# ehu



## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

i have a question, i have ,for the first time hooked the m/h to the leccy at home whilst i was cleaning it, i cannot find any indication that it is "hooked up" on the control panel above the door. iknow it works as i used the only plug in the cupboard for the hoover, i dont need to hook up usually as the solar does the job well, its a benimar does anyone elses board light up when on ehu ???


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

I have to actually switch my controller on before I get any indications

This is on a Eura Mobil - yours may be similar?

Cheers

Dave


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## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

When I switch the control panel on, there is a 'lightning' symbol to denote mains electricity is on.

Dave


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## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

when you say you switch it on, i have a green light permanently on, on the control panel i have never switched it on or off , the dealer said it was always on, so ive never even tried to switch the panel off if this was possible... i feel like a pleb....


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## organplayer (Jan 1, 2012)

*organplayer*

A plug and lead motif shows up on our panel when on ehp.


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

On my CBE system there is an icon that looks like a mains plug on the control panel dispay. This only shows though when the charger is switched on.


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

Can you take a photo of your control panel?

This might help us to make more appropriate/helpful suggestions

Cheers

Dave


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## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

yes i will dark noe but will do it tomorrow thanks everyone.


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## tony_g (Sep 13, 2010)

On my Laika there is a plug and cable symbol which comes on. When my charger failed the 3 pin plugs in the van continued to work when on ehu but the batteries didn't charge. I could tell this because the indicated voltage on both leisure and cab battery goes up when on ehu. And, of course, the little symbol didn't come on.


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## mangolover (Mar 13, 2010)

I can only tell visually that I'm on EHU because the microwave light comes on and the fridge light switches from gas to electricity.

mango


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## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

ok ive been back to van this am (time limited off to work ) ive dug the leaflet to the control panel out its a pc150-tr. from what i can gather in the sparse instructions is that yesterday when i hooked up i have to go to the battery charger under the front side sofa and press a buttonthat says 230v !!! only then will it charge !!! although it worked the hoover from the socket yesterday but must have been depleating my battery ?? so when i get another chance i will hook up and press the button, then the symbol should light up on the control panel and start charging !!!
I know now why the man wanted the on button "on" all the time as this make the solar work keeping the batteries charged so will carry on keeping the control panel in the on position, sorry if this is a bit long winded but makes sense to me !!!!


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

peaky said:


> ok ive been back to van this am (time limited off to work ) ive dug the leaflet to the control panel out its a pc150-tr. from what i can gather in the sparse instructions is that yesterday when i hooked up i have to go to the battery charger under the front side sofa and press a buttonthat says 230v !!! only then will it charge !!! although it worked the hoover from the socket yesterday but must have been depleating my battery ?? so when i get another chance i will hook up and press the button, then the symbol should light up on the control panel and start charging !!!
> I know now why the man wanted the on button "on" all the time as this make the solar work keeping the batteries charged so will carry on keeping the control panel in the on position, sorry if this is a bit long winded but makes sense to me !!!!


I believe it is a CBE system and the mains icon on the panel is only ON when the charger is switched ON i.e. it is a 'charger on' indicator and not a mains connected to the MH one.


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

peaky said:


> when you say you switch it on, i have a green light permanently on, on the control panel i have never switched it on or off , the dealer said it was always on, so ive never even tried to switch the panel off if this was possible... i feel like a pleb....


If this is the case then this light indicates that the polarity is correct. If the polarity is reversed then the light will go off.

Oh dear, what have I done? Have I started another long discussion on what is it, is it important and why are the French not bothered?


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

oldun said:


> peaky said:
> 
> 
> > when you say you switch it on, i have a green light permanently on, on the control panel i have never switched it on or off , the dealer said it was always on, so ive never even tried to switch the panel off if this was possible... i feel like a pleb....
> ...


There is no reverse polarity lamp on the panel in the photo. The green LED is associated with the adjacent Panel on/off switch. The LED associated with the mains plug icon is only on when the charger is switched on.


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## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

correct


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## oldun (Nov 10, 2005)

dovtrams said:


> When I switch the control panel on, there is a 'lightning' symbol to denote mains electricity is on.
> 
> Dave


I have a light that comes on when the ehu is active AND when the polarity is correct.

With reveresed polarity (please no long discussion on whether this matters) the light is off.


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## Qnapper (Jul 26, 2012)

peaky said:


> ok ive been back to van this am (time limited off to work ) ive dug the leaflet to the control panel out its a pc150-tr. from what i can gather in the sparse instructions is that yesterday when i hooked up i have to go to the battery charger under the front side sofa and press a buttonthat says 230v !!! only then will it charge !!! although it worked the hoover from the socket yesterday but must have been depleating my battery ?? so when i get another chance i will hook up and press the button, then the symbol should light up on the control panel and start charging !!!
> I know now why the man wanted the on button "on" all the time as this make the solar work keeping the batteries charged so will carry on keeping the control panel in the on position, sorry if this is a bit long winded but makes sense to me !!!!


I have the 290i and the same panel as you. I have never had to go under and seat to make it charge! as soon as I have a mains supply/hook-up the green light ( icon of plug bottom left ) comes on. Any 230volt socket then works ( I know this as the aircon light will also light up in standby.

Can you take a photo of the battery charger under the seat and a photo of what button thats says 230V ?? that way I can see in my Benimar if I have the same system there.

John


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## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

yes john i will pop out this am and take a pic, the 240 icon only came on when i pressed this button under the seat....


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## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

here you are qnapper, the button on the charger, on mine this had to bepressed and on the control panel only then did it show it was charging.


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## Qnapper (Jul 26, 2012)

peaky said:


> here you are qnapper, the button on the charger, on mine this had to bepressed and on the control panel only then did it show it was charging.


Just been round to our MH and thats the same as ours, strange thing it I do not have to touch that at all. I have our plugged in to the electric socket all the time in the garage. I removed the power lead checked I was on batteries and then plugged it back in and right away I'm back on mains and the green led icon is on. Not sure why you yours works that way.
Do you have anything that might trip the switch? as you connect to the mains? which way do you connect your mains lead MH first then power socket? I think something is tripping that switch.

John


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## HarleyDave (Jul 1, 2007)

Same charger in mine and I leave it "On" at all times

Cheers

Dave


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Qnapper said:


> peaky said:
> 
> 
> > here you are qnapper, the button on the charger, on mine this had to bepressed and on the control panel only then did it show it was charging.
> ...


John, did you actually switch the charger off by pressing the red button and checking that it was no longer charging? 
If you remove the EHU whilst the charger is switched ON then it will still be ON when you next connect the EHU.
Ray


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## Qnapper (Jul 26, 2012)

rayc said:


> Qnapper said:
> 
> 
> > peaky said:
> ...


Ray, just come back from MH ( in garage 5 minutes away ) and have checked that switching it off does stop charging on mains. I also checked and after switching it back on it remains on no matter how many times I plug and unplug from the mains.

I also checked solar panel starts when the mains is off and stops when mains is on.

John


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

Qnapper said:


> rayc said:
> 
> 
> > Qnapper said:
> ...


So the reason that the indicator is ON at the control panel when EHU is connected is because the charger is left switched ON. If the charger was switched OFF then on reconnecting the EHU it would stay off and there would be no indication of charging.


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## Qnapper (Jul 26, 2012)

rayc said:


> Qnapper said:
> 
> 
> > rayc said:
> ...


That is correct. I have called a Benimar dealer and he explained that you can leave charger on under the seat always on, however if the panel above the door is switched off no charging will happen. The top right hand button must be on ( green light ) but the other buttons can be switched off ( hope this makes sense ) I have just tried it and works. I have always left my MH on mains when not in use to keep batteries in good nick.

John


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## peaky (Jul 15, 2009)

john, does the unit charge the van battery as well ?? i was under the impression it was just the leisure battery ??


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## rayc (Jun 3, 2008)

peaky said:


> john, does the unit charge the van battery as well ?? i was under the impression it was just the leisure battery ??


It is a CBE system which should charge the vehicle battery as well. The leisure battery will take priority with, I believe, a maximum of 2A trickle to the vehicle battery.


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## Qnapper (Jul 26, 2012)

Peaky, it's does indeed charge both. I run the radio all day yesterday ( hate the way it switches off every hour ) whilst working on MH. I have just come back home after checking and battery is charged. The charger works on the leisure batts first then charges the veh one via mains. 
On the panel yesterday got the lights on leisure batteries down to 1 x yellow and the veh to 1 x yellow and now: leisure is all green and veh is 2/3 x yellow ( it has always been this way, never goes higher )

I have 3 x leisure batteries 80ah x 110ah x 90ah = 280ah ( we bought it with 2 fitted, I added another ) this gives us loads of Ah time. I also fitted a Victron BMV-600S which is great and recommend it to anyone.


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