Battery Charger Fan Noise

[mikenreg]

I have a xantrex truecharge 40 (yellow case) battery charger which has an annoying fan that comes on when it's in the float and absorb stages of charging. It's not sounding broken, it's just fairly loud for my small cabin and it seems to be running at only one speed -- fast. Is this amount of fan activity normal?

I would replace the charger if I could be assured that the new one would be quieter. Any suggestions? I also considered moving it to the some space under the settee.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, mikenreg.

You could try temporarily disconnecting the fan, and carefully monitor the charger temperature. If it never heats up, leave the fan disconnected.

[Stu Jackson]

Those chargers are very good. The newer Xantrex units have reportedly had fan run algorithm issues, but not yours.

Have you tried cleaning around the vents on the unit? Have you checked the output voltages to assure that the unit is still working properly? How hot is it where you are located?

[mikenreg]

I live in Seattle. Let's just say we don't have much of an issue keeping the boat cool. It's mounted in a well ventilated spot and the heatsink fins on the outside of the unit are never warm under any conditions. I'll try cleaning it out a bit see if that helps. I think the output voltages are correct for my battery type, but I'll double check.

[barnakiel]

Is the temp sensor working? Is it connected?

You can change the fans too - some are more noisy than others and they all tend to be getting more noisy overtime.

Or: place the charger in a different place.

Or: build a sound-proofing wall between the charger and the cabin.

b.