Solar controller's charge equalization mode

[rosenkol]

We have a 2024 Imagine XLS (22RBe) with one 185 watt Furrion solar panel and one 190 watt Dometic Go Power solar panel. The second solar controller is the 40 amp Furrion solar controller (FSCC40PW2) (serial #10001522147072300355). There are two PB 6 volt golf cart batteries (CG15) wired in series. The Furrion Solar apt is on our iPad. On a recent 12 day trip, the solar system worked perfectly for the first four days. Beginning on day 5 the Furrion Solar apt reported that the solar controller was in the charge equalization mode and no amps were flowing from the solar panels to the solar controller or from the solar controller to the batteries. On day 5 the voltage at the batteries was as follows: 2.01 (10 AM), 12.2 (1:30 PM), 12.0 (4 PM) and 12.2 (5PM). This pattern continued for 2.5 days until on day 7 we hitched the trailer and drove 27 miles to a new camping location. The Furrion Solar apt continued to report that the solar controller was in the charge equalization mode but at noon there was 7.5 amps flowing to the batteries from the solar controller. At 1:30 PM there were 18 amps flowing to the batteries from the solar controller. On day 9 no amps were once again flowing to the batteries with the battery voltage of 12.1 or less. On day 10 there were no amps flowing until we hitched and drove to a new camping site. When we arrived at the new site, the mode was still charge equalization and 17.7 amps were flowing to the batteries. At this camp site we plugged into house current. The Furrion solar controller manual says that the charge equalization mode should last for two hours. It lasted for more than 5 days for us. We wonder if the charge equalization mode is designed for two 12 volt batteries and not for two six volt batteries wired to make one 12 volt battery. We have the solar controller set for the default (liquid acid batteries).

 

[Soundsailor]

You'd have to contact Lippert support to determine if having the two 6-volt batteries in series affects the controller (Lippert owns Furrion). While I did use the Furrion controller that came with my coach for a couple of years, I switched to a Victron controller when I upgraded the solar to 900 watts. The Victron is better in every way and worth the investment.

 

[TimtheToolMan]

I do not think that the Furrion solar charge controller has any idea if it is driving two 12 volt (parallel) or two six-volt batteries (series).

I do not know if the controller stays in equalization mode until the process is completed. The voltages stated never showed getting into full equalization voltage. (Somewhere above 14.7 V)

Generally, charge controllers will not go into equalization until batteries are fully charged.