Load connection on solar controller

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Hoping someone can help. My Arapaho has the Sargent EC325 and a separate and basic pwm solar controller rather than an integral one as some of the Sargent units have. My controller has a load output with wires connected and I’m trying to find out what may be connected through the load terminals.
 
Daz65 said:
Hoping someone can help. My Arapaho has the Sargent EC325 and a separate and basic pwm solar controller rather than an integral one as some of the Sargent units have. My controller has a load output with wires connected and I’m trying to find out what may be connected through the load terminals.
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Sometimes lights etc, best ditch it and fit a mppt unit to charge less and starter batteries.solar duel a.png
 
Daz65 said:
Hoping someone can help. My Arapaho has the Sargent EC325 and a separate and basic pwm solar controller rather than an integral one as some of the Sargent units have. My controller has a load output with wires connected and I’m trying to find out what may be connected through the load terminals.
Click to expand...
Given this is not a standard feature on the Sargent System on Autotrails, I would start by suspecting the wiring are for added circuits - so additional lights, USB Sockets, this kind of thing.
 
I have a load connection on my Solar regulator , The bumphf says I can connect things like traffic lights ?? etc to it on a timed sequence, I have had the solar set up for 6 years and just ignore the occasional red light that shows the timed sequence is operative but as nothing is connected to it no results are obvious ,
 
This may vary depending on the Controller make and output, but anyone using the Load Output of a Solar Controller needs to be aware of any limitations it may have.
Taking the Victron ones specifically, but other makes likely to equally - or more - limited ....
The Load Output is current limited - for the 100/20 Controller it is 20A, for the others it is 15A. Draw more than that and it shuts off. This means you can't connect something that has a surge current (such as a 12V Compressor Fridge for example). You can't wire in an Inverter either, even if it is a low power one that draws less than 15A.

If you do have a Victron Controller with a Load Output, you can actually use that quite nicely as a Battery Protect system, preventing any loads connected to this output from taking the battery down too low inadvertantly by using the "Battery Life" setting.
FWIW, I don't use the "Battery Life" setting, but I DO run all the standard Autotrail Habitation 12V Electrics through the Load Terminal on my Victron 100/20 Solar Controller. Means I can see precisely what current is being used by the Motorhome hab kit and I can very easily turn everything off remotely via the Victron VE.Connect app.
 
wildebus said:
This may vary depending on the Controller make and output, but anyone using the Load Output of a Solar Controller needs to be aware of any limitations it may have.
Taking the Victron ones specifically, but other makes likely to equally - or more - limited ....
The Load Output is current limited - for the 100/20 Controller it is 20A, for the others it is 15A. Draw more than that and it shuts off. This means you can't connect something that has a surge current (such as a 12V Compressor Fridge for example). You can't wire in an Inverter either, even if it is a low power one that draws less than 15A.

If you do have a Victron Controller with a Load Output, you can actually use that quite nicely as a Battery Protect system, preventing any loads connected to this output from taking the battery down too low inadvertantly by using the "Battery Life" setting.
FWIW, I don't use the "Battery Life" setting, but I DO run all the standard Autotrail Habitation 12V Electrics through the Load Terminal on my Victron 100/20 Solar Controller. Means I can see precisely what current is being used by the Motorhome hab kit and I can very easily turn everything off remotely via the Victron VE.Connect app.
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Thank you for such a detailed reply. I’ve had opportunity to do some wire chasing and found what was connected to the load. It was a votronic standby charger. This was (removed it now and it’s shonky wiring lol) a 3amp trickle charger that had been connected to positive out of load and then spliced into the vehicle battery wiring just at the Sargent EC325. It was the same for the solar wiring. The battery inputs were just spliced into the leisure battery wiring just below the Sargent psu. No wonder the batteries just killed each other over the winter in storage. I’ve pulled it all out, new batteries in, wired as a parallel bank and installed for the moment a Victron 75/10 with new fused harnesses to the vehicle battery only at the moment. Solar panel is standard 100w that was fitted as standard. Vehicle battery has been spot on ever since and have no apparent parasitic draw on leisure side that I’ve been able to find so all good there. Currently when I’m away I’m either on ehu or small generator so leisure charging is fine for now. Next up is to fit between 3-500 watts of new panels, controller etc and hopefully will be covered for minimal if any ehu/generator use through summer and hopefully enough capacity to maintain in winter storage. Love reading your posts by the way. Your turbocharging electrics post is what gave me the confidence to start digging around my own AutoTrail electrics 😁
 
Thanks for the update :)
Votronic generally make good kit, but their trickle charger is a rather shocking product so no bad thing to take it out.

Just a comment regarding the Load output on the Victron .... it may be interesting to know that the Victron 75/10 is a 10A Solar Controller but the Load Circuit actually supports a 15A load (same as the 75/15) so if you were thinking of using that part of the device, it is more capable than you may have thought :D
 
I have an integral sollar controller on my on my S 328 they fit a £20 ebay type cheapo, check your controller? If is pwm bin it and get mppt . load terminals are rarely used on motorhomes, check wiring as manufacturers fit the thinnest wire they can get away ,
 
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