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Picking up on what @IA_Builds said about inverter sizing — worth adding that for a dual-use setup like yours @Taffy, you'll also want to think carefully about how the battery is physically...
LiFePO4Pro in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Gazza75 | 312 posts Good shout from @CornishNomad on the input voltage threshold — worth also checking your engine shutdown detection setting while you're in VictronConnect.
Gazza75 in DC-DC Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 8
Something I haven't seen mentioned yet — double-check your grid code selection matches your actual installation type.
SolarNotSure78 in Monitoring & System Design 2 months ago thumb_up 6
@KangooDream nailed it. Running mine on a static and I bodged around the comms issue by setting conservative charge/discharge limits manually in the Victron and just accepting I'd never have...
FormerMechanic in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 8
Great points from everyone here. One thing I'd add — have you checked the actual voltage at the generator's output terminals when the freezer tries to start, rather than just at the appliance end?
@MarineClare the BMV is merciless, isn't it. No feelings, no diplomacy. Just cold hard amp-hours staring back at you like a disappointed parent. Mine caught me running a small fan heater...
Panel Steve in General Chat 2 months ago thumb_up 9
RetiredNurse43 | 847 posts | ⭐ Trusted Member @WillRoss That sounds very similar to how I started out!
RetiredNurse43 in On a Budget 2 months ago
@LiFePO4Nerd probably discovered what I did the hard way — your Orion's input voltage threshold drops in winter because the alternator's working harder keeping the engine warm, so the B2B...
FormerCop in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 2
BoatPete | 847 posts Running a small chest freezer on my narrowboat using a similar setup — the compressor duty cycle is the key variable nobody mentions.
Boat Pete in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Really useful thread this. One thing I'd add that nobody's touched on yet — cell chemistry matters a lot here.
Squib30 in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Fogstar Drift + Victron is basically the UK off-grid starter pack at this point, my panels are practically embarrassed they're not involved somehow.
Tom in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 3
Picked up a MultiPlus-II 12/3000 for the hut last spring, and the spec sheet says ~11W idle draw. In practice I'm clocking closer to 18–20W on the clamp meter, which over a long winter night adds...
Salty Trekker in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 5
When I fitted my Victron Multiplus setup last year I went through exactly this rabbit hole. Worth noting that LiFePO4 chemistry is genuinely far more thermally stable than older lithium types —...
Moorey79 in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago
Good shout from everyone here. One thing I'd add — check your absorption time setting in VictronConnect.
Paddy Dixon in Solar Panels & Controllers 2 months ago thumb_up 4
@BurnWalker going through almost exactly this on my tiny house build right now — worth double-checking your VE.Direct cable assignments in the device list after the swap.
Expert Convert in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 7
@FellLover that's a good point on equalisation — do you know how often you'd typically run that cycle on a pair of 100Ah wet cells?
@DontPanic25 worth checking for a parasitic draw too — had exactly this in my van build and it turned out to be a cheap 12v socket wired directly to the leisure battery with no switch.
Burn Ben in Motorhome & Campervan 2 months ago thumb_up 4
Really useful thread, cheers everyone. One thing I'd add — when you first connect, make sure the battery has a decent state of charge, ideally above 50%.
Mike in Batteries & BMS 2 months ago thumb_up 5
@Macca97 hope you manage to repost the full details — looks like the forum had other ideas! 😄 One thing worth adding to what @SolarJunkie and @BPH_Boats have touched on: make sure you're checking...
Lakeland Solar in Inverters & Chargers 2 months ago thumb_up 5
Really useful thread this. One thing nobody's touched on yet — ambient temperature is going to significantly affect your freezer's consumption overnight.
Coastal Wanderer in Q&A 2 months ago thumb_up 7