Use Stock Vanner Equalizer to equalize house and coach batteries? Or Other?

[neoneddy]

For my 12v system I just took a tap off my second 6V battery, but when measuring charge I notice those are less than the other two by a few .1 v . 

I'm thinking of just  running a positive 8 or 6 gauge wire to the vanner from the same tap.   

I initially was going to run a second  Vanner but it seems they are $400+ even on the ebay.   Or do I use something else to keep them balanced?

[buswarrior]

Are you centre tapping 12 volt from a 24 volt bank, made up of 6 volt batteries?

The bank that is being centre tapped, needs its own Vanner Equalizer, hooked up all the time.

Scrapped transit buses are a great source, often, they have a pair for the required capacity.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[bevans6]

I switched all coach 12 systems to run off the house battery pair, and used the Vanner to equalize just the house batteries.  There is no center tap on the start batteries any longer, I disconnected it.  I wouldn't connect the Vanner (the 12v equalizing lead) to both the house and start batteries unless you also always keep them bridged into one bank.  It's fine to have the Vanner 24 volt lead connect to both when they are bridged, if you have a switchable bridge, as long as it only connects to the house batteries when un-bridged.  The Vanner is basically a switching power supply that runs from the 24 volt supply and provides an output of exactly half of the 24 volt input.  It can typically supply up to 50 or 60 amps on the 12 volt output, so either wire for 60 amps or wire for your anticipate total 12 volt load plus 50% and put a fuse in of appropriate size to protect the wire (30 amp for 10 gauge, etc).

When driving I always have the house and start batteries bridged so that I can run my inverter from the bus alternator.  The Vanner equalizes the house bank so any 12 volt loads are supplied equalized.  I have no "automotive" 12 volt loads except for my trailer lights.

Brian

[Iceni John]

Does a Vanner actually equalize batteries?   Isn't the process of equalizing a function of a battery charger, not of an "equalizer" such as a Vanner?   Equalizing is when a deliberate overcharge is used to reduce plate sulfation and electrolyte stratification  -  can a Vanner do this?   Just wondering.

John

[neoneddy]

I put in a request with my bus scrapper friend, we'll see what  I find.

I currently run 12v headlights (stock setup on the 82 MCI 9)  and some of the other dash electronics use that same 12v tap from the coach batteries.

Right now they are all bridged into a single system, I'd like to use a starter solenoid to engage them only  while the bus is running.  On the other hand right now I'm always plugged in or driving.  I'd suspect with the house  system and the coach system I could even have a parasitic draw with the main breaker on and still start after 7-14 days.   On the other hand being able to have separate systems  will give me auxiliary start options as well.

Anyway my goal is to keep the house system healthy first.  The starting batteries only need to give me enough juice to start.  SO maybe moving the Vanner to the  house system would be just fine.  At least until I can find a second one.

[bevans6]

Does a Vanner actually equalize batteries?   Isn't the process of equalizing a function of a battery charger, not of an "equalizer" such as a Vanner?   Equalizing is when a deliberate overcharge is used to reduce plate sulfation and electrolyte stratification  -  can a Vanner do this?   Just wondering.

John

Two completely different things, John, they just have the same name...   An equalize charge is as you describe, the Vanner concept is keeping equal charge on a battery bank that supplies two different voltages, in our case 24 volts and 12 volts. 

[windtrader]

OMG! Brian, I am in the middle of trying to sort this out in my head. While changing the batteries out, both start and house, the switches between house and start and inverter and equalizer have me scratching my head on why it's set up this way and how to configure under different conditions.

It just dawned on me why the electrics in the bus are sometimes a mystery and driving me crazy. For example, when I got the bus, the front AC seemed to run when I turned on the inverter. Yesterday, I was trying to get it going while my wife was waiting in the coach. No AC, no inverter while to coach was running.  If the house/start battery switch was off, then the alternator would not be charging the house battery and if that bank is dead, then no inverter function so no AC.

Man, this is still mixing me up. LOL

[buswarrior]

beware the previous owners...

Nothing shall be as it should be... unless it is...

Trace all wires, take pictures before disassembly, trust no one, double check, it gets expensive real fast if you let the smoke out

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[windtrader]

OK. Just finished replacing the house battery bank. Required some new cabling as the new bank is 4x 6v wired in series for 24v. Previously it was 4 x 12v for 24v serial and parallel. Not too bad, just went nice and slow to avoid the puffs of smoke and sparks.

SO SO much better when the house batteries actually work. Gee, the inverter is not so psychotic anymore and the 110 actually stays on, the refrig doesn't keep shutting off because it has no electricity, and the lights actually are nice and bright. Wow! Almost like a new coach. LOL

[buswarrior]

Lovely, now keep those batteries properly and fully charged...

Darkness and alarms come to those who murder batteries.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[windtrader]

BW - Yup, working on the getting specific values for the Interstate GC2 deep cycle batteries. Bulk, Absorption, and Float voltages and current. Will configure the Vanner as close to the specs as its capabilities allow.

Kind of stuck on one setting "Float init. amps". The manual makes a single mention of this control, so no idea how to set it best for the bank in there now. Just using the mid range, can't be too far off.

Don