Check Your Echo Charger

[huffypuff]

Recently went to check the condition of the batteries and found the starting batteries almost dead. I found that there is a digital echo charger made by Xantrex that quit working. Unfortunately if it get a little damp it will fail and is not repairable. It supposed to have a solid green LED light lit when charging, flashing means a fault exists and no LED means it is fried. I have another one coming and it will be here Friday.

I like to spray the batteries once a year with cleaner and hose off then coat the terminals with sealer so I may of caused it to a certain extent. Other cause is the batteries are in a area where salt spray can get to it and corrode it. I'm going to see if I can relocate it near the inverter where it stays dryer and has a fan and filters to keep it clean and cooler. I will keep you posted what I do.

[wolfe10]

Yes, locate it in a clean, dry area. Actually, anywhere that both chassis and house banks have connections close to each other.

[huffypuff]

The battery and inverter compartments is right next to each other with the echo charge on the wall next to the inverter compartment. There is less than a one inch space between the compartments with the battery wall metal and the wall near the inverter plastic fiber tub material. I can drill a one inch hole through the two walls and used grommets on the edges to prevent shorts. I should have enough wires to pull through to the dry inverter compartment and caulk to seal the holes.

That should put the echo charge in a cooler, clean, dry environment. The inverter compartment has a inlet vent that I added a filter to it such as used on a window A/C and a filtered exhaust fan that automatically kicks on if temperature gets high. I wanted to post pictures but it ask me for a url not the file.

[huffypuff]

I got the replacement echo charger this afternoon and replaced it tonight. I moved it to the inverter compartment by drilling a 1 inch hole through both compartment walls. One of original wire was short but the new wire for the chassis battery is longer so I swapped it out at the inline fuse. I protected the wires going through the walls with rubber grommets and sealed the inverter compartment with ribbon sealer.

I have 13.5 volts going to the house batteries and 13.1 volts going to the chassis batteries so I think it's good. I wonder why Monaco didn't put this in a dryer location in the first place?

This is a good upgrade for those that the chassis batteries don't charge when on shore power. There is only three wires to hook it up and easy instruction.