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Post by jeffhardy on May 9, 2019 22:03:49 GMT
I searched but didn't see anything specific to this so I apologize if this has been asked and answered. How much ventilation does a solar charge controller need ? Just got mine and trying to decide where to install. The best place in terms of proximity to my batteries is in one of the exterior storage compartments of my Winnebago class c. But it's a sealed compartment with no ventilation. Any advise would be much appreciated.
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Post by tattoo on May 10, 2019 0:39:12 GMT
It really needs to have air movement around it..... But it would also depend on the size of your CC..... The larger it is the more it needs to be cooled....
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Post by jsb2000 on May 10, 2019 12:36:14 GMT
What tattoo said. Putting that charge controller in a sealed compartment with no ventilation would be akin to putting it in a coffin.
Related: People really need to understand one essential truth about electronics and exposure to excessive heat: THE. DAMAGE. IS. CUMULATIVE.
Electronic devices don't somehow "heal" themselves. Accidentally left your laptop in a hot trunk? Never cleaned the inside of your desktop computer and the cooling fans are so clogged with dirt that they can hardly move? Ran that inverter on your solar power setup close to the limit and had it go into thermal overload shutdown? Guess what...you've decreased each of those items' lifetimes.
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terracore
Solar Advocate
Chillin at EZwineKIT.com
Posts: 50
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Post by terracore on May 13, 2019 0:31:38 GMT
When I was a kid my parents worked at an electronic equipment factory where failure wasn't an option. (One of their biggest customers was the US military). After manufacturing and extensive testing, they would run the electronics FULL THROTTLE in an oven for 24 hours and then test them again. Almost 1/3 of the finished devices failed during the oven test. The ones that "passed" would run, virtually forever, minus any moving parts that had to be replaced eventually. The "oven test" was actually standard for most electronics through the 70's and into the 80's. But at some point "planned obsolescence" became a thing and manufacturers decided that if the components weren't intended to go into space, or to eliminate cities, then having them die sooner rather than later was preferable. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescenceAs our appliance repairman told us, if your appliance has a 1-year warranty, it's expected to last 1 year. Not a day longer. If it has a "lifetime" warranty, it's expected to last 5 years. |
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