Solar Panel

[John Stevens]

If a solar panel is hooked backwards to a 12 volt battery, neg-pos pos-neg, will it drain the battery instead of charge it?

 

[capta]

Are you using a charge controller? I'd unhook them ASAP hoping no damage has been done. I believe they have diodes in the circuit which you'll need to check too, before hooking them up correctly.

 

[centerline]

no.. hooked up backwards they dont take power from the battery, unless something shorts out and draws it down. but you can do damage to the panel...

 

[John Stevens]

Thanks.

 

[mitiempo]

Do you mean solar panel or controller? What size panel?

 

[John Stevens]

It's just small 5 wt panel I keep hooked to a DC battery. The battery is always topped of nicely from the Florida sun but this time way down.