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evgis avatar image
evgis asked

Multiplus noise level

Hello.


I currently have a Mastervolt Chargemaster 12/50-3 which is mounted in a cabinet in the salon of my sailboat. I find it to be extremely noisy and the fan hardly ever shuts off even when floating.


As part of a larger upgrade I would like to switch to a charger/inverter which would eventually interface with new Victron LiFePo4 batteries and a VE. bus BMS. A major concern then is the noise level of the charger/inverter. My first choice would be the Multiplus Compact 12/1600, is anyone able to relate their experience with the noise level of this unit? My main concern is with the fan noise of the charger part, the inverter would be used only intermittently so I can tolerate some noise from that.


Another option could be the new Phoenix Smart charger which I assume is silent with no fans, combined with a Phoenix Compact inverter, but this unit is the same size as the Multiplus Compact so it would only be an option if it's much quieter than the Multiplus.





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moonlightrider avatar image moonlightrider commented ·

I have limited experience, but my Multiplus 12/800 makes some good noise when 'Bulk' charging and if some 'good' load are connected. Certainly not quiet.

Other than that, small loads and charger on Float or storage is almost silent (no fan noise)

Also depends on ambient temperature.

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Paul B avatar image
Paul B answered ·

These compact 12/1600 multiplus units are not very noisy at all as there fans are well placed inside the body of the unit.

the Fan is off most of the time except when you are using heavy loads or charging a full power, to help make them quieter you could get a quite fan and place it underneath the unit blowing the air up through it and then I dought the fan would ever come on.


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boekel avatar image boekel ♦ commented ·

In my experience the 'compact' units make more noise than the 'normal' ones, and the Multiplus II units make the least noise.

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evgis avatar image evgis boekel ♦ commented ·

Thanks everyone for the answers so far, the conflicting information isn't making it easy for me to choose though! I was ready to go for the Compact 12/1600 before Boekel's comment.. Anyone else personally using the 12/1600 who can comment on the noise level?

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Jesse avatar image Jesse evgis commented ·

I've been testing a new 12/1600/70 the last few days. When inverting the fan noise is okay, even testing out driving the van's microwave it wasn't that bad, comparable to the microwave anyway. Inverting 700W into a bar heater in a silent room its tolerable, ambient temperature around 15 degrees. Would get noisier as temperatures rise I expect, wouldn't call it quiet.

More annoying is the buzz I've been getting at low charger outputs during float and the end of absorption. It almost seems the lower the current gets the noisier it gets! There's no heat, fan isn't running. Just charging at low currents doesn't replicate it, its odd. Wouldn't leave it charging at night in a living quarter that's for sure.

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michel-dupuis avatar image
michel-dupuis answered ·

Hi, i can report from my side on a customer project using Multiplus Compact 12/2000, annoying fans noise with low or no load applied or charger. i discover the noise came from the fams itself, because when you stalled the impeller the pulsing noise came from there. I think the problem is that the PWM drive of the fan at low speed cause the noise. If one person from tech support can answer on that i think it’s possible and already do for another customer to stop fan with an external input on the multiplus to disabled fans in particular conditions with the Assistant within the VEConfigure. i read that couple of years ago, the solution is from an german integrator (Victron). Thanks for your feedback and help on that, i already receive from my distributor a replacement unit and have exactly the same problem


Michel

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pekkaj avatar image
pekkaj answered ·

Old thread, but I'll ask here. Can you do anything about the noise, other than build a box for it? I have multiplus II 3000VA and it makes buzzing noise all the time, even when doing nothing. When charging and fan starts, it's unbearable. I'm sensitive to noises so that's only my opinion.

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nickdb avatar image nickdb ♦♦ commented ·
Nothing can be done for the hum that is the large toroidal transformer doing its job.

For older multis, pre the fan improvement, you can ask the distributor to order a retrofit kit which will make the fan much quieter at lower rpm.

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sharpener avatar image
sharpener answered ·

Depending on how and on what your Multi is mounted you might still get an improvement to the transformer noise by (a) using rubber mounts between it and the wall and (b) damping any cabinet resonance with absorbent matting.

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