks very much, didn't know that and have had one of those split charge relays for a while now.
Barry

[CovKid]

These would seem to be a good buy too: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Numax-12V-10A ... 4ac6648e04" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MartinR]

I've got a T25 with a Zig (the wife has a T4 with a somewhat more auto zig ) and both, as I understand it, only charge the leisure battery when on mains hook-up.
So the question is, if I connected on of these voltage sensitive switching relays between leisure and main, would it then top off the main when the leisure achieved a full charge? (both batteries are actually car batteries, leisure standard size, main heavy duty), and would this cause a problem with the existing split system when running?

Sorry to but in.

Martin