# Calira EVS 38/20 circuit diagram ?



## gm6vxb

Before I get on to the manufacturers wonder if anyone has got a circuit diagram of the Calira EVS 38/20-DS/IU power supply unit. 
I have the block diagram and installation and operating instructions.
At the moment the leisure and main batteries stay connected together at anything above 13.2 Volts even when the engine is switched off.
I want to change this to nearer 13.5 Volts. There are pots in the main unit but nothing to say which one does what.
I have several items (satellite being one) that will not operate until the charging circuit disconnects the two batteries ( igniton active error showing) and sometimes it can take 20-30 minutes for the volts to drop, unless I force the fridge into battery mode manually to load up the main battery. Usually I then forget to put the fridge back into automatic and end up with warm ice cream.
Also want to make the LED bargraph display what is actually at the battery terminals as opposed to what is on the wires at the control board end. The bargraph reads 0.2 volts low at present. This may be easier to do as there are only two pots on the control unit but always nice to know which one is the right one.

Martin.


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## gm6vxb

Turns out Calira do not supply circuit diagrams except (maybe) to trade members.
However have gleaned some information from them and now realise that there is no charge control signal wire from the alternator to the EVS unit.
So now in the process of running a wire from the alternator to the EVS and hopefully this will instantly disconnect the parallel charging of the batteries when I stop the engine. Whether it will overide the automatic function which disconnects at 13.2 Volts I will have to wait and see..
Just got to figure the bargraph display now but think the display is not adjustable except by changing zener diodes. Can live with the miss reading in that case.
Martin.


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## gm6vxb

Looks like I am on my own with this one.

Have now added a wire from the alternator to the +D (pin 18) terminal and still have the same problem with the starter and leisure batteries staying connected until the volts drop below 13.2 Volts.
Had the main unit apart and there are no 'user adjustable' parts, circuit is difficult to trace, and I don't want the unit out of the van for extended periods. Probably a zener or potential divider does the job.
There are two 'user adjustments' on the control panel, one does the bargraph display for battery volts (which is very inaccurate) but not sure what the other one does so will be tracing the circuit when I have time.
Have added a mod to disconnect battery three when the engine stops. This battery is Sat TV and other radio only, leaving the standard leisure battery for lights, pump etc.
Have sent another E-mail to Calira asking for technical help, the last one just said take the unit to your dealer who will check it. I know they would not have a clue except to change it (maybe).
Still I suppose I should not complain, at least all batteries are being charged both on EHU and from the alternator unlike some.
Martin.


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## 113881

Hi

you seem to know your way around this system so I was wondering if you could help me. I have the same system but now only half of my electrics work and I can't find out why. The circuit is broken down into two parts and it is the line 1 with some lights and the fridge that is not working on mine.

Any ideas would be much appreciated

Neil


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## gm6vxb

Hi Neil,
Well starting with the obvious, is the control panel furthest right switch on. This controls Fridge and some lights, there should be an LED lit immediately above the switch when it is on. Control panel is a Calira bord control 723 in my case.
Next check the fuses on the top of the main EVS 38/20 unit. They are marked Fridge (20A) is left and the two lighting fuses (15A) are on the right.
If the above are on and ok, then next check voltages on the bottom six pin plug (A03). Pin 1 & 2 are positive, 3 & 4 are negative. You should see volts on this plug when the engine is running or you are on EHU, Engine off no volts.
Lighting circuit is a bit more complicated, but on my van the colours are Orange (positive) White (negative) so check on on plugs A01 and A02.

As you have partial working I suspect that one of the relays or drivers inside the EVS may be faulty. Not a definate way to check but when you turn on the power switch on the control unit (As first idea above) you should hear a click from inside the EVS. Unfortunately there are two relays (circuit 1 and 2) so difficult to be certain which relay is moving.

For most of the checks above and also a very useful accessory you will need a multimeter to check voltage (DC) and continuity (Ohms), if you do not have one they are available from the likes of Maplins and many other places.

Also if you need a copy of the operating instructions I have one in PDF format, unfortunately no circuit diagram yet (but living in hope).

Let me know how you get on.

Martin.


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## knausser

Hi,
Did you ever get a circuit diagram from Calira ?

Mine is not charging on mains, but all else works fine.

Cheers.


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## dikyenfo

I wonder if the diode that should stop the service battery feeding back is failed because total feed back is not a good idea and if the composite block of batteries have to decay to a lower voltage before switch-over takes place suggests that a new diode is the answer or check the one inside if you can do it.


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## gm6vxb

Well to keep the tread going, I was promised that Calira would E-mail a circuit diagram, but several months later still no sign of anything. Even been looking in the junk mail system and nothing there either.
So still having problems.
As it's been bl**dy cold not bothered doing more checks but may start again soon.
Dikyenfo, no diodes in the circuit, seem to be either MOSFETS or IGFETS, but again will have to look when I get started again.
Charging is fine, getting the batteries to seperate is still a bit of a pain, but as most times we end up on hookup it's not too much of a problem.

Martin.


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## Liamog

*Calira Knaus Battery Charger evs 30/20*

Hi,
I have a Knaus Sun Ti 650 ME with a Calira EVS 30/20-DS/IU charger.
There are only a small number of usage hours on it.
When I connect to the 230v mains only the green Led for The main battery lights up and the second green light for the Leisure battery is OFF. 
I can see that there is no charging of the leisure battery. 
I see the Calira site is not yet presented in English. Any suggestions as to where I might find the fault.
If a circuit diagram is available I could fault find it and record my findings?
All help welcome!
Liamog


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## knausser

i have a cct diagram from claira for the EVS30/20.

I gave up fault-fidning on mine.

Calira EVS30/20 Schematic

also the component layout

Layout

If you find the fault let me know -- mine is probably the same !


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## Liamog

Declan
Thanks for the circuit diagram. I printed it out on A4 and it was difficult to read. I've managed to expand it onto 9 pages of print. I looked up your analysis so far. Is your unit old. Mine is late 2005 with not many hours on it.
Liamog


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## oldbutuseful

*Calira EVS 30/20 DS/IU*

Hi,

I'm a newbie to the forum, and am likewise struggling with sorting out a partially defunct Calira power supply in my Knaus Sun Ti. My failure appears identical to that reported by knaussers in the post on 12 Mar 2009 - all d.c. side is working, but no charging when on electrical hook-up. My unit is 2.5 years old and has been used for around 250 days in the time we have had the 'van.

I've made no progress dealing with this through Lowdham Leisureworld as they seem to have no joy in getting any replacement parts from Knaus. I'm going to contact Calira directly, but I thought I'd check with fellow sufferers if anyone has been successful in dealing directly with Calira (who are now part of the Truma group since early 2008).

Reading the Calira operating Instructions it is clear that, in my Knaus anyway, the unit is not installed in accordance with Calira's instructions. Particularly there is insufficient clearance above the unit for cooling purposes. Calira specify 100mm clearance above the ventilation holes, but in my installation it's around 50mm. The ply seat base over the unit gets warm, and the top (red) casing gets very warm. I suspect that the unit is overheating (a lot of my touring has been in the south of France and Italy this year where air temperatures of up to 38 degrees didn't probably help). I think the unit needs a built-in cooling fan to help remove the heat generated by the process of mains conversion to d.c.

If any forum member has any advice on where to get a repair done or where to buy a replacement unit, if that becomes the only solution, I would be very grateful.

Richard.


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## Majit

Martin

I know your original post goes back a long way but you mentioned you have operating instructions in PDF format.

This would be a big help.
just bought our first MH Lunar and have elctrics issue. returned to dealer a week later and different issues are now evident.

Interesting in Lunar handbook (all photocopies) the control panel is three small paragraphs and includes the words
The outside light switch turns the entire 12v system off or on. I have a separate hand written instruction that says the switch is 12v/240v. i have to say with the switch off all 12v are off but 3 pin mains stays on. However the fridge on 240v also goes off (or at least the green lcd light does)

I am no electrician and have no claim to understanding the subject but I think I have something clearly wrong.

I collected the MH 10 days ago and travelled back home with 12v fridge light on. As informed this went off when motor was cut. Next day whilst travelling again the fridge light refused to come on when motor was running.
having returned the MH to the dealer with a whole list of problems this one seemed to take them ages. i was told they found the problem but it needed something of a replacement which they could not get quickly. They said however they would get the fridge working on 12v. Once I started the engine i turned onto 12v and the green led light came on - bingo. However when home and the engine cut i went to switch over to 240v and noticed the fridge light (LED) still ON. As i understand from talking to others the 12v fridge should be wired via a split relay so it only operates when engine is running. I think the dealer has by passed this and wired it direct from the leisure batteries.
If I throw the switch on the control panel then all three LEDs on the fridge fail to light gas 12v and 240v (The latter I cannot understand but maybe you have an explanation).

Unless you tell me otherwise I think this is doing no harm except a risk that I walk away and forget to take fridge off 12v so batteries will go.

Back to original request intructions on calira would be very useful

thanks

ron


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## gm6vxb

Hello Majiit,
I am presuming that you have the same unit as fitted to a Lunar H601, which is a Calira 38/20 unit probably fitted near the battery under a hatch under the table (if that makes sense).
There is a control unit on the left side inside the habitat door.
Ok will start with the control unit. 
Looking at the unit, the furthest right hand switch is (sort of) a master switch which turns off 12 volt power within the motorhome. No lights, no fridge !.
Middle switch is for a waste tank heating pad, never used it so do not know if it works properly but current is drawn when I put the switch on.
The next switch is for the water pump and does have a 'tap' symbol just above it.
To the left of these switches is a single switch which has three positions:
1: UP checks the engine battery charge on the LED display second right from the switch.
2: DOWN Checks the habitat battery on the same LED as the engine battery display.
Also next to the battery switch is another LED that will light up when you press the battery check switch. This (sort of) checks the amount of water you have in the main tank.
There are also two LED's near the top of the display.
The furthest left LED only lights when you are connected to a MAINS supply.
The LED slightly to the right only lights when the engine and habitat batteries are BOTH being charged either from the engine (running obviously) or you are connected to a mains supply.

Now to the fridge (if you are still awake !!)
The fridge can have three seperate supplies, GAS, 12 Volt, or Mains.
Obviously you have to be connected to a mains supply for the fridge to work off mains, also you need the 12 volt supply switch on.
12 volt supply will only work with the engine running, not off the batteries as it draws about 12 ampere and would flatten the habitat battery very quickly.
On the fridge (after turning it on with the very small button) if you press the left hand button, you will cycle though:
1: MAINS, plug symbol
2: BATTERY, battery symbol
3: GAS, flame symbol

Hopefully the above should be a reasonably good explanation but I (hope) have also attached the instructions for the Calira.
Note the warranty times, not over long. Also Calira have now been bought out by Truma, but I have not had any dealings with them.

If you are still having problems PM me
One last thing, should the unit fail to charge off the mains, it is easier and cheaper to fit a seperate mains charger than it is to get the unit repaired.

Martin, GM6VXB


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## Majit

Thanks Martin

Not sure how to PM you as it is asking for subscription and have not subscribed yet.

Hoever I was looking for an explanation on the control panel that you have provided.



> 1: UP checks the engine battery charge on the LED display second right from the switch.


When pressing up on the rocker switch I only get lights on this if on hook up. Off hook up all battery charge lights are out. Trying to find out if this is correct or not.? NB When pressing down i have lights on both on and off hook up indicating state of leisure batteries.



> Middle switch is for a waste tank heating pad, never used it so do not know if it works properly but current is drawn when I put the switch on.


Not sure what a waster tank heating pad is. On induction I was told that with this switch on it would heat the hot water by electric (presumably only on hook up). I am now thinking thats all wrong and the waste Tank Heating is to stop waste water freezing with the only method of achieving hot water via gas. Is that correct?

On the fridge I think I have a different model to yours as i have no small button to turn it on and no symbols aside the options.
Sad to say as explained the 12v will work with engine off and i reckon it takes the power from the leisure batteries. I know this is very dangerous and should not be the case.
It has happened this way as the fridge was not working at all on 12v so back to the dealer. It now works but is not isolated when engine is off so I reckon he they have wired around the split relay that should prevent it running with engine off i.e solved the fault but not the cause.

Ron

[/quote]


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## gm6vxb

Hi again,
Subscribing is well work it, so maybe spend the £10 soon.
I thought the H601 and H592 used the same electrics but could be wrong. Did have pictures of the H592 internals but can I find it !!!.

Well to run through your points.
If you do have an 'up/down' rocker switch to check batteries it should work on both mains and stand alone with just battery power. If not I would be suspicious.
If not it could be that the batteries are low. Do you have a multimeter (or can you borrow one) and check the batteries ?. Leave the van off mains for a few hours then check to see what is across both the engine and habitat battery. Normally though if the habitat battery is low you get a red light on the display. 

Yes, the waste tank heater is to keep the waste water from freezing, not sure if it works on just batteries (suspect it does). Trouble with the pad is it warms the tank but not the outlet, possible to have this frozen so you still cannot drain waste water.
Heating hot water via mains electric was an option on all the motorhome series. We do not have it but would suspect a switch for that would be close to the habitat gas heating control and thermostat.

We have a Thetford fridge (N90? must look). If you look in the back of the fridge there 'should' be a label telling you which type it is. If it has knobs rather than press buttons then I have attached Thetford instructions for most (not all) fridges. If it is the case that the fridge works off the habitat battery with the engine off and not on hook up I would worry. The battery will be flattened quite quickly. Ok with engine running or on mains. If the dealer had done a'mod' it is not a good idea. Have a look at the Calira wiring diagram and if you have a multimeter check the wire to see if volts are really being fed from there.

I do not trust dealers, especially up here, so do all (any) work on the van myself (except habitat damp checks). That is why I have most of the manuals in both paper and PDF format. If you have read this thread my Calira died last year, fixed it myself but also added a seperate charger keep the batteries going on hook-up.

Again hope this helps. As you presently cannot PM, I can be contacted at GM6VXB AT btinternet.com, thpough most new E-mails end up in my junk mail, so could be a few days before I get back.

Martin, GM6VXB


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## Majit

Thanks Martin

You do confirm all my suspicions. 
The batteries are all new and good. i have multmleter and checking all the time. the rocker switch is failing with a reading for certain.

Stupid of me not to say the fridge is a Dometic with manual settings. Yup the mod can prove a disaster. I will get it resolved soon.

thanks again will susbscribe in due course

Ron


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## gm6vxb

Majit,
Something that you can look for with the fridge.
Look at the Calira instructions page 30.
There is a switch on the Calira that sets output to the fridge with engine running.
Wonder if the other position is permanently on which is what you have just now.
Might be worth giving the switch a 'tweak' and see what happens. Switch is on the wiring side of the Calira.

Martin, GM6VXB


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## Majit

Thanks Martin

Just leaving for Spain but will pick this up later and have a real good look. You know i read thru the manual you sent and still din't see it.
Strange one though don't you think.

Great help thanks again

Ron


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## Hawkwind

Hi All
Guess what, another Calira 30/20 sufferer! (Lunar H592) 
My symptoms are slightly different. 
During use and under no clearly identifiable load conditions the 12v circuit cuts out (lights, fridge waterpump and not sure what else!). 
Possibly related to load but does not occur immediately more load is added. 
Reactivates when main 12v switch on control panel flicked off and on again, sometimes lasts a while before cutting out again, sometimes not. 
Looking at thread sounds like a relay. 
Spoke to local dealer who had replaced one (not charging 12v system) for a customer at 800 euros (ouch!). 
Same response as others from Truma technical dept. who cannot currently help, directed me direct to Calira. 
Welcome any advice before I torch it and claim insurance!

Simon


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## gm6vxb

Hawkwind,
You may have a dying leisure battery, or the Calira is not charging the batteries.
I had the same problem, all 12 volt circuits cutting out after about three days of 'no mains' camping.
As you say switching off and back on again and everything works, for a while !.
I would suggest firstly leave the van with no mains supply overnight and then check what the leisure battery voltage is. Use a proper multimeter, not the very poor LED display. Voltage should be 12.5 volts or higher.
Then put mains on and check that the Calira is charging the battery. Battery volts should go up to around 13.9 to 14.2 Volts. If not it is possible the Calira has died but try to confirm this before going any further.
The Calira can be repaired but I do not know if this service is still available, and as you say not cheap.
Another option is to fit a two or three stage battery charger but only do this if the Calira is known to be faulty and you cannot get it repaired or cannot afford to replace it.
Or if you get really desparate send me a PM !!>

Martin, GM6VXB


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## dealgan

Sounds like Calira had more than one "design issue" with these units !

My problem was and is simply no charging from the calira unit, which I solved with a totally separate intelligent charger. Everything else works fine, for now.

I spotted on the knaus forum that there is someone in UK that will repair the calira unit for around £170. I think they simply replace the main circuit board, but I havent spoken to them, so that could be wrong.

I can look it up again, if its of any interest.

Cheers,
Declan


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## roxygeorge

*Re: Calira EVS 30/20 DS/IU*



oldbutuseful said:


> Hi,
> 
> I'm a newbie to the forum, and am likewise struggling with sorting out a partially defunct Calira power supply in my Knaus Sun Ti. My failure appears identical to that reported by knaussers in the post on 12 Mar 2009 - all d.c. side is working, but no charging when on electrical hook-up. My unit is 2.5 years old and has been used for around 250 days in the time we have had the 'van.
> 
> I've made no progress dealing with this through Lowdham Leisureworld as they seem to have no joy in getting any replacement parts from Knaus. I'm going to contact Calira directly, but I thought I'd check with fellow sufferers if anyone has been successful in dealing directly with Calira (who are now part of the Truma group since early 2008).
> 
> Reading the Calira operating Instructions it is clear that, in my Knaus anyway, the unit is not installed in accordance with Calira's instructions. Particularly there is insufficient clearance above the unit for cooling purposes. Calira specify 100mm clearance above the ventilation holes, but in my installation it's around 50mm. The ply seat base over the unit gets warm, and the top (red) casing gets very warm. I suspect that the unit is overheating (a lot of my touring has been in the south of France and Italy this year where air temperatures of up to 38 degrees didn't probably help). I think the unit needs a built-in cooling fan to help remove the heat generated by the process of mains conversion to d.c.
> 
> If any forum member has any advice on where to get a repair done or where to buy a replacement unit, if that becomes the only solution, I would be very grateful.
> 
> Richard.


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## roxygeorge

Hi Richard 

I am having the same problems of no charging when hooked up. Did you sort the problem or did you have to buy a new unit? Any help with a wiring diagram would be good to as I have a friend who wires up fighter aircraft for a living, i'm sure he could work it out.

mick


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## rayc

roxygeorge said:


> Hi Richard
> 
> I am having the same problems of no charging when hooked up. Did you sort the problem or did you have to buy a new unit? Any help with a wiring diagram would be good to as I have a friend who wires up fighter aircraft for a living, i'm sure he could work it out.
> 
> mick


http://www.calira.de/de/tools/datenblaetter/94.pdf

English from page 24


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## richardcm

I have a calira evs 30/20 in my Knaus. Same problem as many,no charging of the consumers on mains supply. Anyway decided to drop the unit off at calira about 6 weeks ago. Arrived about ten past four,everybody bar 2 ladies had gone home.However one spoke excellent English and was very helpful.Left the unit and about 2- 3 weeks later the unit duly arrived by,I think UPS,demanding 232 Euros COD.I should say this was in France! It would appear that a capacitor has been replaced and upgraded. The unit seems to be working OK. But what a price for a capacitor plus labour and profit, nice if you can get away with it. I should say the cost included about 38 Euros carriage.

In conclusion the price is a scam,but they do provide a service. And in fairness were very easy to deal with.


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## roxygeorge

*calira not charging*

cheers for that. my unit went into the workshop today so the lads can have a play and see what they come up with. If they cant fix it I will re install it and add a charger to the system. I will let you know if they can find and repair the problem.


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## Hawkwind

Re Calira units and Truma; 
Also choice of Unit :?: :?: :?: :?: 
Not bootomed out my fault as yet, but it occurs to me that with so many problems we should be putting concerted pressure on Truma to be more help. 
Can we blitz them with requests for better service? 
What are they like on service for their other products used by us all? 
How many other manufacturers use Calira and are any other electical control units any better

On a slightly different tack, with Lunars reputation for **** service backup and the fact that they no longer sell motorhomes, what would people recommend if I decided to change my unit for one of similar layout. 
Are Swift group, for example, any good for reliability and service? 
What about Burstner? 
We like the fixed rear bed lay out for a 2+ ocassional others berth unit as well as reasonable sized bath room and do not want an over cab. Size is limiting factor due to access at home and 7m is about max possible.


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## bazzzer

i have the same problem not charging on mains hook up.im thinking of taking my mh to glossop caravans and letting them look at it (gulp)did anybody manage to suss it themselves?


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## Morphology

bazzzer said:


> i have the same problem not charging on mains hook up.im thinking of taking my mh to glossop caravans and letting them look at it (gulp)did anybody manage to suss it themselves?


Just a thought: Have you checked the fuse inside the unit? In my EVS 20 30 there is a mains fuse mounted on the circuit board close by the mains inlet (Kettle lead socket).

Morph


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## bazzzer

tried fuse today but it was fine thanks for the suggestion.ive got phil from rhino installs coming on mon to check it out.he says the units are crap but will test everything anyway.


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## Morphology

Please let us know how you get on.

I think if mine goes, I'd be inclined to replace it with a similar unit by a different manufacturer - though I'd want to do some research first, as I've heard similar stories about Schaudt units!


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## The-Cookies

watching with interest as we have a calira , helpful to me if fitting an intelligent charger directions were available or which one was used .

john


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## owl459

I had the same problem of no charging. I fitted an elecsol charger to it . The other functions still work.


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## andrewball1000

Calira problems are discussed quite extensively on the Knaus Owners website. Trawling it may also be helpful to some non Knaus Owners

http://www.knausowners.com/


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## bazzzer

rhino installs fitted an extra charger and new battery for£260 both of mine were goosed


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## HullRLFC

Hi folks, newbie so treat me gently please.

My employer asked me to have a quick look at his Calira 38/20 that wasn't charging his leisure battery when connected to the mains. He'd enquired about repair/replacement and would be shelling out hundreds either way. I suggested to him there might be an easy repair so took it to bits and had a gander inside. It was fairly apparent what the problem was and I managed to get a replacement part ordered from Germany, install it, and have the unit up, running, and working fine in no time. There is of course the chance that there is a design fault and this part may break down again but this particular Calira unit had lasted five years before the problem so hopefully he'll get a fair bit more life out of it.

If anybody has a similar problem and I can be of any assistance, just post on this thread and I'll keep an eye on it.


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## Morphology

HullRLFC said:


> It was fairly apparent what the problem was and I managed to get a replacement part ordered from Germany, install it, and have the unit up, running, and working fine in no time.


Shall I be first and ask "so exactly what _was_ the problem, and what replacement part did you need to order, and from where exactly in Germany?"


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## HullRLFC

Morphology said:


> Shall I be first and ask "so exactly what _was_ the problem, and what replacement part did you need to order, and from where exactly in Germany?"


In our case it was a PCB mounted transformer which showed pretty obvious signs of overheating as the paint had bubbled on top of it. I googled the numbers on it and found a German website that supplied them. Although the website itself was in German, I could fathom enough out to order a replacement and pay with Visa.

Part came in three days costing 13 Euros with p/p, one faulty one out, one good one in to replace it. It involves a bit of soldering and the Calira unit itself is not so easy to disassemble and reassemble but it's worth having a go at if you're reasonably handy and have decent soldering skills.

Like I said earlier, doing a visual inspection of a PCB usually gives you clues as to where a fault may be. Once out of the board, the original transformer showed more signs of overheating on it's base and smelt pretty bad.

This may not always be the fault but the transformer is a 220/240 volt to 12 volt step down transformer and is obviously integral in the charging circuit. Given the number of people with this "none charging" problem, I wonder if it's a stock fault and a more robust transformer should have been used in the original manufacture?


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## Morphology

Interesting, thanks for the information. I've not personally had one of these units fail (thankfully), but I'd certainly be interested to know whether it's this component that has failed with other owners.

Thanks for taking the time to pass on the information.

Morph.


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## nofinKnauser

*More Calira EVS 38/20 woes*

Since I am in France, all my docs are in French or German. Calira links are now redirected to Truma who don't seem very responsive.
My unit failed and tripped the camper RCD. I ordered and replaced the internal slowblow fuse and hopefully re-connected. Phut ! RCD gone again. SO ... 
No obvious evidence of cooking but the transformer varnish looked a bit bubbled but without smell. Looked up the ETD44 transformer and discovered there is more than one type. I found one with 185-265V Primary and one with 65-125V. My guess is that the former is correct unless there are others ? Can HullRLFC provide more ? Does Owl459 use his ElecSol charger alongside the mains disconnected Calira so that other control panel functions still work ? It seems you can't use the Knaus Owners forum as a none member :-(
It is a while since this thread attracted any posts but I'm hopeful


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## HullRLFC

*PCB mounted transformer*

Hi, received an email from this forum saying somebody had replied to this topic, ain't modern technology wonderful?

After trawling through stacks of emails, I eventually found the order receipt from Burklin, from where I ordered the transformer.

Your description sounds like your Calira unit has gone exactly the same way as the one I worked on. Paint bubbling on the transformer but no sign of overheating until you remove it from the PCB and look at the base.

I think the problem possibly comes from a leisure battery that needs replacing as it's drawing too much charge current from the unit and this transformer can't take the strain. That is my humble opinion, have you had your battery a while? If so, it may be worth buying a replacement as this problem may reoccur.

I've tried to put a link for the transformer supplier's website but the forum won't let me.

So instead, do a Google search for "VN30.18/10535".

You need the link that starts

"PCB Transformers, type Marschner E at Burklin-A World of..."

Click on that and the Buerklin part number is "35C574", it's about halfway down the page and has the following description.

"PCB Transformer 2.3VA 12V 191mA 230V VN30.18/10535"

You might recognise the last few letters and numbers as they are what's written on the transformer, if you can make it out!

Ended up costing around £13 with most of that being postage.

The unit I repaired is still going strong so I think it may well be worth your while having a go.

Best of luck.


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## nofinKnauser

*Visually different*

HullRLFC thanks very much for your prompt response. 
I got all excited until I found that the transformer you identified is probably not contained within my unit. 
If you Google ETD44 you will see images of the part I think might be cooked though it is only a guess. There is nothing in my unit that is so well identified as the 35c574 one on Burklin, though there are a couple of parts that have a similar (but unmarked) top profile. 
My leisure battery was replaced early last year and I had the camper hooked up over winter (in a barn) via a time switch so that power was applied only a few hours per day. When I discovered the problem, the battery was completely flat and has been recovering slowly on solar power alone (outside the barn !) 
I'm coming round to the idea of a separate smart charger leaving the EVS in circuit but without mains. Hopefully the two units will work harmoniously and provide battery status for both batteries. I will have to try it out temporarily with an old simple charger I already have.
The ElecSol @ 10A seems highly priced tho' compared to other smart chargers @ 1.5-3.5A.
Cheers


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## mike800966

*Calira*

I also downloaded a copy of the layout and decided it was too much for me. Gather that Calira will service and return items but at a cost of course. Didn't I read somewhere that they have no formed an allegiance with a UK company or was it the other way round?

Mike 
G8JXS


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## Morphology

*Re: Calira*



mike800966 said:


> I also downloaded a copy of the layout and decided it was too much for me. Gather that Calira will service and return items but at a cost of course. Didn't I read somewhere that they have no formed an allegiance with a UK company or was it the other way round?
> 
> Mike
> G8JXS


There was a post on the Knaus Owners forum discussion board back in March, mentioning Atlantic Motorhome Services in North Wales, who are evidently an approved Calira agent, and carry a number of new and refurbished units in stock.

Prices seem fairly good, but looks like they want your old unit as part exchange.

Morph.


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## aandncaravan

*Failures of Calira 30/20, 38/20 and other units.*

Hello, we are A & N Caravan Services and affiliated to Atlantic Motorhomes and we do repair Calira 30/20, 38/20 plus all other Motorhome and Caravan charger/PDU's.
HULLRLFC is correct when he says it is poor batteries that destroy these units. We are the UK's biggest repairer and stockist of remanufactured Calira units and almost every one we have seen has failed from a battery past its best.
If you want your Calira to last replace the batteries at least twice their warranty period, i.e. if it is guaranteed 12 months replace it at 2 years. If it is guaranteed 2 years replace at 4 years MAXIMUM.

Poor batteries are an issue with every habitation charger on every vehicle, whether it is a Burstner using a Reich e-Box, a Swift Caravan using a Nordelettronica or Hymer using Schaudt. It doesn't matter which forum you go on they all berate the Battery Charger manufacturer. You will find threads on the Swift forums about Nordelettronica chargers being weak and unreliable, yet we have seen owners on their first failure in 7 years of ownership. The owners, generally, that have little trouble never let the battery run flat. Don't keep it on hook-up in storage. Change the batteries regularly, etc.

To get the most out of your Charger unit (any make) :
Don't use a battery past it's best.

Do keep the battery near full charge by topping it up for 1-2 days once a month.

Don't keep the battery on charge all the time. A charger lifetime is calculated around the average Motorhome use of around 2 months a year. If you have your Calira hooked up to the Mains 240v all the time you will use 6 years life in 12 months.

If the battery goes flat, IT WILL BE DAMAGED, bin it. Sophisticated power units will cut all 12v to the MH when the battery voltage drops to 10.5v to prevent the battery from being damaged by further discharge. There is a very good reason they do this, don't let the battery voltage drop below 10.0v, if it does discard it.

Don't try to use the Calira to bring up a battery that has gone flat. You will just a hear a pop and notice a funny burning smell!!

If the battery is good but down on charge (not flat) the Calira will get warm for a short time as it brings it up to voltage, but will then cool down as the charge required by the battery drops. If the charger gets hot on mains 240v for a long time, there is clearly something amiss. 
Don't add fans to your Calira to cool it down. We had one in for repair that had been charging 2 batteries that were 6 years old (how can a battery with a 12 month guarantee be any good at 6 years? Even the manufacturer didn't think it would be much cop after 12 months!!). The owner had fitted 2 cooling fans to keep the poor tortured unit from shutting down. The fans provided cool air to the temperature sensing shut down circuitry so it didn't shutdown. As a result the inside of the unit was like it had been inside an oven, every component was baked to the end of its life.

Don't use a bigger battery bank than designed. The calira 30/20 and 38/20 have chargers with a 20A output, using the general 10x rule of thumb they can support a bank of 200Ah, not the 440Ah (4 x 110Ah ) battery bank we saw recently. If you have/need a big battery bank please upgrade the infrastructure around it.

Please don't use a 'smart' charger to charge your batteries. Especially if you have a 220Ah bank and the charger has a 5amp output designed to support a bank no bigger than 50Ah!! If you really must then disconnect the battery from the MH first as they often have voltages as high as 17v. 
We have lots of emails that start "everything was ok until my brother (it is always someone else that broke it  ) connected his smart charger to the Motorhome and now the Fridge won't work and the Calira shutsdown and the heater control lights won't come on".
The most expensive we have seen was for a new Fridge 12v control unit, the truma heater controller, the Calira 38/20 AND the vehicle ECU. 'His Brother' thought he would start the engine to see if that provided a 12v charge, because the smart charger was still on and connected to 240v the 17.9v from the smart charger reached the starter battery when running the engine connected them together and .........
The ECU was £780 and the rest close on £1,400. His High street charger wasn't quite the money saver he thought it would be. Sorry, his brother.

Fitting a small high street charger of 6amp will never get a battery bank of 220Ah charged fully. This will damage them in a very short space of time through Sulphation. So you will then need new batteries. 
I don't understand how spending £87 on a high street charger + £200 on batteries works out cheaper than a repaired Calira at £150, but then I never was very good at Maths?

If you visit the website you will find lots of info like the above, we have a Battery Technology page that will turn upside down everything you thought you knew about habitation batteries; a page on the Calira, the e-Box, the Schaudt Elektroblock, Solar Power in a Motorhome, etc

Sorry gone on rather a lot.


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