Is this normal(battery charger fan)?

[Baker]

I was anchored and nothing running....I thought. *I notice I hear a fan and start rummaging around trying to figure out what it was. *I find out it is the battery charger fan!!! *There is absolutely no AC power connected to the boat. *I guess I can assume this fan is running off of the batteries and provides this feature to keep the charger cool when ac power is removed....

*

What gives and how are we to manage DC consumption when we have no control over whether the battery charger will be stealing battery juice. *I even disconnected at the battery switch and the fan cntinued to run so it is wired up "hot" straight from the battery....

*

Is this normal....

 

[Jay N]

Hi John,

Who is the manufacturer?* Does the operating manual say anything?* Assume no switch in the 12VDC circuit?* Installed in the hot ER space?* Any AC inverter onboard that might be unexpectedly providing power?

Probably a brushless fan (.2-.3 amp), so not much load.

 

[Capn Craig]

it would not be surprising that the charger output is wired directly to the battery(s) and doesn't go thru the battery switch.* I suspct that the charger cooling fan could be dc powered instead of 120v ac* I like the theory that the fan runs when the charger is hot.* It could be triggered by a thermostat that doesn't need to be have an ac source voltage to operate.**Dc could be back feeding from the battery(s)*via the charge wire.* Was the charger environment unusually hot?* Odd as it seems it might be normal.* I would sure hope the charger is not gettig a feed from an inverter.* That would be a big wiring mistake.* They haven't invented perpetual energy yet,* Is the AC power hard wired? or can it be unplugged.* If so that would at least eliminate the small chance it is feeding off an inverter.** Just my random thoughts.

 

[FF]

Is this normal....


NO

 

[Per]

is your inverter and charger a combined unit?

 

[Baker]

It is a Promariner 40 amp....2 years old. It is not a combined unit. It is Extremely hot in the engine space and in Texas in general....record heat down here for this time of year. There is an inverter on board but it is off and the reset switch is "thrown" due to my wife trying to flat iron her hair last time we were onboard and I have not reset it yet. So I seriously doubt any AC power is coming from the inverter. I haven't looked in the manual yet since I am neck deep in manuals for my annual recurrent training but I will look next time I am down there.

FF....show your work!!!!

 

[Anode]

I'm not sure about your brand of charger but many high end DC power supplies have cooling fans that are regulated by ambient temperature. Some never come on if the power supply is in a cool open environment and some run continuously if placed in a hot closed space. I suspect that may be the case.

 

[FlyWright]

I was just in my ER yesterday servicing the batts and changing a fused connection on the battery. The charger was running and the fan was blowing when I entered the ER. I switchd off the AC shore power, killing power to my Promariner 30A charger (no inverter on this unit). When I returned to the ER, the fan on the charger was still blowing. It lasted for about a minute, then turned off on its own. Apparently mine uses 12V power to run the fan as needed.

 

[Woodsong]

Baker,
This issue is totally NOT normal! Clearly, and I mean clearly, it is time for you to sell that junky old boat and get your next trawler!!

 

[Baker]

Woody, I am afraid my next boat might be further away from a trawler....but who knows....

*

And thanks for experimenting Flywright!!! *Pretty much answered my question with real experience!!!


-- Edited by Baker on Friday 10th of June 2011 04:13:38 AM

 

[JohnP]

Baker wrote:
Woody, I am afraid my next boat might be further away from a trawler....but who knows....

Somebody has a need for Speed?** It is good to change it up once and a while.

Johnp

*

 

[Fotoman]

To all those who say it's not normal, what makes you so sure? The device has a built-in fan to cool it should it get hot. The fan is a small 12-v computer-type fan and powered by the battery weather the device is hooked to 120v or not and weather the heat is produced internally or by ambient temperature. It's a bit like when you turn your car off and the radiator fan still goes until the engine is cool enough.

 

[FF]

It's a bit like when you turn your car off and the radiator fan still goes until the engine is cool enough.

Could even be simply monitoring the system voltage , and goes on at 13.? just with an alt charging the batt set.