LED security, and night light with battery back up completed

[RogerDat 3,478]

Greetings! This is my 12 VDC automatic night, and security light system with battery backup.

 

The following article helped me immensely in simplifying the equipment needed, and I give many thanks to the original poster.

http://www.kilovox.com/homemade-ups/

Also here on the forum, the many post helped me to finalize what was needed as I had no previous experience with this type of system. Many thanks to Paul, Woolf, Oz Jon, thebob, and Cipro.

 

A. 12 VDC 200AH lead acid solar battery. (Local)

 

B. Samlex SEC-1230A 12 Volt 30 Amp Automatic Battery Charger, configured for 220 VAC by changing the 8 amp 110 volt input fuse for a 4 amp 220 fuse, and moving the jumper from 110 to 220 VAC pin.

 

C. 120 MM cooling fan (12 VDC, 90 CFM air flow, 0.35A, 4.2 watt) from computer shop, with a 12 AMP inline fuse to force air out of sealed battery box to outside of porch (corrosion control).

I plan putting a resistor in the fan circuit to slow it down as the box is only about 4.5CF.

 

D. 12 VDC solar operated light switch to control night, and security lights.

 

E. Sealed battery box with liquid drain, and 3 inch vent connection, all wire entry points are sealed.

 

The light system has 3 sections, automatic security, and night lights, manual kitchen work lights, wall outlets. They are protected with 2 fuses.

    With all manual, and automatic lights on, the charger amp meter shows 7 amp draw, with only automatic lights, it shows 5 amps including the fan.

 

All wire connectors are covered with silicone sealant, and bolts are greased with silicone grease.

 

 The battery, Motolite 200 AH (50 Kilos) is sitting on a laminated rubber pad about an inch thick to keep it out of any spillage in the box. It is sitting on a steel table I got in the junk shop.

 

 I tried the Water Miser Vent Caps, but they do not fit my Motolite battery, and the company says they have no adapter, and have never seen plugs like mine. I plan to take them to a machinist to see if he can use a die to cut threads in the solid coupling they have, it is the same dimensions the threaded plugs have. The challenge is getting them in line so top seals to battery housing.

 

Edited July 24, 2016 by RogerDat

[Paul 55,114]

First thing in the morning, after all loads shut down, what is the battery voltage showing?

 

Oh, take a small dab of Vaseline (petroleum jelly) and put on both positive and negative terminals of your battery. That will stop any corrosion from forming on the terminals and wires attached to them.

Edited July 24, 2016 by Paul

[thebob 18,260]

Good job. Well done. It's very satisfying finishing a project isn't it.

[Oz Jon 2,476]

G'donya Roger!

 

You've got an emergency lighting system and I guess, learned a but too (with, or in spite of all the LinC advice - Lol!)

 

Cheers!

[Mikala 14,383]

 

 

I tried the Water Miser Vent Caps, but they do not fit my Motolite battery, and the company says they have no adapter, and have never seen plugs like mine.

 

I have the water miser vent caps on 1 of my battery banks at my ranch. They worked pretty well, but I still needed to add distilled water every month or so...

[Oz Jon 2,476]

If you are losing a lot of water, that indicates that your "float" voltage is set a bit too high.

 

It's causing too vigorous "gassing".

 

If you can reduce the float voltage until there is some, but only very little "gassing" that would be a good thing to do.

Edited July 24, 2016 by Oz Jon

[Mikala 14,383]

If you are losing a lot of water, that indicates that your "float" voltage is set a bit too high.

 

It's causing too vigorous "gassing".

 

If you can reduce the float voltage until there is some, but only very little "gassing" that would be a good thing to do.

 

My float voltages are carefully calculated and my water loss is minimal, yet I am a perfectionist. Been maintaining battery banks for 40 years now. Life is grand!

[RogerDat 3,478]

At least 4 countries nationals posted on the original post, so we can cooperate at times

 

The original post I had found was about a UPS built by a guy in Duma, and he had water miser caps, so i guess U got different batteries down there?

 

Paul, I got all terminals and bolts greased with silicone grease. Will check voltage tomorrow morning.

My caps.

 

[Paul 55,114]

At least 4 countries nationals posted on the original post, so we can cooperate at times

 

Don't remind 'em. They will forget they are being civil to each other.

 

 

Paul, I got all terminals and bolts greased with silicone grease.

 

After I posted my question, I read your O/P again and pretty well figured you had covered the battery terminals as well, with the grease.

 

 

Will check voltage tomorrow morning.

 

Did the battery specifications show a chart for the state of charge for this particular battery? If not, the one below should give you a general idea of state of charge, after being under the load all night.

 

Edited July 25, 2016 by Paul

[Paul 55,114]

The following article helped me immensely in simplifying the equipment needed, and I give many thanks to the original poster. http://www.kilovox.com/homemade-ups/

 

I just took a bit of time to read that article and found something disturbing. DO NOT FOLLOW THE ADVICE BELOW, IF WIRING AN AC INVERTER TO A BATTERY BANK:

 

 

The batteries are wired into an ordinary 50A 240V AC circuit breaker mounted on the outside of the battery box. Ideally, this would be a DC circuit breaker. AC and DC circuit breakers are designed a bit differently, and there are situations where using an AC circuit breaker with a DC load could be problematic. Since the batteries themselves are fused separately, I’m mainly using this as a disconnect switch for convenience. It seems to be working fine for me so far.

 

 

From the circuit breaker, connections are made to both the automatic battery charger mounted on the front of the battery box, and the sine wave inverter mounted on the side of the battery box underneath the circuit breaker.

 

There are DC breakers specifically for DC voltage applications. There are AC breakers specifically for AC voltage applications. DO NOT mix the two. It could end very badly. If he wanted a battery disconnect, that's what he should have installed.

 

 

Personally, I use the Midnite Solar 150vdc rated Din Rail Mount breakers for most of my applications. Grab a Din Rail locally and I can mount them just about anywhere.

Edited July 25, 2016 by Paul

[thebob 18,260]

 

 

There are AC breakers specifically for AC voltage applications.

 

As long as his battery fuses are smaller than the breaker rating then the AC breaker is just being used as an isolator. It could be changed for a knife switch but sometimes breakers are cheaper because they don't have as much copper in them as knife switches.

[Woolf 8,550]

Here is a battery disconnect switch

 

[thebob 18,260]

Here is a battery disconnect switch

 

 

The removable key is a very bad idea... if the red part is lost then you might as well not have it at all. 

[Woolf 8,550]

More of the same here   

 

https://www.google.dk/search?q=battery+disconnect+switch&espv=2&biw=1682&bih=1059&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj4-cn3xo_OAhUBJ5oKHZj4Bi8Q_AUIBigB#imgrc=FLCZ7XnGi-1-dM%3A

The removable key is a very bad idea... if the red part is lost then you might as well not have it at all. 

 

 

There is a hole in the key  you can attach is with some string

Picture from a rally car

 

Edited July 25, 2016 by Woolf

[thebob 18,260]

I'd still prefer a single piece. That design is intended for different orientations, using different keys.

 

I'd buy something like this.

 

 

As long as his battery is separately fused then the breaker he is using is fine.

Edited July 25, 2016 by thebob