Fitting Lithium

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 22.05.2022  ·  #41
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ason...Bluetooth to your phone to monitor battery capacity...voltage....state of charge...etc

I have 2 KS 125amp Lithiums and downloaded their app, and paired the batteries.
It gives voltage, amps,charge or discharge, temperature, SOC, and the number of cycles used. Also you can see each individual cell details making up the battery, and spot bad cell.

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 22.05.2022  ·  #42
So these Lithium batteries have a built in battery monitor and Bluetooth transceiver ?

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 22.05.2022  ·  #43
Quote by The Rambler

So these Lithium batteries have a built in battery monitor and Bluetooth transceiver ?


They all have a battery management systems 'BMS' most but not all have bluetooth monitoring very handy for keeping an eye on the SOC.

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 23.05.2022  ·  #44
Is there any company in the South around Dublin that are experts in Lithium batteries?


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 23.05.2022  ·  #45
Quote by jacktherev

Is there any company in the South around Dublin that are experts in Lithium batteries?


These have a branch in Dublin but I think the batteries are built in Cork



https://batteryworld.ie/

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 23.05.2022  ·  #46
From the research I have done the most important thing is the charging of the lithium battery,

Its got a different pattern than lead acid, so factor that info the equasion also,

Even lithium ion has a different charging profile that lifep04 from what I have discovered

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 23.05.2022  ·  #47
Quote by eirebus

Quote by jacktherev

Is there any company in the South around Dublin that are experts in Lithium batteries?


These have a branch in Dublin but I think the batteries are built in Cork



https://batteryworld.ie/


Thanks for the info.


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 09.06.2022  ·  #48
A wee update , we were off grid for first 6 days of the trip while we are not very power hungry I done my best to give the battery a bit of a workout all the normal stuff.. tv heating etc.. plus we cooked on an electric frying pan through the inverter on a couple of evenings.
Nothing to report really the battery performed to my expectations never dropping below 12.5v and back up to 13.5 by 11am the next day with some sunshine taking a little longer on dull days, we did hookup over the weekend as it was included in the pitch price so I did disconnect the charger while on hookup.


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 09.06.2022  ·  #49
Happy days Phil,

What kind of charge controller are you using if you don't mind me asking?


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 10.06.2022  ·  #50
Quote by mad max

Happy days Phil,

What kind of charge controller are you using if you don't mind me asking?


As I just dropped in the lithium battery most of the charging is still done by the original power block in my case an EBL119 the only thing I changed was the PWR solar controller to Victron SmartSolar MPPT 100/15 wired directly to the battery.


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 03.07.2022  ·  #51
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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 03.07.2022  ·  #52
With the 12v 100ah lithium having max discharge of 100amp that's a max draw of 1200 watt through an inverter so will not run anything above 1200watt incase anybody that used to run a 2000 watt hair drier etc from a lead acid,
Just keep it in mind,

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 03.07.2022  ·  #53
You’d need two of those running in parallel ideally to run a hair dryer or kettle. If you don’t mind waiting for your tea or hair to dry that is.

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 03.07.2022  ·  #54
Head out the window at 60 mph will dry the hair and the alternator will be charging the battery at the same time ,win win 😁

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 03.07.2022  ·  #55
Quote by eirebus

Head out the window at 60 mph will dry the hair and the alternator will be charging the battery at the same time ,win win 😁


That or run one of the duct that come from the heater to dry the hair 🤓

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Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 03.07.2022  ·  #56
I've said it before all you need for drying hair is a vacuum cleaner hose. Plugged into the Hab or Cab heating system.

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 04.07.2022  ·  #57
Quote by sprinter

I've said it before all you need for drying hair is a vacuum cleaner hose. Plugged into the Hab or Cab heating system.


I've always thought that a purpose made yoke (like a length of light 2" diameter hose) that attaches to one of hot air outlets while closing the rest would be a useful thing to bring to the accessory market

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Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 04.07.2022  ·  #58
Quote by baguette

Quote by sprinter

I've said it before all you need for drying hair is a vacuum cleaner hose. Plugged into the Hab or Cab heating system.


I've always thought that a purpose made yoke (like a length of light 2" diameter hose) that attaches to one of hot air outlets while closing the rest would be a useful thing to bring to the accessory market

I already have the idea patented, so off you go, I'll get the new M/H with the royalties. 😁👍

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 16.07.2022  ·  #59
 


Hate to burst your bubble but it already exists, I saw it at the Dusselforff show. You fit it over one of the vents and plug it into 12 volt


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 16.07.2022  ·  #60
Or you could put it over the exhaust

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 11.08.2022  ·  #61
This was taken out when I fitted the lithium and was working fine 95ah Varta agm about 18 months old, if someone wants to take a punt on it €50 to be collected from NCD,


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 11.10.2022  ·  #62
Another update... we are just back from our 6 week tour and I'm afraid to say on the very last night the battery failed !
Just to put this into context my experiment was to see if I could just drop in a100ah lithium battery without upgrading the chargers.
During the 6 weeks the only charge the battery got was from the solar and while driving the battery performed well while down south where it was getting 6/8 hours of sunlight from the solar but on the run up home with limited sun and more pressure on the battery from running the heating I found the weak spot re the charging, when the the voltage got to 10.5v the BMS cut off the power and we were left in darkness ,
But in fairness this was @3am and only that someone got up to use the bathroom to find there was no light we may have never known it cut out as a couple of hours of solar the next morning would have brought it back up again also someone ( it may have been me ! ) disconnected the mains charger on a previous trip and forgot reconnect it and if this was connected while on hook up it may have got us over the line. I ran the engine for a short time the following morning bringing the battery back on line in a very short time.
So while we found the limit of my charging set up ( most likely we will fit a BtoB ) but if you were to use the van for a typical 14 to 18 day trip I feel that there would be no need to upgrade the chargers and if I had the mains charger connected would we have got over the line !

We will just have do another 6 weeks to find out :)


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 11.10.2022  ·  #63
Great to get some feedback on the lithium,as far as I know, your not supposed to fit a B to B with the EBL electroblock though

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 11.10.2022  ·  #64
Thanks for the feed back Phil,

Have you a state of charge monitor or just using the voltage to estimate the level of charge?

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 11.10.2022  ·  #65
Quote by eirebus

Great to get some feedback on the lithium,as far as I know, your not supposed to fit a B to B with the EBL electroblock though

That would be my take on fitting a BtoB also ,bypass the EBL straight to the battery .
Quote by mad max

Thanks for the feed back Phil,

Have you a state of charge monitor or just using the voltage to estimate the level of charge?


No I have no way of monitoring the SOC atm this is another shortfall in my present setup which I will have to address.

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 11.10.2022  ·  #66
Quote by Phil Bert

Quote by eirebus

Great to get some feedback on the lithium,as far as I know, your not supposed to fit a B to B with the EBL electroblock though

That would be my take on fitting a BtoB also ,bypass the EBL straight to the battery .
Quote by mad max

Thanks for the feed back Phil,

Have you a state of charge monitor or just using the voltage to estimate the level of charge?


No I have no way of monitoring the SOC atm this is another shortfall in my present setup which I will have to address.


This is the type of thing you need Click here

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 12.10.2022  ·  #67
Thanks for the feedback. I think it only right to put the record straight though and say that your battery did not fail. It did what it was designed to do. The failure as you pointed out is the charging system which is important to know for anyone changing over to lithium.


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 12.10.2022  ·  #68
Quote by The Rambler

Thanks for the feedback. I think it only right to put the record straight though and say that your battery did not fail. It did what it was designed to do. The failure as you sprinted out is the charging system which is important to know for anyone changing over to lithium.


You are of course correct .... the battery worked brilliantly, 44 days without a proper charge and it still done its job I'm amazed it lasted so long .... what failed was my charging system


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 08.12.2022  ·  #69
Just a reminder that lithium batteries don't like to be charged below 0c , if you are not using the van or are unsure if your BMS has low temp cut off it would probably be no harm to disconnect from the charging system to protect your investment .

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 22.12.2022  ·  #70
How are the Lithium's working out now in the darker, colder months


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 22.12.2022  ·  #71
Quote by eirebus

How are the Lithium's working out now in the darker, colder months


Dave......will you bite the bullet and buy one,
my one is flying it, and to be able to know the state of charge in accurate % is a game changer in my opinion,👍🏽


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 22.12.2022  ·  #72
Quote by mad max



Dave......will you bite the bullet and buy one,



The man wouldn't spend Christmas.


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 23.12.2022  ·  #73
Quote by Phil Bert

Just a reminder that lithium batteries don't like to be charged below 0c , if you are not using the van or are unsure if your BMS has low temp cut off it would probably be no harm to disconnect from the charging system to protect your investment .


Lithium batteries will not take a charge below 0 C, but can discharge down to -20 C.

As an experiment during recent freezing weather, i left the van outside with doors open all morning and got the hab. battery temp to 0 C. Closed up and started Webasto heater for 40 mins. and got battery temp up to 4 C. Started van and checked battery app - changing O.K.


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 24.12.2022  ·  #74
If that was the case I wouldn't of been able to use my leccy van over the recent weather. I got great use out of it

Didn't have to clear the windows or wait on it warming up either as it does all of that whilst plugged in, on a timer.


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 24.12.2022  ·  #75
Quote by Grumpy

Quote by Phil Bert

Just a reminder that lithium batteries don't like to be charged below 0c , if you are not using the van or are unsure if your BMS has low temp cut off it would probably be no harm to disconnect from the charging system to protect your investment .


Lithium batteries will not take a charge below 0 C, but can discharge down to -20 C.

As an experiment during recent freezing weather, i left the van outside with doors open all morning and got the hab. battery temp to 0 C. Closed up and started Webasto heater for 40 mins. and got battery temp up to 4 C. Started van and checked battery app - changing O.K.


I read somewhere that one of the functions of the BMS is to keep the batteries warm, it uses the batteries own energy to power heating elements if necessary to facilitate the charging and discharging process.


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 24.12.2022  ·  #76
Some lithiums have there own heater. My batteries do not. I decided to go for that as they are located under bed and beside the boiler, and they were unlikely to get to -20C.

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 28.01.2023  ·  #77
How are things going with the Lithium's??


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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 28.01.2023  ·  #78
Quote by eirebus

How are things going with the Lithium's??


No problem with mine so far anyway 👍🏽

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 28.01.2023  ·  #79
I'm very happy with mine also 👍

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Re: Fitting Lithium

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Posted: 28.01.2023  ·  #80
Quote by mad max

Quote by eirebus

How are things going with the Lithium's??


No problem with mine so far anyway 👍🏽


Quote
I'm very happy with mine also 👍


What brand have yous bought and do they have Bluetooth, my main concern with litium is doing damage to the Schault EBL control system in the van ,Kepworth battery comes with its own charger but doesn't seem to come with Bluetooth , I have 200 w solar ,I think that's enough there


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