Shore power without charging batteries?

[reilym]

A question I should know the answer to. Wife and I are wrapping up our 6 week escape from Michigan winter. We're headed north again and facing the arctic weather. I want to use shore power but keep the batteries from charging if they are below 32*F. The Pleasure Way has a disconnect switch for solar and alternator charging, but not for the converter. How can I prevent the converter from charging the batteries (which are unfortunately located in an external box below the floor in this model) but still make use of shore power?
The converter is a Progressive Dynamics 9145 AL with lithium charging module.

[booster]

Originally Posted by reilym

A question I should know the answer to. Wife and I are wrapping up our 6 week escape from Michigan winter. We're headed north again and facing the arctic weather. I want to use shore power but keep the batteries from charging if they are below 32*F. The Pleasure Way has a disconnect switch for solar and alternator charging, but not for the converter. How can I prevent the converter from charging the batteries (which are unfortunately located in an external box below the floor in this model) but still make use of shore power?
The converter is a Progressive Dynamics 9145 AL with lithium charging module.

I don't think it has a power switch on it, so if there isn't a separate breaker to it, I don't think you would be able to turn it off. It will give 12v power without a battery in the circuit though, as it is listed as a power converter.


If the above is the case about it not needing batteries in the circuit, you would be way ahead to add a disconnect with remote switch to shut off the batteries to prevent charging. That way you would be able to get 12v from the PD charger when on shore power. If you shut off the PD you will still be discharging, which is OK below freezing but you don't want them dead because of this.

[mikeehlert]

If you have lithium batteries with a built in BCM they will not charge below rated battery temperature.

What brand and model batteries do you have?

[Rlum]

Originally Posted by reilym

A question I should know the answer to. Wife and I are wrapping up our 6 week escape from Michigan winter. We're headed north again and facing the arctic weather. I want to use shore power but keep the batteries from charging if they are below 32*F. The Pleasure Way has a disconnect switch for solar and alternator charging, but not for the converter. How can I prevent the converter from charging the batteries (which are unfortunately located in an external box below the floor in this model) but still make use of shore power?
The converter is a Progressive Dynamics 9145 AL with lithium charging module.

I have the same year and model PW. Have since removed my progressive charger and replaced with Victron inverter/charger. My previous Progressive charger was beneath the bed on drivers side. I would install a switch to disconnect charger to battery bank. You said you have the red switch to turn off charging from solar and alternator? My PW came without the red switch.

[reilym]

Originally Posted by Rlum

I have the same year and model PW. Have since removed my progressive charger and replaced with Victron inverter/charger. My previous Progressive charger was beneath the bed on drivers side. I would install a switch to disconnect charger to battery bank. You said you have the red switch to turn off charging from solar and alternator? My PW came without the red switch.

Yes, the red key cutoff switch is in the back door of the DS ottoman and looks like below (from page 34 of the owners manual). It is curious that yours does not have this. The manual states that this disconnects the battery from all charging sources, but PW tells me that it only disconnects solar and alternator. The notion of adding a disconnect to the converter battery charger sounds like the right solution.

[reilym]

Originally Posted by mikeehlert

If you have lithium batteries with a built in BCM they will not charge below rated battery temperature.

What brand and model batteries do you have?

That would be nice, but Pleasure Way sourced their own proprietary LiFePO4 batteries and, while they do have a BCM, it does not appear to monitor battery temperature. The literature they provide on the batteries mentions over and under charge protection but nothing about temperature. Once these need replacing, I will either get something that has a built in heater or at a low temperature charging cutoff. In the meantime, I'll take booster's recommendation of figuring out how to cut them off manually.

[Rlum]

Originally Posted by reilym

Yes, the red key cutoff switch is in the back door of the DS ottoman and looks like below (from page 34 of the owners manual). It is curious that yours does not have this. The manual states that this disconnects the battery from all charging sources, but PW tells me that it only disconnects solar and alternator. The notion of adding a disconnect to the converter battery charger sounds like the right solution.

Definitely do not have that switch. I have a switch at the isolator which turns off alternator charging. For solar, I have the Victron blue tooth controller. Easily disabled with phone. I guess PW figured if it was that cold, you would not be connected to shore power?

[reilym]

Pleasure Way got back to me on this and I just wanted to close out this thread with that information for future reference. To ensure that the battery is not charged by the converter/charger when plugged to shore power (e.g. in freezing conditions), one has to trip the 150 amp DC breaker under the drivers side ottoman. So, the red key disconnects the batteries from the alternator and solar charging sources and the 150 amp breaker disconnects the batteries from the converter/charger. The 2016 manual incorrectly states that the red key disconnects the solar, alternator and converter/charger from the batteries. This is corrected and explained more completely in manuals for later model years.

[booster]

Originally Posted by reilym

Pleasure Way got back to me on this and I just wanted to close out this thread with that information for future reference. To ensure that the battery is not charged by the converter/charger when plugged to shore power (e.g. in freezing conditions), one has to trip the 150 amp DC breaker under the drivers side ottoman. So, the red key disconnects the batteries from the alternator and solar charging sources and the 150 amp breaker disconnects the batteries from the converter/charger. The 2016 manual incorrectly states that the red key disconnects the solar, alternator and converter/charger from the batteries. This is corrected and explained more completely in manuals for later model years.

And always with the caveat that you never want to start a charging source with having it referenced to a connected battery. Granted, some chargers will look for the battery before connecting but not all do and particularly solar chargers if they are offline from the batteries and in the dark and then get sunlight can spike high enough to damage things. If the alternator is a single or parallel double setup it will be connected to the starting battery so would not be an issue but standalone second alternators that are very common would be.


Of course you also will have no 12v power so no lights, furnace maybe, device charging unless on a 110 charger. etc.