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Old 10-23-2022, 03:33 PM   #1
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Help With Voltage Regulator Install

I need a little help understanding how ETI wired my trailer and if my plan for a voltage regulator can work or not.


Background is, I have learned that the water heater, furnace, and Maxxfan have circuit boards that don't like voltages associated with charging Li-iron batteries. I put a small buck regulator on the fan, installed it inside the fan housing itself.


For the furnace and HW heater, it is not easy to install regulators at the devices owing to location, and they are on a shared circuit. Sort of. But here is where I hit my problem.


There is a sincle, 30A breaker on the 12V panel that is connected to a single wire (green, not that it matters). Pulling this breaker kills both the furnace and HW heater. So perfect, I figured. I'll put a regulator on that circuit.


But when I started pulling ground wires to discover which wire or wires are grounding those two devices I got a surprise. The HW heater does indeed have its own ground. But the ground I pulled to kill the furnace also kills the lights and the fan. This puzzles me. Does ETI just willy nilly connect grounds together in whatever is convenient? Is that a good practice? I mean......the grounds all come back together at the bus bar anyway so maybe this is fine?


But it seems like a hassle for me now, I rather assume I can't install the regulator at the converter box as I had planned. Anyone have any thoughts on that? Thanks!
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Old 10-23-2022, 06:21 PM   #2
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I'm going through the same thing now. I did add a converter to the heater right where the power and ground connect at the PC board. Just started on the fridge. I'll try to get some photos up tomorrow.
I've just about given up on adding converters back at the control panel because of the use of a single stud for the grounds. I've got a bus bar on order to breakout the grounds. Maybe with that installed I can figure out the grounds.

BTW I put a small converter up in the Max Air Fan several years ago. Forgot about it because it's just working
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Old 10-23-2022, 08:15 PM   #3
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It is good practice to have all the grounds come back to the same point. It helps eliminate “ground loops” that in other applications can cause problems.

Just hook up one ground terminal of the board to the common ground of the trailer. Then connect the high volts wire in. Set the voltage out you want for your application with a volt meter. Then connect regulated volts out wire that goes to your appliance.

It is only the positive line that uses the guts on the board to do the regulation of the power. The negative is straight through and common to all the ground terminals.

If you look closely at the back side of the circuit board you will find that the entire back side of the board is ground and all the ground terminals are attached to it.

Hope this makes sense.
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Old 10-23-2022, 10:07 PM   #4
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I have never heard of a problem with any device other than the MaxxFan not liking the voltage of Li batteries.

Charles
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Old 10-24-2022, 07:46 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by CharlesinGA View Post
I have never heard of a problem with any device other than the MaxxFan not liking the voltage of Li batteries.

Charles
You are correct. The actual thing that causes over voltage that damages the circuit boards is the GoPower Solar Charge Controller set to Flooded does an Equalization* where voltages can reach almost 15 volts.

* Auto Equalize: The GP-PWM-30 has an automatic equalize feature that will charge and recondition your batteries once a month at a higher voltage to ensure that any excess sulfation is removed. This feature is only available when Flooded batteries are selected.
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Old 10-24-2022, 10:03 AM   #6
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Originally Posted by CharlesinGA View Post
I have never heard of a problem with any device other than the MaxxFan not liking the voltage of Li batteries.

Charles
If you look up the price of the PC boards for the fridge and heater you might want to protect them from overvotlages too.
I've had to replace the max fan and water heater boards. I did put a Dinosaur board in the water heater because they said it can take the voltages that an equalization charge puts out.
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Old 10-24-2022, 10:18 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeffreyG View Post
I need a little help understanding how ETI wired my trailer and if my plan for a voltage regulator can work or not.


Background is, I have learned that the water heater, furnace, and Maxxfan have circuit boards that don't like voltages associated with charging Li-iron batteries. I put a small buck regulator on the fan, installed it inside the fan housing itself.


For the furnace and HW heater, it is not easy to install regulators at the devices owing to location, and they are on a shared circuit. Sort of. But here is where I hit my problem.


There is a sincle, 30A breaker on the 12V panel that is connected to a single wire (green, not that it matters). Pulling this breaker kills both the furnace and HW heater. So perfect, I figured. I'll put a regulator on that circuit.


But when I started pulling ground wires to discover which wire or wires are grounding those two devices I got a surprise. The HW heater does indeed have its own ground. But the ground I pulled to kill the furnace also kills the lights and the fan. This puzzles me. Does ETI just willy nilly connect grounds together in whatever is convenient? Is that a good practice? I mean......the grounds all come back together at the bus bar anyway so maybe this is fine?


But it seems like a hassle for me now, I rather assume I can't install the regulator at the converter box as I had planned. Anyone have any thoughts on that? Thanks!
Here's a few pix of what I've been trying out. Adding a converter right at the appliance isn't too hard as long as you have one small enough. I had several laying around that have more than enough reserve current capabilities and both were voltage adjustable.I think I'll set both at 12.5v because even at the lower voltage neither draws any thing over 5 amps.
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Old 10-24-2022, 09:27 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rotorbudd View Post
Here's a few pix of what I've been trying out. Adding a converter right at the appliance isn't too hard as long as you have one small enough. I had several laying around that have more than enough reserve current capabilities and both were voltage adjustable.I think I'll set both at 12.5v because even at the lower voltage neither draws any thing over 5 amps.
on high, a maxxfan deluixe draws 5 amps, and the hood motor adds an amp or so to that when its going up or down. combine that with all the LED lighting on that same circuit (street side plus center ceiling lights) and you're easily over 5 amps. I have a couple 8 amp regulators I was going to add to the fusebox output, and I measured over 8 amps on that circuit with everything on.
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