Need some help with short in solar charging system

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

After our last trip I have noticed that I am not getting any charge from the solar panel to the battery.This may have started during out trip or before.The battery been has charged through the truck with no problem and since we drive most every day at camp the battery stays charged up.I have minimum draw on the battery so it would go unnoticed.
When I checked this afternoon I found that the in line fuse from the solar panel to the controller was blown.
I started tracing the wires,and haven't found any bare wires yet but ran out of time for today.I have two wires from the panel to the controller.I don't use the camper as the ground.
My next step is to check the wiring behind the lift panel and the whole length of the system.
Could there be some other problem,maybe the controller?
Any thoughts would help.
Thanks,Frank

 

[dsrtrat]

Hi Frank,
Disconnect the wiring from the controller and solar panel and check it for shorts with a meter. If it shows clear wiggle the wiring around and see if you can create a short.
If no short check the panel output voltage. if good, hook everything back up and replace the fuse and see if you still have a problem.
If you still have a problem suspect the controller. Check input and output voltage to see if it is within specs.
It could be as simple as a bad fuse but most likely you will find a wiring short.
I used type TC tray cable in my solar wiring as the wiring in the regular install is not designed for the conditions it is subjected to IE: repeated flexing, it's just normal THHN wire.
Dsrtrat

 

[leadsled9]

Check the wires behind the folding front panel. Mine broke there and caused the exact issue you are describing. Just like dsrat says....the wire is the wrong type to allow for repeated flexing. I rerouted and upgraded my wiring...problem solved.

 

[Radicalfil]

I would also check behind the front folding panel and I will bet that is where you might find the short in the wiring. Many of us have had the wiring system shorting out in that area. My experience is that system had a short an would blow fuses. There was an open circut until I found and fixed the wiring behind the panels and then I had no more problems with blowing fuses. Check out the thread that I wrote up about this very thing with pix included:
Wire shorts at the front lift panel


Phil

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thank you all for the information,one of the great things about this site,there is always someone to help.
Problem solved!!!
Since I wired my own system I was pretty sure that a wire had shorted.
This morning I started tracing the wires back to the panel and sure enough where I brought them through the roof,right rear corner edge,the inside had warn out the positive wire and shorted against the roof frame.
I had originally used a metal tube to run the wires through.Where it came through the roof frame there was just enough of a lip to compress onto the wire against the back lower frame and over the years it scraped through the insulation.
I used #8 wire and gave it a large enough loop so is wouldn't bend behind the lifter panel.But there wasn't any way I could have known about the rubbing. As it turned out if the ground wire had warn through I would have not had the problem.The positive wire was the one in contact with the metal tube lip.
Oh well all is well in camper land.
The solar panel is producing away and charging the battery as it should.
Again many thanks to the reply s.
Frank

 

[ski3pin]

Glad you were able to trace it out and fix the problem. Going camping now?

 

[takesiteasy]

Nice job, Frank. It is always satisfying to solve a problem, isn't it.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks.Because of this short was I "bleeding power out of the system? Also there wasn't any "burn" mark at the short (ground) site.
What first got my attention was one night recently I went to get something from the camper and noticed the controller light for "sun power" was on,on further looking that's when I found the blown fuse.The light would only go off if I disconnected both lines from the panel.Strange.
I am thinking of adding a second fuse at the solar panel itself.
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Frank, you might stop by a NAPA and pick up a length of wire loom, either a split loom, or a spiral loom, and place it where there are any edges that might chaff the wire. Wire ties and/or tape will keep it from sliding.

Steve

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks Steve.That's a good suggestion.
Frank

 

[Wandering Sagebrush]

The reason that I suggested wire looms... This is on the top of my Airstream. I had a RV shop do the install of a 150 watt panel, as I didn't have a safe way of getting on top to do it myself. When I did a quality check on the install, I found no grommet on the hole leading the wires from the panel into the trailer, and routing of wires across a sharp edge.

The shop got to do it twice. Now there's a grommet on the hole, and a clamp holding the wires off the sharp edge.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Thanks Steve.I only have one place where the wire comes through the metal,and that is what I took care of with short piece of heavy plastic tubing.The rest of the wires are in areas that are not a problem.
Frank