I have a Heart Interface Model EMS 1800-12 Inverter/Charger on my 1990 Passage 42 and last weekend the charger stopped charging the batteries. When I arrived at the boat on the weekend, my house batteries were down to 10.5v. I am connected to shore power 120V A/C and use my inverter/charger to charge my gel batteries during the week. For batteries, I have two gel 8Ds as house batteries and a gel starting battery. When my Yanmar is not running, I isolate my starting battery by switching it off and running my electronics/other requirements on house batteries. For a load on the house batteries during the week, I run my 12V DC system refrigerator. I have the selector switch for the inverter switched to "All". When I crank my engine, the batteries will charge. Connected to dock power, I am showing 120V A/C into the system but the light on the HEART interface is not indicating charging. The charging light normally lights up after a day/weekend of sailing. The indicator does show a red low battery status light though. I have checked all the battery connections and fuzes. Can anyone suggest what the problem is?? I suspect the charging unit may have quit on me - since I am not the original owner of the boat, I suspect the interface unit may be 10-12 years old. If it has died, what do you recommend as a replacement? The normal electrical requirements away from the dock are refrigerator, microwave, coffee pot, sailing electronics, TV, stero, water system and electric toilets. I have wrote an e-mail to Heart Interfaces' Technical group but have not heard anything yet. Appreciate your help!!!! Bill
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heart system/P42
Bill, I don't have many ideas to offer - seems like you've done a good job of isolating the potenial input problems. If you haven't tried resetting the unit with the switch on the rear that might help. My system shut down once because the batteries were too discharged and I had to use an external charger to get them up high enough to get the heart to kick back in. It doesn't make sense to me that it has that 'self-destruct' mode but when I got the battery bank back up to a good float level the system worked fine. I now keep a small marinized charger in my dock box to run from the shore power to the battery bank. f that's your problem, you'll still have the challenge of figuring out the root cause of the discharge. I can offer a manual for the heart system if you need one - mine's a 1991 P42 and the system probably was the same or close. Email me or leave a post here and I can copy the manual and send it to you in the next few days.
Bill, I don't have many ideas to offer - seems like you've done a good job of isolating the potenial input problems. If you haven't tried resetting the unit with the switch on the rear that might help. My system shut down once because the batteries were too discharged and I had to use an external charger to get them up high enough to get the heart to kick back in. It doesn't make sense to me that it has that 'self-destruct' mode but when I got the battery bank back up to a good float level the system worked fine. I now keep a small marinized charger in my dock box to run from the shore power to the battery bank. f that's your problem, you'll still have the challenge of figuring out the root cause of the discharge. I can offer a manual for the heart system if you need one - mine's a 1991 P42 and the system probably was the same or close. Email me or leave a post here and I can copy the manual and send it to you in the next few days.
John, thanks for your suggestion on trying an external charger. I will try that. The weekend before had been very cold and I had ran a heater over that weekend - that may be my root cause of the battery drain. Yes, I had tried recycling the unit with the switch on the rear - did not help. Would appreciate a copy of your manual - our's did not come with one. My home address is 12180 Dapple Gray Court, Woodbridge, VA 22192. Let me know what expenses you have and I will gladly send you a check. Again, thanks!! Bill
Heart Breaker & Manual
1. Breaker: The Heart charger, at least mine, has a breaker built in that takes a LONG time to "reset" once it is triggered. What seems to trigger mine is not having any load when the charger is turned on. Haven't had this happen for a long time but when I arrived at the boat and connected the shore power (I leave the shore power disconnected from the boat when I'm not there), if I turned on the Heart before the batteries were turned on the Heart breaker would trip and it wouldn't work for what seemed like several hours. It seemed if the system was turned off for a sufficiently long time and then turned on again, properly, it would work. 2. Manual: Heart should be able to provide a copy of the manual. Mine is an older Freedom 10 and they had copies of it.
1. Breaker: The Heart charger, at least mine, has a breaker built in that takes a LONG time to "reset" once it is triggered. What seems to trigger mine is not having any load when the charger is turned on. Haven't had this happen for a long time but when I arrived at the boat and connected the shore power (I leave the shore power disconnected from the boat when I'm not there), if I turned on the Heart before the batteries were turned on the Heart breaker would trip and it wouldn't work for what seemed like several hours. It seemed if the system was turned off for a sufficiently long time and then turned on again, properly, it would work. 2. Manual: Heart should be able to provide a copy of the manual. Mine is an older Freedom 10 and they had copies of it.
Bill, Try To Re-boot The System
I had some problem with the unit and found that they recommended disconnecting the hot lead for 30+ seconds to reboot the system when it would not respond. BTW, mine turned out to be some damage to the board caused by some water corrosion evidently caused by my boat washer using a lot of water pressure and it came inside the wing locker and onto the top of the unit. I have since cut a dishwashing drain board to fit the top and protect it from run off. The technician was able to repair the board. One more thing... although I love my 2500, I don't love Heart's service. After leaving a message for their service dept, and sending two e-mails, and never getting a response, I wrote their VP Sales figuring they would have an interest on post-purchase issues. Never got a response from that either. Anyway, despite the system's merits, that experience would make me think twice about buying one again. Rick D.
I had some problem with the unit and found that they recommended disconnecting the hot lead for 30+ seconds to reboot the system when it would not respond. BTW, mine turned out to be some damage to the board caused by some water corrosion evidently caused by my boat washer using a lot of water pressure and it came inside the wing locker and onto the top of the unit. I have since cut a dishwashing drain board to fit the top and protect it from run off. The technician was able to repair the board. One more thing... although I love my 2500, I don't love Heart's service. After leaving a message for their service dept, and sending two e-mails, and never getting a response, I wrote their VP Sales figuring they would have an interest on post-purchase issues. Never got a response from that either. Anyway, despite the system's merits, that experience would make me think twice about buying one again. Rick D.
Try To Re-boot The Sys
Rick, thanks for your suggestion - I will try it. I pulled up Heart's web site at www.heartinterface.com and printed off a technical note of how to reset the EMS Series. I agree with your comment on Heart - I've wrote them two e-mails and a phone message and have heard nothing. That's why I put it out on HOW. Again, thanks! Bill
Rick, thanks for your suggestion - I will try it. I pulled up Heart's web site at www.heartinterface.com and printed off a technical note of how to reset the EMS Series. I agree with your comment on Heart - I've wrote them two e-mails and a phone message and have heard nothing. That's why I put it out on HOW. Again, thanks! Bill
Corporate Changes
Guess I feel privileged. A couple years ago I took my inverter over to have it checked and got a personal tour of the whole operation by one of the R&D engineers, including the manufacturing process. It was really, really interesting. At the time I was using the red LED control panel and they were just coming out with the yellow LED panel. Got to tell the folks at my local West Marine store some inside scoop that Heart was coming out with a new panel - took about six months for our WM to get it. If I recollect this properly: Recently Heart Interface (south of Seattle), along with another big-name inverter company, has been acquired by, I believe, by Trace (north of Seattle). Perhaps this is why things are different. During an acquisition or merging process there is more effort expended on getting companies in sync with each other, and, the financial people probably want to reign in expenses to improve the bottom line. Just a guess.
Guess I feel privileged. A couple years ago I took my inverter over to have it checked and got a personal tour of the whole operation by one of the R&D engineers, including the manufacturing process. It was really, really interesting. At the time I was using the red LED control panel and they were just coming out with the yellow LED panel. Got to tell the folks at my local West Marine store some inside scoop that Heart was coming out with a new panel - took about six months for our WM to get it. If I recollect this properly: Recently Heart Interface (south of Seattle), along with another big-name inverter company, has been acquired by, I believe, by Trace (north of Seattle). Perhaps this is why things are different. During an acquisition or merging process there is more effort expended on getting companies in sync with each other, and, the financial people probably want to reign in expenses to improve the bottom line. Just a guess.
Corporate Changes
John, don't you hate it when that happens? Again, thanks for all of your help. Will try all of your suggestions and if they work, you'll have to come over to the Chesapeake Bay - I'll owe you a beer...or two.... Bill
John, don't you hate it when that happens? Again, thanks for all of your help. Will try all of your suggestions and if they work, you'll have to come over to the Chesapeake Bay - I'll owe you a beer...or two.... Bill
What worked for me
I had that happen to me.. and also lost inverter power at the same time.. unplug your shore power and see if the inverter works.. What happended to was that some lightening entered the boat via the shore power cable..from a strike some distance away.. this blew a 1/2 amp fuze (about $4) located in the most difficult possible place in the unit.. once replaced .. everything worked fine.. For manuals suggest you simply download from their website (but recall you had to reach the web site via the site of the company that bought heart).. all of the manual were there in PDF format.. Good luck.. PS you might want to check the fuze from the alternator to the heart link.. if you using one.. if that fuze is out .. you will not be able to charge via the engine and may need to replace the interface unit... (about $150)
I had that happen to me.. and also lost inverter power at the same time.. unplug your shore power and see if the inverter works.. What happended to was that some lightening entered the boat via the shore power cable..from a strike some distance away.. this blew a 1/2 amp fuze (about $4) located in the most difficult possible place in the unit.. once replaced .. everything worked fine.. For manuals suggest you simply download from their website (but recall you had to reach the web site via the site of the company that bought heart).. all of the manual were there in PDF format.. Good luck.. PS you might want to check the fuze from the alternator to the heart link.. if you using one.. if that fuze is out .. you will not be able to charge via the engine and may need to replace the interface unit... (about $150)
Corporate Changes II
Just saw an ad in the back of Sail magazine that explains the corporate relationship: PROwat - is a modified sine wave inverter. Fredom Marine is a modified sine wave inverter/charger. PROsine is a true sine wave inverter/charger. Trace Sine Wave is a true sine wave AC output and has high surge capability for starting heavy inductive loads. The SW series provides for "soft starting" of air conditioning systems, something people living in other areas of the country might be interested in. It's been awfully darn cold here and I'm getting really tired if it all. Here it is almost May and the forcast yesterday was for the freezing level just a bit above sea level!!! Fresh snow on the Olympics down to the foot hills. All the above are under the Xantrex Technology Inc. corporate name. Xantrex is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia with additional facilities in Arlington, Washington and Livermore, California. (800) 446-6180; E-mail: marine@xantrex.com; www.xantrex.com
Just saw an ad in the back of Sail magazine that explains the corporate relationship: PROwat - is a modified sine wave inverter. Fredom Marine is a modified sine wave inverter/charger. PROsine is a true sine wave inverter/charger. Trace Sine Wave is a true sine wave AC output and has high surge capability for starting heavy inductive loads. The SW series provides for "soft starting" of air conditioning systems, something people living in other areas of the country might be interested in. It's been awfully darn cold here and I'm getting really tired if it all. Here it is almost May and the forcast yesterday was for the freezing level just a bit above sea level!!! Fresh snow on the Olympics down to the foot hills. All the above are under the Xantrex Technology Inc. corporate name. Xantrex is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia with additional facilities in Arlington, Washington and Livermore, California. (800) 446-6180; E-mail: marine@xantrex.com; www.xantrex.com
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