DC-DC charger getting very hot — normal?

Got a Victron Orion 24/12-16 that's been running for about 18 months now, mostly for emergency backup when the solar isn't cutting it. Started noticing it gets properly warm to the touch during heavy charging — not just warm, but uncomfortably hot. Can still hold my hand on it for a few seconds but wouldn't want to leave it there.

Setup's fairly standard: 24V lithium bank, pulling from a leisure battery in the van. Load's usually around 15A on the output side, sometimes hitting full 16A when I'm topping up quickly.

Temperature in the enclosure sits around 20-25°C normally, nothing extreme. The charger's got decent ventilation — it's mounted vertically on a DIN rail with space around it. Input and output connectors are solid, no loose connections or anything obvious.

Is this heat level normal for these units under load? I've checked the manual and it mentions thermal derating above 60°C but doesn't give much detail on what "normal operating temperature" should feel like.

Worth pulling it off and checking the connections, or am I just being paranoid? Don't want it dying on me when I actually need it. Never had issues with performance — voltages are spot-on, no ripple problems.

Anyone else running one of these things notice similar? Cheers for any insights.

Had a similar situation with my Orion on the narrowboat. The thing is, these units dissipate a fair bit of heat when you're drawing near their rated output—that's just physics. 18 months in, worth checking a few things:

Is there decent airflow around it? Mine was in a cramped locker initially, temps dropped noticeably once I repositioned it with clearance on all sides.

Also, what's your input voltage doing? If your alternator or leisure battery is sagging below 24V nominal when you're hammering the charger, it works harder and generates more heat.

That said, Victron gear is built to handle thermal stress. They typically throttle output rather than fail. If it's too hot to hold your hand on it properly, that's worth investigating. But warm-to-touch during heavy draw? Fairly normal territory.

What's your actual setup temperature-wise? Summer versus winter makes a difference too.

The Orion's actually rated to 60°C case temp, so warm-to-touch is perfectly normal — they're workhorses that earn their keep. That said, how warm matters.

If you can't hold your hand on it for more than a few seconds, you've got an issue. Check your input voltage stability first — voltage drop on the DC cables from engine/leisure battery will make it work harder and generate more heat. Even a dodgy battery terminal connection forces the charger to compensate.

Also worth verifying: what's your actual input current during those heavy runs? A 16A unit pushing sustained current in hot weather (or a poorly ventilated motorhome cupboard) will run warm. Ensure there's airflow around it — I've seen people inadvertently box theirs in behind other gear.

After 18 months, if it's suddenly hotter than before with the same load, could be dust buildup inside or a failing capacitor. A quick visual inspection for burnt components might be worth a look.

What's the ambient temp when you're noticing it most?

Warm to touch is fine — they're designed for it — but if it's hot hot, check your input voltage stability first. Voltage drop between your leisure battery and the Orion causes it to work harder and generates more heat. I had mine cooking away until I realised my cable run was about 3mm² too thin.

Also worth checking: is the fan actually spinning? They've got thermal cutouts but the fan should kick in before you'd normally notice. If it's silent as the grave, could be a dust-clogged heatsink — mine picked up grime something chronic in the van.

What's your current draw looking like when it gets toasty? If you're hammering it at full 16A continuously, yeah, it'll be warm. But if you're just trickling charge and it's still roasting, that's when I'd start investigating input side voltage quality.

The Orion units are solid workhorses — 18 months in is still running in. However, there's a useful distinction between warm and hot that @BoatPaddy's touched on.

If you're regularly hitting the warmer end of the thermal spectrum, worth checking:

Input side: Loose connections on the alternator or battery terminals create resistance and heat soak. I had this exact issue on my narrowboat setup — turned out a corroded battery connector was dropping voltage unnecessarily. Fixed that and temps dropped noticeably.

Output load: What's drawing from the charger? Running a heavy continuous load (like charging lithium at full tilt) will heat it more than intermittent use. The Orion's designed for it, but it affects longevity.

Ventilation: Is there airflow around the unit? Mine's mounted in a locker with restricted airflow, and I noticed it ran hotter during summer before I sorted that out.

Proper warm-to-touch is fine — that's the device working efficiently. But if you can't comfortably hold your hand on it for more than a few seconds,

The Orion's thermal design is actually quite clever — it's passively cooled, so there's no fan to fail, which is brilliant for reliability. That said, sustained heat does correlate with efficiency losses.

What's your input voltage doing? If you're running it from a vehicle alternator, voltage ripple or sagging can push the unit harder than necessary. I've got one on my van setup, and I noticed it runs noticeably cooler since I fitted a capacitor bank on the alternator side.

Also worth checking: what's the actual load when it gets warmest? The 24/12-16 is rated for 16A output continuously, but thermal performance degrades in hot ambient conditions. If you're regularly maxing it out in summer, that's when you'll see the most heat.

18 months in, if it's still functioning fine and you're not hitting thermal shutdown, you're likely okay. But if you want to reduce case temps, better input voltage conditioning or spacing out heavy charging sessions would help. Have you got any ventilation around it, or is it enclosed?