Finishing off your install - Checking chargers are functioning
This article is to provide information on the final part of the electrical install of a camper conversion wiring kit.
This DOES NOT replace the need for your system to be inspected and tested by a qualified electrician, it is for information purposes only and to test things after the install has been checked.
All systems that have a leisure battery will also have at least one way of charging the battery, in many cases you may have two or even three methods of charging, they can be, but are not limited to;
- Split charging/battery to battery charging
- Mains to leisure battery charging
- Solar charging
The basic way to test that any of these are functioning, using the voltage, is as follows. This should be done once your install is completed and BEFORE you plan any deadlines or book any trips as if there is an issue with any system or the install, you may need a little time to isolate the issue and fix it.
1. Ensure everything is connected, then take a voltage reading across your leisure battery. (This can be done with the voltmeter supplied in your control panel). 2. Record this reading, it will most probably be between 12.0V and 13.1V. (What do battery voltages mean?) 3. Turn on the charging system you are checking, (by starting the engine, plugging the mains in, or parking the van in the sun for methods 1, 2 & 3 above respectively). 4. Take another reading of the voltage after a minute or so. 5. The voltage should now have increased. The amount by which it increases will depend on the size of your battery bank and the power of the charger, although in most cases it should go up by at least 0.5V after a few seconds, then continue to rise. (Stopping at 14.4V for wet batteries and 14.7V for AGM batteries). 6. Now turn off the charging source, the voltage should drop back down.
This is by no means a full exhaustive test of every function of the charger, but it should give you a good indication that they're doing their job.
We would also recommend checking this on a monthly basis or a couple of weeks before any planned trip, it is rare to find an issue, but it's much easier to resolve if you have a little time in which to do so.
If you are experiencing any issues, there are charger FAQs in our help centre, or please don't hesitate to contact us.
Thanks for reading, have a good day.