Minor solar assistance needed. Everything working except 12 volt outlets..Dont think they were wired correctly. Simple cargo van, no build out

[Karen Swan]

Need someone who can wire 12 volt plugs. Don't think they were done correctly. 600 watts solar, controller and battery ok. Just need help with this. [email protected]. I'm in southern Arizona now.

{mod edit: phone number removed -tx2}

 

[tx2sturgis]

Hello Karen!

Just FYI, it can be risky to publish your personal phone number on a public forum, so I have removed your phone number from your post, and pasted it in the moderator section.

Anyone who we personally know that has a solid reputation and in that area will be provided with your number.

All they need to do is send a message to any of the moderators.

Thanks, and good luck!

 

[Fork King]

Need someone who can wire 12 volt plugs. Don't think they were done correctly. 600 watts solar, controller and battery ok. Just need help with this. [email protected]. I'm in southern Arizona now.

{mod edit: phone number removed -tx2}

I can help you if you can make it to Northern AZ Flagstaff/ Valle area. Send me a message.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Thanks Fork King. That's the other way for people to get in touch...a direct message. I should have mentioned that option. Duh.

 

[maki2]

Are you trying to use the 12v outlets that came with the van such as one in the dashboard area? Those outlets are powered by your starter battery. They are not wired into your house battery setup. It is easy to find out, turn on your ignition key and see if those outlets then have power.

Do not wire those 12v outlets into your house battery. Instead add new outlets for your solar powered source.

 

[Karen Swan]

Hello Karen!

Just FYI, it can be risky to publish your personal phone number on a public forum, so I have removed your phone number from your post, and pasted it in the moderator section.

Anyone who we personally know that has a solid reputation and in that area will be provided with your number.

All they need to do is send a message to any of the moderators.

Thanks, and good luck!

Thanks. 600 watts is not doing much good without 12 volt plugs.

Y AI can help you if you can make it to Northern AZ Flagstaff/ Valle area. Send me a message.

I can definitely make it. In Glendale now with a relative who is not well. But am entirely mobile after next week.

 

[Karen Swan]

Thanks. 600 watts is not doing much good without 12 volt plugs.

I can definitely make it. In Glendale now with a relative who is not well. But am entirely mobile after next week.

I'm new to this forum. How do I get a message to you in order to meet?

 

[Fork King]

If you click on my name and hit start conversation you can send a message. I will send you one.

 

[Karen Swan]

The power to those outlets might possibly be controlled by a switch(s) at a central location.Do some more exploration including looking inside of cabinets if there are any.

Thanks. No.cabinets. very plain Jane cargo van. Thanks. Though

 

[maki2]

Thanks. No.cabinets. very plain Jane cargo van. Thanks. Though

That helps determine what is going on. So basically If you did not have any outlets installed to connect to the battery being charged by solar when your solar system wiring was added then you have no outlets that are connected to solar.

 

[Karen Swan]

That helps determine what is going on. So basically If you did not have any outlets installed to connect to the battery being charged by solar when your solar system wiring was added then you have no outlets that are connected to solar.

I have 12 volt outlets installed at the time the rest of the system was installed. All worked briefly then stopped.

 

[maki2]

If all those12v outlets quit working at the same time I suspect it might be that they share a common ground wire that came loose.

When troubleshooting electrical issues always check the physical connections first.

Picture this you are getting power to several strings of Christmas lights that are all plugged into the end of an extension cord that has more than one place to plug in different light sets. Then someone without meaning to bumps into the end of the extension cord and knocks the ened of the cord out of the wall socket. Suddenly all those light strands go out and won’t come back on but you do not immediately realize that the common source of the power to all those lights got unplugged.

If all your 12v sockets quit working at the same time there is a common source in the wiring run that they were all connected to that has gotten disconnected. I can’t tell you what that common source is without knowing if they were all connected to the same fuse on the positive side. But it is very likely that they all do share the same ground wire connection source. That is what I would look for first, a loose connection to the ground wiring source where all the ground wires coming out of the back side of those 12v sockets meet up to connect into the primary ground wire run. The ground wire that feeds that batch of 12v volt socket ground wires is not providing them a good connection to the primary ground on the battery terminal. One possibility is that all those ground wires from the various socket connect onto a small bus bar like the one in the photo. Those ground wires would fasten under the screws. Their primary ground wire might be connected under the taller threaded post with a nut holding it in place. That is how some of my ground wiring runs are done that feed my groups of 12v sockets.

 

[Tony's Dream]

You have a house battery that is wired to the 12 volt outlets and is being charged by the solar panels? Are your outlets wired through a fuse box or wired directly to the battery? I use a 12 volt fuse box with everything wired through it. If you are using one of these and all units are not working, then I agree..........you have a loose ground. Have you used a tester to see if power is coming to the fuse box?