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06-14-2019, 08:33 PM
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#21
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Living Riveted since 2013
2016 Interstate Lounge Ext
Green Cove Springs
, Florida
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 8,201
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It may be that this issue will only pop up when you're in a scenario that involves what you've just done - extended inverting and deep discharge at high amperages, followed by extended bulk charging at high amperage. As you've noted, you won't normally run the air conditioner from batteries, so this probably won't be a common workload. It may be that under normal conditions, this configuration will work just fine.
Our multiplus is also mounted horizontally. It still has the faceplate on. No issues yet, even though we've put it through some heavy inversion assist / bulk charge cycles. We have more airflow than you do, because the under-bed area is open to the bedroom on both sides.
When connected to shore power, our system only inverts and assists when demand is greater than the shore power input. When enough shore power is available, we have never seen it invert instead of passing power through.
There seems to be a riddle here with your system. Why does the multiplus invert from the batteries instead of drawing from shore power? Might not be the fault of the multiplus. What happens if you flip the switch on the multicontrol to "charger only"? Do you still get AC power? If not, I'm suspicious that shore power isn't reaching your multiplus.Have you looked at the Airstream-installed relay that controls which external inlet receives shore power? Have you tried plugging your shore power into the inlet in the front of your trailer instead of the one on the side of your trailer? Any difference?
Assuming there's nothing wrong with the multiplus, as others have said, it might be getting too hot in that compartment. Have you measured temps in there while the multiplus is working hard?
A possibly interesting test: what happens if you turn the multicontrol down so the multiplus can't draw more than 10 amps while bulk charging the batteries? Does the multiplus still overheat, or does it happily recharge at the lower amperage?
Another possibly interesting test: what happens if you brace open the exterior compartment door to improve air flow while it's bulk charging your batteries at 30 amps? If that prevents overheating during a heavy demand period, I like Gary's idea of a screen whenever the mlutiplus is working hard, as long as it's not raining.
__________________
Rocinante Piccolo is our new-to-us 2016 Interstate Lounge 3500 EXT
(Named for John Steinbeck's camper from "Travels With Charley")
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06-15-2019, 09:19 AM
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#22
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Half a Rivet Short
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,684
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Hi
I would not run the unit with the top cover off of it. I don't think you are significantly improving the cooling by doing so. The fans pull air through that region if the top is on the unit. With the top off, you don't get the "ducted air" effect. With the top off, you also loose the safety feature of protecting the circuit boards against random "stuff" bouncing around in the space.
What *would* improve the cooling is a bit of duct work getting the air from the fans moving away from the unit. Effectively, some sort of shroud on the end facing you in the pictures. The idea is that the longer the path the air takes going from the intake to the outlet, the better. You want to "spread the heat out" on the walls of the enclosure.
Pulling the shroud off the end facing you *is* a very good idea. Lew may have done that as part of the install. The air is not going the right way (in a horizontal mount) with that part of the assembly in place.
One minor point that simply isn't visible in the pictures: If there are cables in the way of air flow into the other end of the unit, it might be worth using a couple of cable ties to get them more out of the way.
======
As mentioned above, I don't think the "energy boost" feature is a good thing to use in an RV setup. I do not have my multi programmed to do that. There's just to many ways things can go sideways with a setup like that ....
Lots of fun !!!!
Bob
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06-16-2019, 10:31 AM
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#23
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Rivet Master
2016 25' Flying Cloud
Jupiter
, Florida
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 1,140
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uncle_bob
Hi
I would not run the unit with the top cover off of it. I don't think you are significantly improving the cooling by doing so. The fans pull air through that region if the top is on the unit. With the top off, you don't get the "ducted air" effect. With the top off, you also loose the safety feature of protecting the circuit boards against random "stuff" bouncing around in the space.
What *would* improve the cooling is a bit of duct work getting the air from the fans moving away from the unit. Effectively, some sort of shroud on the end facing you in the pictures. The idea is that the longer the path the air takes going from the intake to the outlet, the better. You want to "spread the heat out" on the walls of the enclosure.
Bob
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I had the same thought, although there isn't anything in the storage compartment that could bounce around, so I did put the top cover back on and left the other cover off. None of the covers had been removed by Lew. I may still install an exhaust fan, as was mentioned above, to move some of the heat into the water heater compartment, but in the meantime I am using new rules having to do with when and how long the inverter or charger is turned on. I'll see how that goes over the next week or so before making any other changes. Thanks all for your help so far.
__________________
"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." - Lao Tzu
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06-16-2019, 04:46 PM
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#24
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Rivet Master
2022 25' Flying Cloud
NCR
, Ontario
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 3,085
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leave the cover on. the air flow is based on the cover being there
also , the compartment needs ventilation if its small, if its large enough there may be enough room . if too small, consider adding a screened hole with a slow speed muffin fan
best not top keep it too tightly packed in a small area
all electronic devices get warm. as the power usage grows, up so does the amount of heat the unit needs to get rid of .
walter P,Eng in EE/CS for 35 years
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06-17-2019, 05:52 AM
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#25
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Half a Rivet Short
2017 30' Classic
2022 Interstate 24X
Carlisle
, Pennsylvania
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 15,684
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SeaLevel
I had the same thought, although there isn't anything in the storage compartment that could bounce around, so I did put the top cover back on and left the other cover off. None of the covers had been removed by Lew. I may still install an exhaust fan, as was mentioned above, to move some of the heat into the water heater compartment, but in the meantime I am using new rules having to do with when and how long the inverter or charger is turned on. I'll see how that goes over the next week or so before making any other changes. Thanks all for your help so far.
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Hi
There's always the loose nut or random washer that arrives from who knows where. You are talking about a major disaster if it starts bouncing on those control boards. As mentioned above, once the fans fire up, the device cools better with the cover on than with the cover off ....
The main source of heat is the bundle of parts attached to the heatsinks down in the unit. The parts on those control boards would run fine with out any ventilation, if they were the only source of heat. They also are rated to temperatures that will turn the boards a chocolate brown color after a few months of use .... (just a random useless piece of info I though everybody might need to know ).
Bob
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03-29-2020, 10:02 AM
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#26
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Overkill Specialist
Commercial Member
2020 30’ Globetrotter
2014 23' International
Dadeville
, Alabama
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,516
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Quote:
Originally Posted by daleyocum
Here’s how mine is installed
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Help me understand?
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03-29-2020, 11:31 AM
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#27
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Rivet Master
2018 25' Flying Cloud
Portland
, Oregon
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,317
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It just turned out from a wiring standpoint it was cleaner to put all the stuff like the Blue Sea main switch (not pictured), fuse, and shunt all in a line on the negative side. No real reason other than that.
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03-29-2020, 10:02 PM
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#28
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Overkill Specialist
Commercial Member
2020 30’ Globetrotter
2014 23' International
Dadeville
, Alabama
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 4,516
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Is your system frame grounded? And if so, if a short occurs would it not bypass the fuse?
I guess it would work but definitely unconventional.
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03-30-2020, 12:22 AM
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#29
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Rivet Master
2018 25' Flying Cloud
Portland
, Oregon
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 1,317
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Good point. It is frame grounded but that bonding happens downstream of the fuse and the shunt.
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