Restricting voltage to 12v max

Life on the Road Electrical: Batteries, Generators, Solar, etc...
#1

I was running to an issue with my max fan not being able to handle voltages over 14 volts coming from the battery. I found this kind of strange to hear from their support rep because it’s common for to exceed that voltage. I already have the fan installed though, so I’m trying to find a solution that can work.

I was thinking of setting something up before the DC load station to regulate the voltage to a max voltage of 12 volts. That way everything that I hook up to my DC load station (refrigerator, lights, fan,…) Will be safe at 12 volts. I was going to do this instead of putting a voltage regulator between the load station and every appliance/device that I have.

Questions:

  1. Is this a good way to go about regulating the voltage to 12 volts and protecting all devices hooked up to the load station?
  2. Does anyone have a voltage regulator they would recommend me to use before the DC load station?
#2

I honestly wonder if you don’t have something else strange going on? I have never heard of someone having this issue before though it does not mean that it does not exist.

We have the 6200? but we have never had this problem and our voltage is above 14 volts pretty often during the day from the solar. We don’t use it when we drive because 1.) it will beep and need reset to start again 2.) I read that you’re not supposed to so.

What voltage are you seeing when it does not run and what is supplying that much voltage?

1 Like
#3

Thanks for the reply! I have been monitoring the voltage closely and it hasn’t reach passed 14.5v. The fan was working for about a week at low speeds, but when I let it run on high speed for about an hour one day it started beeping at me and shutting off. Called the manufacturer and they are sending me a new engine, but they also told me that I should install a voltage regulator. I just thought it was very strange that I needed to install a voltage regulator for something that was meant to be installed on the type of battery I have. When I use the fan now, it works on the first setting, but if I turn it up even to the second setting, it beeps at me and shuts down. More than anything, I was just trying to find a way to prevent it from happening again, but you could be right and it could just be a manufacturer issue.

#4

Greetings & Welcome!

I think it sounds more like a fan issue than a voltage issue…

Cheers!

"Always avoid complicated solutions to solve simple problems." ~ OffGrid


#5

I have the exact same issue. The rep told me that 13.6 is the max and then it beeps for 30 seconds and cuts out. I installed a 12v regulator just between it and the fuse panel. I initially had it for the entire fuse block but my Isotherm fridge needed a surge of above 12v to start the compressor.