# Elektroblock EBL 220-2 - Connect to invertor



## darach (Dec 15, 2006)

I have a 2008 Frankia which is fitted with 2 140 amp batteries and an EBL 220-2 which is connected through a control panel to show the charge going into the batteries and out and also what available power is left in the batteries. This works great but I have fitted a Sterling 1000 watt invertor which is wired direct to the batteries and therefore when in use does not register on my control panel. I have been told I could fit a shunt at the battery connection and wire this through the EBL, is this possible, what is a shunt and how simple is the job. It would be great to know what power is being used when the invertor is on. 
Thanks Derek


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## darach (Dec 15, 2006)

help ? 

derek


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## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

You're not being ignored  

I think if anyone had experience of doing this you would have had a reply by now.

I'd try contacting Schaudt whom I've found to very helpfull.

I've PM'd you their e mail address.

D.


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## 97587 (Feb 6, 2006)

*schaudt*

A shunt is a resistor which is put in line with one of the battery leads, and from which 2 smaller leads one either side of the shunt can be run to a ammeter to read amps in and out of the battery.

Caution: You cannot I believe fit any old shunt. It needs to be able to carry the current that is likely to flow through it and also needs to be matched to the ammeter.

Therefore the above answer is the best contact Schaudt.

Or you could ust fit an ammeter with shunt available from somewhere like Ebay.

Pete


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

darach said:


> I have a 2008 Frankia which is fitted with 2 140 amp batteries and an EBL 220-2 which is connected through a control panel to show the charge going into the batteries and out and also what available power is left in the batteries. This works great but I have fitted a Sterling 1000 watt invertor which is wired direct to the batteries and therefore when in use does not register on my control panel. I have been told I could fit a shunt at the battery connection and wire this through the EBL, is this possible, what is a shunt and how simple is the job. It would be great to know what power is being used when the invertor is on.
> Thanks Derek


Hi Derek,

We don't have a Frankia, but we do have the Elektroblok. When we are using an inverter, the battery meter shows power consumption/discharge, just as it would if we used 12v appliances, and ours is only a 300 watt job. The biggest consumer off of the inverter is our laptop.

The above suggested remedy to your problem does sound a bit OTT, but then I am no sparky. :wink:

Jock.


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## taz (Sep 28, 2005)

We have the elektroblock EBL 101 on our Hymer 544. When we picked it up last week we were told by the technicians at Hymer UK not to fit an inverter greater than 800W as it can cause the EBL to shut down. 

Don't know if this is also relevant for the 220 or whether anyone has any additional info - we have an 1800W we would have liked to fit but as yet have heeded their warnings

Sally


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## darach (Dec 15, 2006)

Hi, Davesport & Petes I think you are right, I will email schaudt and see what they say. I got the email address from the pm thanks Davesport.
Hi Jock & Rita I was told when I bought the vehicle I could run a small invertor through the EBL and as you say would give me all my readings but I was warned not to put a large one through as this could damage the EBL. and it would only work if I wired it direct to the batteries. I hope my information is better than yours Taz or I have a major problem!!! I fitted the invertor about 2 months ago and it has worked perfect apart from not getting any readings when the invertor is in use.
By the way Jock & Rita I take it your avatar is designed in the best taste to keep fit and I think it is one of the best on the forum!
Thanks again
Derek & Bel


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

A shunt is a very low value resistor which for a given number of amps (say 100 as one example) will cause a voltage drop across the shunt of the defined number of millivolts, typically 75 millivolts. The shunt will have two heavy connections for the main current path and two smaller connections for the millivolt take off points.

If you really want to know the number of amps being consumed by your inverter then this would be the way to do it, but why? Surely you know in round units the number of watts the appliance you are powering is rated at and if you devide this by 12 this will be roughly the number of amps the inverter is taking. (Add 5% or so for conversion inefficiency) 

I would advise wiring the inverter direct to the leisure battery bank via the shunt if deemed necessary as the existing wiring is unlikely to be suficiently robust for the high currents potentially taken at full load. Also if you have two leisure batteries then make sure that the paralleling cables are also sufficiently robust. 25 sq millimetres for the cables would be my minimum size choice so as to loose the minimum cable voltage drops.


What is of more interest is to see the "free"amps flowing INTO your battery from the solar panel.

C.


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## davesport (Nov 12, 2006)

Darach, I suspect the problem is the amount of current that will be drawn through the Electroblock. Circa 80 something amps with a 1000 W inverter. I doubt it's up to carrying this sort of load for long.

Having your inverter wired directly to the habitation batteries may be your only option. Whilst this would'nt display the current being drawn from the batteries, your display panel would still display the correct voltages & % of remaining capacity. 

It's suppose open to debate how accurate the display is ? as the remaining capacity is calculated from the voltage :? 

Good luck in your quest. Dave.


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## JockandRita (Jun 1, 2005)

darach said:


> Hi, Davesport & Petes I think you are right, I will email schaudt and see what they say. I got the email address from the pm thanks Davesport.
> Hi Jock & Rita I was told when I bought the vehicle I could run a small invertor through the EBL and as you say would give me all my readings but I was warned not to put a large one through as this could damage the EBL. and it would only work if I wired it direct to the batteries. I hope my information is better than yours Taz or I have a major problem!!! I fitted the invertor about 2 months ago and it has worked perfect apart from not getting any readings when the invertor is in use.
> By the way Jock & Rita I take it your avatar is designed in the best taste to keep fit and I think it is one of the best on the forum!
> Thanks again
> Derek & Bel


Hi Derek,

I forgot to say that our inverter is fixed directly to the leisure batteries (3) and is not connected to the EB at all. When the inverter is in use, the voltage meter needle moves to discharge. Switched off, the needle moves back again. Not accurate, but certainly an indication.



> By the way Jock & Rita I take it your avatar is designed in the best taste to keep fit and I think it is one of the best on the forum!


Oh absolutley Derek. We used to smoke in bed too, but as a former Fireman, and in the interests of personal safety, as well as wishing to set a good example to others, we gave up, :lol: :lol: :lol: (with the help of Zebedee's avatar re-imaging). 
:wink:

Jock.


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## darach (Dec 15, 2006)

Got an email back from Schaudt, they recommend fitting battery or batteries and separate charging system to run the invertor, keeping it completely separate from the original system. Again you would have no count on how many amps you are using.
I think we will do as suggested on the forum, run it directly of the batteries and count our usage.
Thanks again for all your help.
Derek


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## garethjjones (May 1, 2005)

I have a similar setup with my Hymer, with a Moore Power inverter wired direct to the leisure batteries (2). 

In France this year we had a Digibox and mobile dish attached to my Mac - so we could catch up with the Olympics. I was surprised to find after a couple of days in the same place that we had virtually zero battery power. 

I called Hymer, and once it was deduced that I had my inverter (1000w) wirted directly to the battery, I was told that the panel display could no longer be relied upon as the inverter is taking currently directly from the batteries rather than though the elctroblok and consequently the display would not update correectly.

The engineer then told me the pins to wire the inverter to, and also not to go over 800w for the size of the inverter.

So, I will probably try this sometime in the future - though I can envisage a couple of issues:

Inverter size - though I doubt I ever use the full 1000w - it's usually on mostly for PC's and phone charging - digibox is banned now the olympics is over. Perhasp a smaller one would be more suitable anyway.

Running the cables. The inverter is currently sited in the battery locker, so there's a really short cable run to the batteries - as recommended by Moore Power. The Electoblok is over the other side of the van (and running new cables anywhere alwyas seems to require dismantling most of the furniture.

Seems worthwhile trying - I don't really want to spend my time calculating just how many appliances I've got running and what tere power consumption is and for how long - that's what smart electronic devices and computers are for!


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