Do I Need a Solar Disconnect? (RV Solar Disconnect Switch)
Solar power is a good thing. It provides you with the extra power you need without costing you anything. The solar system is easy to set up and wire to your batteries. It just takes a little electrical know-how to get the system set up in a safe manner. That means adding a kill switch.
Do I need a solar disconnect switch? It is a good idea to install a solar disconnect switch when you have a solar power system providing extra energy for you. The disconnect switch allows you to control the flow of electricity plus, keeps you from using it when you are recharging the batteries.
Staying in control of your power supply is always a good thing to do.
To learn more about a solar power disconnect switch and its many uses, just continue to read our article. It has the information you need to know about so you can place your switch in the right spot. The location of the switch is everything in this situation.
Do I Need a Solar Disconnect?
The solar disconnect is a necessity if you want to protect your controller and battery. This way you can shut off the power when you need to shut it off. The reasons why you shut it off are up to you and there are some good legitimate reasons why you would do so.
However, when dealing with this type of topic, you will expose yourself to a variety of opinions and those opinions do not agree with each other. Some will get rather technical on you and while they may be right, they do not present their opinions in the best way possible.
Some of those opinions claim you need to put a fuse in your system to help the kill switch. In some cases, that is true as the fuse is needed to complete the circuit. Others will say that the fuse does not do anything and is a waste of time and money.
Still, others will say that you will need a fuse that will blow between the battery and the controller. This should protect against a short in the circuit when it happens. No matter how you look at it putting a disconnect switch on your solar panel system is needed it is just finding the right location for it that may be the problem.
How do I Disconnect my Solar Controller?
The very first thing you should NOT do is try to disconnect the controller while the system is live. With power still running through them, when you pull the connectors apart, you can arc the system and cause damage to the connectors, if not the entire system.
The best way to disconnect your controller is to turn the circuit breaker off between the MMPT charge controller and the battery bank. Then turn the MPPT controller off and then turn the circuit breaker between the solar panels and the MPPT charge controller off.
Once you have disconnected the system, you should also flip the panels over so that they are not drawing in any power or cover them with a dark material to prevent them from building up the electricity.
You also have to be careful when taking the connectors apart from each other. If the current is still live, you run the risk of hurting yourself. You want to be as careful as possible so that you do not injure yourself or harm your system.
RV Solar Disconnect Switch Options
There are several different styles of kill switches you can use. The one you pick will depend on your system setup and which switch you think will work the best with that system.
For example, there is a nice box switch with 4 sets of connectors running out of it. Then once you are hooked up, you just turn the dial to connector disconnect the system. Then, there is the old-fashioned knife-style disconnect switch.
This option is very basic and only has you raising or lowering the metal blade to make or break the connection. It is a very simple system but it may be vulnerable due to all the exposed metal.
The one that seems to be the most popular is a simple two positive wire set-up. The positive wire from the battery attaches to the switch, then a positive wire goes from the switch to the device.
Then the red knob on top is turned when you want to kill the power. Many different companies are selling this option over the other two. prices for the latter two are very low and reasonable. They do not reach $20 but the first one will cost you over $100 approx. but it may be the best one out of all your options.
12v Solar Cut Off Switch
There are a few of these switches around. One is made by Moes and it works on a 50A 5500-watt system. It can automatically switch to grid power when set up right. But it is fairly expensive to buy.
On the other hand, you will probably be using one of the switch options mentioned in the previous section. As long as you set up the switch properly, you should not have any trouble killing the power when you need it stopped.
Some people have advocated for 2 switches on your solar line. One switch stops the transfer of power to the battery from the panels while the other stops the flow of electricity from the battery to your devices.
This way you can recharge your batteries without causing any power drain. The other option is to stop charging your battery when it is full. Another style is a rocker switch where you just wire it into your system and press one side when you want to kill the power.
It is best to talk to an experienced electrician as to how you should set up your disconnect switches. That way, you should not have any problems and will be able to find the right one for the system you have.
Not everyone uses many solar panels on their RVs and you do not want to go with a switch that can’t handle the power.
Should a Solar Panel Disconnect Switch be Indoors or Outdoors?
For convenience sake, the switch should be indoors. Even though many switches may be waterproof, they may actually only be water-resistant. That means you have to be careful about where you place them outside.
A lot of moisture in the air can get inside and corrode key parts and ruin the switch. Some people place the switches outside due to how they look. This is not a very good reason for placing the switch in an inconvenient location.
For security, ease of access, and protection, it is better to have the switch inside your RV. You can find an out-of-the-way spot where it cannot be seen yet still easy to access when you need to get to it.
However, with this said, you really should check your state’s electrical regulations and laws to find the best answer for this question. Some regulations will stipulate which location is best and those regulations may differ between states.
Check with your local electricians to help you find the best spot that won’t become a hazard if the switch fails.
How do You Wire a Solar Disconnect?
When you do this, make sure any solar panels you have set up already are disconnected from the system. You do not want to give yourself a shock as you work.
Next, secure the switch’s box to the wall you want to install it on. Then put the breaker in place and make sure the breaker is switched to off.
Third, cut, strip, and crimp your incoming wires before connecting them to the breaker. Do the same for the outgoing wires on the bottom of the breaker. After that, you should tighten the wires using wire glands making sure those wires are not going to move on you.
Once that is done, place the outside cover on the breaker box. You can add more wire security if you want by attaching them to the wall with wire clips. Finally, attach the incoming wires to the panels and the outgoing wires to the charge controller.
The key to the installation is to make sure your disconnect switch has a larger electrical (amp and voltage) capacity than the amount of electricity you plan on running through the switch.
Some Final Words
While it may or may not be mandatory in some states, it is always a good idea to have a disconnect switch installed. This switch will help you control the flow of electricity and turn it off when you do not need it.
Plus, it helps you to avoid electrical accidents that can happen when you least expect them. Playing it safe is always the best route to take.
