Victron IP22 install question

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Gumbus

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Nov 9, 2020
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I am in the process of installing the Victron 120v Blue Smart IP22 charger/converter. I have read that these units can get very hot, so where do you suggest mounting it for best air flow cooling? I was considering mounting on the battery cabinet door and prop door open when in use or on the wall above the battery compartment (cabinet under the stove).
My current crib is the slide in Hawk with Front Dinette.
 
Gumbus said:
I am in the process of installing the IP22 charger/converter. I have read that these units can get very hot, so where do you suggest mounting it for best air flow cooling? I was considering mounting on the battery cabinet door and prop door open when in use.
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I’m not familiar with IP22 products. I’m using the Orion 12/30 and it does get hot. Keeping the door open would probably be good enough for my Orion.
 
I cut a piece of Aluminum plate and match drilled holes through it. The plate is sandwiched between the Victron 100/30 solar controller (which calls for mounting against a non-combustible surface) and the wood that the controller is screwed into. The Aluminum will help dissipate any heat produced by the controller. Frankly, I do not know how hot they get, mine is always cool to the touch.
 
I looked at the install manual for the IP22 and other than providing the recommended mounting clearances I didn’t find any other recommendations. The Orion does get fairly hot and Victron recommends mounting to a non combustible surface, the IP22 instructions don’t mention this so that makes me think it doesn’t get as hot. Perhaps it had a cooling fan like the IOTA. The IP22 does start to derate output at 90F, so good air circulation is probably a good idea. If you leave the battery compartment open remember that the batteries will be offgasing unless you have LiFePO4 batteries.
 
I know this is a month old, but I’m now looking at buying the Victron Blue Smart 120 vac to 12vdc 30 amp IP22 charger. I don’t use my stock DLS-30/IQ4 charger often, but I’m finding it useless for charging my lithium battery at a decent rate due to its operating logic. So I’m also looking at the space, wiring, and heat implications of installing this charger. My two choices are in the buried location of the current Iota charger or in the battery compartment.

The IP22 30 amp charger puts out about 400 watts at a rated efficiency of 93%. So that would mean it puts out up to about 40 watts of heat. It has a cooling fan that comes on above some temperature. It also has a “night mode” setting where it operates at half power for 8 hours and the fan is not expected to ever come on, or it can be permanently set in half power mode. I am not concerned about excessive heating in either of my prospective locations.

Edit: I have a Grandby front dinette so my cabinetry is pretty much the same as the OP.
 
Can anyone chime in on how the IP22 30a is doing after the install. Specifically heat wise.

I started looking into this myself, and it seems FWC used 10g to a 30a thermal fuze then to 8ga on the other side of the the thermal fuze. Seems inadequate for an iota DLS-30. I had originally replaced the iota with a pd-9130LV and can only get just under 15a from it, so not happy trying to charge 206ah of lifepo4 running my generator.
 
Jollyrogers said:
Can anyone chime in on how the IP22 30a is doing after the install. Specifically heat wise.

I started looking into this myself, and it seems FWC used 10g to a 30a thermal fuze then to 8ga on the other side of the the thermal fuze. Seems inadequate for an iota DLS-30. I had originally replaced the iota with a pd-9130LV and can only get just under 15a from it, so not happy trying to charge 206ah of lifepo4 running my generator.
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JollyRogers... can I ask you to clarify? The DLS-30 is an AC to DC charging unit, the IP22 is DCDC. The output of these chargers should be fairly close to the camper batteries and 10g wire is rated to carry 30A. Over a 1-4' wire run, voltage loss will be minimal.

The output of any converter/charger is going to depend on the amount of available power going in, both voltage and current. Have you measured the output of your generator to see what the PD is getting on the input?
 
The charging rate suggests that it is a DLS-30 without an IQ4 module. If so, the voltage is only about 13.8 as it is working as a DC power supply rather than as a smart charger.

From the thread, it isn't clear if the DLS-30 is installed or the IP22 unit. IF the DLS-30, verify if it is has the built-in IQ4 module. If not, buy the appropriate module for the battery chemistry and plug it into the charger IQ4 socket.
https://www.donrowe.com/

Paul
 
Lol. It’s frustrating trying to communicate via forums sometimes.

I had a DLS-30/IQ4 that was original. I replaced it with a PD-9130LV for my lifepo batteries because it supposedly has the LifePo4 charge profile. It sucks. I only get 15 amps, even if I “force” it to “Boost” with their pendant. I need to be able to get more because I camp mostly in national forest and shade and have to charge from my generator mostly. I am thinking of now replacing the PD-9130lv (because it sucks) and was think of the AC2DC Victron IP22 instead.

I have 200w portable solar to an MPPT and can get about 180w from it… if in sun, but I’m in shade a lot
I have a Orion DCDC charger from truck, and it works fine.

I am only asking if people who have used one, how hot it got and if it worked for them. There appears to be 2 posters above @Jon R and @Gumbus that we’re considering or actually have used the victron charger I too am considering.
 
At least for now, I’m still just using a NOCO Genius 10 amp charger for the rare occasion at home when I want to charge from 120VAC. I have not removed my DLS-30/IQ4 from the camper and have not purchased an IP22 charger.
 
Jollyrogers said:
Thanks. Interesting. Are you using it in the camper, mounted, or? I was shying away from it due to built in cables to batts.
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In the camper. Mounted about 2' from the batteries. I just cut the wires...
 
Vic Harder said:
In the camper. Mounted about 2' from the batteries. I just cut the wires...
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Got it. My Hawk has the batts up front and the AC2DC all towards the back next to the fridge.

I’d like to get at least 20-25amps up to my batts when charging from my generator. 15 from the PD9130 doesn’t cut it with 200ah lifepo. Eventually I’ll figure a solution.
 
Jollyrogers said:
Got it. My Hawk has the batts up front and the AC2DC all towards the back next to the fridge.

I’d like to get at least 20-25amps up to my batts when charging from my generator. 15 from the PD9130 doesn’t cut it with 200ah lifepo. Eventually I’ll figure a solution.
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Something isn't right if that's all you are getting. When charging, can you measure the input to the PD9130? Is getting 14V or more? Does the input voltage drop a lot when pulling max current? If so, then you need fatter wires.
 
Vic Harder said:
Something isn't right if that's all you are getting. When charging, can you measure the input to the PD9130? Is getting 14V or more? Does the input voltage drop a lot when pulling max current? If so, then you need fatter wires.
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Not sure how I can measure the AC input to the PD-9130LV. I can probably measure the output at the terminals under load and with no load. It is charging at the voltage I expected because it will bring the bank up to 14.6… eventually, and then drop to a a lower “float” value, I have just never seen more than 15amps from it IAW my shunt or the bluetooth BMS.

Maybe what is going on is that my batts are usually around 60% before I charge, so due to the voltage level it’s throttled, or because it’s 90F outside, it throttles? I have searched everywhere trying to find what the charge current profile is for the unit based on voltage levels. Maybe I should take my bank down to 10% and see what it does.
 
Jollyrogers said:
Not sure how I can measure the AC input to the PD-9130LV. I can probably measure the output at the terminals under load and with no load. It is charging at the voltage I expected because it will bring the bank up to 14.6… eventually, and then drop to a a lower “float” value, I have just never seen more than 15amps from it IAW my shunt or the bluetooth BMS.

Maybe what is going on is that my batts are usually around 60% before I charge, so due to the voltage level it’s throttled, or because it’s 90F outside, it throttles? I have searched everywhere trying to find what the charge current profile is for the unit based on voltage levels. Maybe I should take my bank down to 10% and see what it does.
Click to expand...
OK, red herring... my bad. I was thinking DC input voltage and current. Your PD is and ACDC charger.. doh.
 
Jollyrogers said:
Not sure how I can measure the AC input to the PD-9130LV. I can probably measure the output at the terminals under load and with no load. It is charging at the voltage I expected because it will bring the bank up to 14.6… eventually, and then drop to a a lower “float” value, I have just never seen more than 15amps from it IAW my shunt or the bluetooth BMS.

Maybe what is going on is that my batts are usually around 60% before I charge, so due to the voltage level it’s throttled, or because it’s 90F outside, it throttles? I have searched everywhere trying to find what the charge current profile is for the unit based on voltage levels. Maybe I should take my bank down to 10% and see what it does.
Click to expand...
It could be that the voltage drop between the charger and battery from the camper’s 10 awg wire is limiting the current. Not sure how long your actual wire runnis, but 15 feet total circuit length of the best quality 10 awg wire is going to have about a 0.5 volt drop at 30 amps. Your proposed next test is a good idea. If you get 30 amps when you test with a near-fully discharged battery then the wire resistance and associated voltage drop would seem to be the issue.
 
Measure the charging voltage before and after pressing the boost button on the boost dongle. If it does not increase to near 14.6 volts, then the dongle is defective or there may be a connection error with the dongle.

On my PD9130 charger, I press & hold the boost button to cycle thru the modes. It increases the charging voltage from near 13.6 volts to about 14.6 volts and the current rises to near 30. The booster will keep the charging voltage and current elevated for up to 4 hours.
Measure the charging voltage directly on the battery terminals.

Paul
 
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