removing battery for winter ... can't turn off mppt controller

[JLyzo]

Hi all,
I'm new to this forum. I'm attempting to remove my battery for the winter, but I want to make sure that no power is going to the battery controller before I remove it. The problem is that my solar panel is hardwired into the controller, without any sort of switch in between. I have a cover over my RV, but I think that a little light might get through to the solar panel. How do you guys generally deal with this situation? As far as I see it, I have the following options:

1) Simply turn off the battery shutoff switch and remove the battery from the circuit.
2) Cut the + wire going into the controller (from the solar panel) and install a shutoff switch.

I would like to do option #1, but I have a sinking suspicion that this will leave the my battery controller working overtime over the winter. I'm trying not to stress out the controller. In that case, I might have to try option #2.

Thoughts?

 

[SilentService]

for safety reasons, I would install a shutoff switch.
I'm curious, did you buy this trailer used or did it come from the factory without a shutoff switch?

 

[JLyzo]

I bought it used this summer. No switch. Thanks for the input. I think I have decided to put a breaker box inline between the solar array and the controller panel (see breaker below). I have a 165W panel, so I figure a 30A breaker should suffice. I plan to disconnect from the solar docking port when I do the work.

(Amazon.com).

 

[ajg617]

for safety reasons, I would install a shutoff switch.
I'm curious, did you buy this trailer used or did it come from the factory without a shutoff switch?

Mine also did not come with a CB between the panel and the solar charge controller. After speaking with FSI, I installed a dual pole CB between the panel and the controller. I did have an in-line fuse between the controller and the batteries from the factory but FSI said the preferred route is to to shut the panel off and not put voltage into a controller that isn't connected to anything.

 

[Rovers]

For what it’s worth, a 30 amp circuit breaker is way overkill unless you have a massive terrestrial solar array. A circuit breaker or fuse is there to protect the wire in a circuit (not devices within the circuit) and your solar panel(s) already have short circuit protection built in. For example, my 200 watt bifacial solar panels have 10.15 amp short circuit protection so the panel fuse will blow long before the 6 gauge wire connecting the panels to the controller gets warm.

The disconnect switch linked below is the one I installed. It disconnects both the positive and negative lines simultaneously - simple to install.

My 2 cents

Solar disconnect

Bob

 

[Dale G]

My 2022 Reflection 337RLS did not come with any switch to turn off the controller. I put one of these in the battery line and one in the line from the solar panel so I can completely cut off power to the controller before disconnecting the battery. They work very well.

Amazon.com

 

[txloser]

My 2024 Solitude did not either. Just on the battery side. I unplug the solar side from the controller if it’ll sit for long. Even in covered storage, it gets some solar in the pre-noon hours since it faces east.

 

[huntindog]

For what it’s worth, a 30 amp circuit breaker is way overkill unless you have a massive terrestrial solar array. A circuit breaker or fuse is there to protect the wire in a circuit (not devices within the circuit) and your solar panel(s) already have short circuit protection built in. For example, my 200 watt bifacial solar panels have 10.15 amp short circuit protection so the panel fuse will blow long before the 6 gauge wire connecting the panels to the controller gets warm.

The disconnect switch linked below is the one I installed. It disconnects both the positive and negative lines simultaneously - simple to install.

My 2 cents

Solar disconnect

Bob

That is pricy for what you get. I installed a small box that can hold 2 double pole breakers . It is not there to protect the wire. Simply to turn off my solar arrays.
( I have two systems, so two breakers.) Far cheaper than the 120.00 two of your disconnects would cost.

 

[ajg617]

My 2022 Reflection 337RLS did not come with any switch to turn off the controller. I put one of these in the battery line and one in the line from the solar panel so I can completely cut off power to the controller before disconnecting the battery. They work very well.

Amazon.com

That's what I installed. $14.95.

 

[terryriddle]

Hi all,
I'm new to this forum. I'm attempting to remove my battery for the winter, but I want to make sure that no power is going to the battery controller before I remove it. The problem is that my solar panel is hardwired into the controller, without any sort of switch in between. I have a cover over my RV, but I think that a little light might get through to the solar panel. How do you guys generally deal with this situation? As far as I see it, I have the following options:

1) Simply turn off the battery shutoff switch and remove the battery from the circuit.
2) Cut the + wire going into the controller (from the solar panel) and install a shutoff switch.

I would like to do option #1, but I have a sinking suspicion that this will leave the my battery controller working overtime over the winter. I'm trying not to stress out the controller. In that case, I might have to try option #2.

Thoughts?

I installed a mini circuit breaker on the lines from the solar to the controller to prevent the controller from being damaged.

 

[Rovers]

That is pricy for what you get. I installed a small box that can hold 2 double pole breakers . It is not there to protect the wire. Simply to turn off my solar arrays.
( I have two systems, so two breakers.) Far cheaper than the 120.00 two of your disconnects would cost.

Why two? Can’t you run your solar arrays in series so only one pair of wires down from the roof to your charge controller?

On my system only one disconnect needed - mine is in the pass through where the solar wire is fished down from the roof. The downstream side of the disconnect then carries on to the solar charge controller.

Bob

 

[huntindog]

Why two? Can’t you run your solar arrays in series so only one pair of wires down from the roof to your charge controller?

On my system only one disconnect needed - mine is in the pass through where the solar wire is fished down from the roof. The downstream side of the disconnect then carries on to the solar charge controller.

Bob

Sure I could , if I only had 800 watts of solar.

 

[TimtheToolMan]

If you need to remove battery before switch is added, you can cover panel.