[Spruce]

Spruce,

Have you fitted the split relay yourself, I've literally just been looking at the ones you posted?

I need to sort mine, but a little apprehensive, thought it had to go from the alternator? If it's just a case of attaching to the cables and making a negative, might pluck up the courage :~)

Rob.

Yes. I've fitted both the Intelligent and alternator SCR myself - that's why I recommend you go for the intelligent one as it is much easier to fit - less messing around.

All you are doing is joining the 2 positive terminals of the batteries together with one wire and then cutting it to put the SCR in the middle. The idea is that the SCR will only allow current to flow one way when the engine is running to charge the battery. When the engine isn't running then it isolates the leisure battery from the van's battery. You join the negative of each battery together through the van's body. This is why you need another wire to the body from your leisure battery's negative post.

All you do is 'bolt' a supply wire to the positive battery terminal of your van and run it to the input on the SCR. You get connection instructions with the SCR and the details are also on the back of the unit. You need to cut the cable reasonably close to the battery terminal an insert an inline fuse holder with a 15 amp fuse. The cable I have used runs from the battery under the van and attached to the wiring harness that supplies power to all the rear van lights. I drilled a small hole in the floor of the van and ran the wire through into the back where I found a convenient place to fix the SCR where it wouldn't get damaged or wet. It was also quite close to where I fitted the battery. Fix this wire to the input of the split charge relay. From the SCR run another wire to the positive battery terminal of your leisure battery. Again put a fuse holder with a 15 amp fuse as close to the leisure battery as you can. The SCR will need another wire to earth (to a bolt on the body will do) and the negative battery terminal will also need another wire to earth.

Done.

Will take a couple of hours max.

The intelligent SCR is great in that it will give preferrence to charging the van's battery first. So it can take 10 -15 secs after the engine has been started to kick in.

Spruce

[Window Washers]

From what I've read, there's two types. One that goes from battery to battery. The other from alternator to battery. I'm going to steer clear of the alternator because knowing me I'll turn my flow controller on and my engine will start and I'll turn the key and my pumps will come on.

[rah]

Spruce,

Have you fitted the split relay yourself, I've literally just been looking at the ones you posted?

I need to sort mine, but a little apprehensive, thought it had to go from the alternator? If it's just a case of attaching to the cables and making a negative, might pluck up the courage :~)

Rob.

Yes. I've fitted both the Intelligent and alternator SCR myself - that's why I recommend you go for the intelligent one as it is much easier to fit - less messing around.

All you are doing is joining the 2 positive terminals of the batteries together with one wire and then cutting it to put the SCR in the middle. The idea is that the SCR will only allow current to flow one way when the engine is running to charge the battery. When the engine isn't running then it isolates the leisure battery from the van's battery. You join the negative of each battery together through the van's body. This is why you need another wire to the body from your leisure battery's negative post.

All you do is 'bolt' a supply wire to the positive battery terminal of your van and run it to the input on the SCR. You get connection instructions with the SCR and the details are also on the back of the unit. You need to cut the cable reasonably close to the battery terminal an insert an inline fuse holder with a 15 amp fuse. The cable I have used runs from the battery under the van and attached to the wiring harness that supplies power to all the rear van lights. I drilled a small hole in the floor of the van and ran the wire through into the back where I found a convenient place to fix the SCR where it wouldn't get damaged or wet. It was also quite close to where I fitted the battery. Fix this wire to the input of the split charge relay. From the SCR run another wire to the positive battery terminal of your leisure battery. Again put a fuse holder with a 15 amp fuse as close to the leisure battery as you can. The SCR will need another wire to earth (to a bolt on the body will do) and the negative battery terminal will also need another wire to earth.

Done.

Will take a couple of hours max.

The intelligent SCR is great in that it will give preferrence to charging the van's battery first. So it can take 10 -15 secs after the engine has been started to kick in.

Spruce

Thanks Spruce, really helpful, Appreciate the info.

Rob.

[colley614]

Spruce. If we good give likes on this forum you would have 2 off this thread

[Spruce]

Spruce. If we good give likes on this forum you would have 2 off this thread

Thanks - its a pleasure to be able to help. Sometimes these things seem more daunting than they are. 

[rah]

I've just ordered 2 with next day delivery, £42 all in. 1/2 he price of a flow controller with charging and 1/4 of the price quoted for a auto electrician.

Happy days

Rob.

[Ian Sheppard]

Thank you Spruce the information you have given is spot on.

To answer the question on Low Battery cut off the New analogue will shut down at 10.5V

The current digital will shut down at 11V

We are in the process of upgrading the digital controller and once released this will also have a low battery shut down of 10.5V

To tell the difference on the back of the box it will be marked V9 ( Shut down at 11V)

V11 (shut down at 10.5)

The issue of using a vehicle battery to run your WFP is that it is not designed for sustained use but for short sharp periods of load EG when you start the car. Once the engine is running the alternator is recharging the battery almost immediately.

So when starting the engine or 1st switching on a pump you will see a voltage drop as the battery comes under load.

other reasons for the Volt drop are cable and connectors always try to ensure the cable is a short as possible and all connectors are in good condition replace any damaged or rusting connectors.

Spruce has a well thought out and very efficient system and fitting the split relays to charge a leisure battery is a good idea
Remember as Spruce has said the amount of charge going back into the leisure battery will depend on how long the alternator is running.

In general run your WFP of a separate battery to the vehicle battery

[colley614]

Thank you Ian. My next investment will be a new deep cycle battery and split relay charger.

[Spruce]

Thank you Ian. My next investment will be a new deep cycle battery and split relay charger.

And don't forget an intelligent battery charger as well. 

Today the two of us headed out of town on a contract clean we do every 6 weeks. We also include a number of domestic customers we have acquired over the years into this days work.
Between the 2 of us we used about 550 lites of water and ran both pumps from my 110 amp leisure battery for most of that. My son used his backpack for the backs of a couple of his houses on the way back home. I estimate that we spent about 5 to 6  'pumping' hours on the glass in total.

We travelled 68 miles, but the first 9 don't count as the leisure battery was fully charged when we left home. On getting home I put the leisure back on charge and it has just now come up fully charged after nearly 3 hours.

So the 59 miles we travelled help to replenish some of our battery usage but not all.

Both pumps running together were drawing around 7 amps and when the engine was running between jobs it was recharging at about the same amperage.

Now another interesting fact about alternators. It doesn't matter whether the engine is idling at trafic lights or 'reving' down the motorway at 2500 RPM - the alternator still delivers the maximum charge the leisure battery will accept. This means that if you take your time getting to your next customer you will save fuel and your leisure battery will receive a longer charge.

Spruce