Sure power 1314A gets hot

[Outnabout]

My truck has been parked and not run for days. Camper plugged into truck. I have 160w solar wired through controller to camper batteries.

Two questions:
1. The separator is hot to the touch. Should it be?

2. It seems my truck is receiving a charge from the solar on the camper. I thought the separator was one way. Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance. I am not an electrical wizard but can get by with food advice.

-Tom

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Tom back in 2011 there was a recall on that model.
I don't know if Sure Power will still take it back.
There was a thread about them back in May/June 2011.

I had one in my 2009 Bobcat and it would get hot to the touch.
It was taken back by them and I received a refund.
After that time I think ATC/FWC went to a different type.
I now have an Isolator.

It isn't supposed to get hot to the touch.

I would contact the company and find out about the recall.
Frank

Tom search " Sure Power 1314 separator recall Wander the West".
That will pull up the thread by Member UglyScout.
The info is there including recall numbers.

 

[Vic Harder]

Thanks in advance. I am not an electrical wizard but can get by with food advice.

I think you are in good hands with Frank's advice.

But to your comment above, I can't resist: "Don't eat electric eels"

 

[Outnabout]

I think you are in good hands with Frank's advice.

But to your comment above, I can't resist: "Don't eat electric eels"

Good (not food). Big thumbs and Good food advice. [emoji3]

 

[Outnabout]

Tom back in 2011 there was a recall on that model.
I don't know if Sure Power will still take it back.
There was a thread about them back in May/June 2011.

I had one in my 2009 Bobcat and it would get hot to the touch.
It was taken back by them and I received a refund.
After that time I think ATC/FWC went to a different type.
I now have an Isolator.

It isn't supposed to get hot to the touch.

I would contact the company and find out about the recall.
Frank

Tom search " Sure Power 1314 separator recall Wander the West".
That will pull up the thread by Member UglyScout.
The info is there including recall numbers.

Thanks. I found that thread earlier and then couldn’t find again.

I think it mentioned the1314A was the recall replacement. Mine is in a 2015 Grandby. I need to look into the isolators. Are they fairly straightforward to replace with? Thanks again.

 

[kmcintyre]

I have a BlueSeas ACR for sale if that's the issue.

 

[NRVhawk]

If I remember correctly, the 1314A uses an energized solenoid to hold the relay in place while the batteries are connected, so you'd expect at least a little heating while the relay is engaged. In fact, in my front dinette Hawk, FWC put an aluminum plate on the bottom of the wooden plate over the battery separator as a heat shield, so it seems they expected some heating from the separator. I replaced the 1314A in my camper with a Blue Sea ML-ACR, which uses magnetic latching to minimize the current draw. It was an easy substitution, as long as you remember to label the wires before removing them from the Sure Power separator.

 

[Outnabout]

If I remember correctly, the 1314A uses an energized solenoid to hold the relay in place while the batteries are connected, so you'd expect at least a little heating while the relay is engaged. In fact, in my front dinette Hawk, FWC put an aluminum plate on the bottom of the wooden plate over the battery separator as a heat shield, so it seems they expected some heating from the separator. I replaced the 1314A in my camper with a Blue Sea ML-ACR, which uses magnetic latching to minimize the current draw. It was an easy substitution, as long as you remember to label the wires before removing them from the Sure Power separator.

Thanks. I think that replacing is a good idea. I disconnected the camper from the truck and the 1314A was still hot. My front dinette also has the same heat shield set up. I will look into the Blue Sea

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

A nice thing about the Isolators with solar the truck battery gets charged
when the truck isn't running.

Glad you have a fix fir your issue.
Frank

 

[Vic Harder]

Thanks. I think that replacing is a good idea. I disconnected the camper from the truck and the 1314A was still hot. My front dinette also has the same heat shield set up. I will look into the Blue Sea

I really like the ML series. The ML is "magnetic latching" which uses no or minimal power and thus no heat is generated.

 

[Outnabout]

I really like the ML series. The ML is "magnetic latching" which uses no or minimal power and thus no heat is generated.

Is the Blue Sea ML an isolator or separator?

 

[Outnabout]

Today the separator is not even warm. I reconnected the camper and truck. The truck batteries were 12.7v and the camper batteries are charging on solar in the 13’s. I’ll check again later.

It looks like the way FWC connects these separators is through a thermal(?) block similar to the one in the engine compartment where they pull the power from the battery. It looks like the power from the truck batteries come in on a white wire and then they take it out of the separator with the red wire to the fuse block and out to the camper batteries.

 

[Vic Harder]

Is the Blue Sea ML an isolator or separator?

Separator, meaning it protects both sides from too much discharge.

 

[Outnabout]

I think I know why the separator was hot when the truck wasn’t running. Interested in what others think.

I had the trickle charger on the truck batteries while the camper was connected. I think this pushed the truck batteries up in voltage to trigger the separator. I understand they get warm/hot when they click on. Charging the truck batteries seems to be the same as driving when the alternator is pushing up the voltage.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

That does sound like a reason.
Still don't like that the separator gets hot.
Frank

 

[PaulT]

Keep in mind that the separator solenoid consumes about 0.9 amp at 13.8+ volts. Power = amps * volts or 13.8 * 0.9 => 12.4 watts. This is dissipated as heat. If you don't think that this can get hot, grab one of those little 4 watt incandescent night light bulbs after it has been turned on for an hour or so. Makes you appreciate how much heat is created by 12 watts.

Paul

 

[Outnabout]

Story continues. Truck parked connected to camper. Solar charging and separator hot. Volt meter in truck battery shows 14v, same as camper. Disconnect camper from truck and truck voltage drops. Seems that the separator is allowing solar charging to the truck battery which most likely is also causing the heat. If this the case then it seems like the separator has gone bad. My understanding is the power should only come from the truck.

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

Have you contacted Stan at FWC?.
They might give you some info about your separator.

I don't thing the charging should go back to the truck
battery through the separator. Doesn't sound right.
Frank

 

[Outnabout]

Have you contacted Stan at FWC?.
They might give you some info about your separator.

I don't thing the charging should go back to the truck
battery through the separator. Doesn't sound right.
Frank

I heard back from Jay Roper at FWC. He said it should not get hot. Right now the truck is disconnected from the camper. Separator still hot. I can touch it but leaving my finger on it for a few seconds creates discomfort.

I think my next step is to disconnect separator from camper batteries. Before I do this I will check for voltage coming through the plug that goes into the truck.

I really appreciate the conversation around this. Thanks.

 

[Outnabout]

Checked voltage at camper to truck plug. Power at the plug from camper is 13.xx depending on solar charge at the moment. Seems as though power is flowing through separator back to the truck. I assume this would indicate separator is not working.