Sargent EC600 Handbook

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1 Introduction

This section of the handbook will guide you through the operation of the electrical system. All details
are correct at the time of going to press. Please also see the online version which will include any later
updates or amendments.

Further technical details are contained in section 3 or in the supporting technical manual available from

www.sargentltd.co.uk

For the safe operation of all electrical equipment within your Leisure Vehicle it is important that you
read and fully understand these instructions. If you are unsure of any point please contact your dealer
/ distributor for advice before use.

The system has a number of key components that you will need to be familiar with before attempting to
use the system, these are:

· The EC601, EC602 & EC651 Power Supply Unit (PSU) - a combined mains consumer unit
and 12V controller located in the bed box or upper locker.

· The EC620 Control Panel (CP) - a remotely located user control panel used to turn circuits
on and off and to display battery, water tank and other system information. This panel uses
simple straightforward controls and reliable data communication to the PSU.

EC600 Power Control System

· The PX300 Intelligent Battery charger 300W.

· The C44 Road Light Fuse Box - This small unit, which is unique to caravans, is located in

the front bed box. The unit houses fuses for the road lighting circuits and supplies from the
tow vehicle, and also has connectors for the optional alarm system and Automatic Trailer
Control (ATC) unit.

2 Using the System

2.1 Power Supply Unit - Component Layout

The PSU is located in the front offside bed box area in caravans, and in similar locations in
motorhomes.

Isolate

switch

12 Volt DC fuses

(under flap)

Reverse polarity

indicator

Residual Current

Device (RCD)

Charger

switch

Heating
System

switch

Miniature Circuit

Breakers (MCB’s)

RCD

Test

button

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2.2 Activating the System

The EC600 system has a shutdown feature that can be used when the vehicle is in storage. This
allows the leisure electronics to be turned off when not required to save battery power. When in the off
state the alarm and tracking system supplies are still active, all other supplies are turned off.

Before using the system please ensure the system shutdown switch is in the on position (button in) the
system is now active.

Note: if you plan to use the Swift Command remote features the system needs to be active.

2.3 Connecting to the Mains 230V supply and Safety checks

For your safety it is IMPORTANT that you follow these connections instructions each time your Leisure
Vehicle is connected to a mains supply. This section assumes that the system is complete and that a
Leisure battery has been installed (see 3.4).

A) Ensure suitability of the Mains Supply. Your Leisure Vehicle should only be connected to an

approved supply that meets the requirements of BS7671 or relevant harmonised standards. In
most cases the site warden will hold information regarding suitability of supply. If using a generator
you also need to comply with the requirements / instructions supplied with the generator. Please
note that some electronic generators may not be compatible with your leisure system. Further
generator operational information is contained elsewhere in this manual.

B) Switch the PSU internal Power Converter OFF. Locate the green ‘Charger’ power switch on the

PSU and ensure the switch is in the off position (button out) before connection to the mains supply.

C) Connect the Hook-up Lead. Firstly connect the supplied hook-up lead (orange cable with blue

connectors) to the Leisure Vehicle and then connect to the mains supply.

D) Check Residual Current Device operation. Locate the RCD within the PSU and ensure the RCD

is switched on (lever in up position). Press the ‘Test’ button and confirm that the RCD turns off
(lever in down position). Switch the RCD back to the on position (lever in up position). If the test
button failed to operate the RCD see section 3.18.

E) Check Miniature Circuit Breakers. Locate the MCB’s within the PSU (adjacent to the RCD) and

ensure they are all in the on (up) position. If any MCB’s fail to ‘latch’ in the on position see section

3.18.

F) Turn the PSU ON. Locate the black ‘Shutdown’ button and ensure it is in the on position (press

button in). Locate the green ‘Charger’ switch on the PSU and turn to the on position (press button
in). The charger switch will illuminate when turned on.

G) Check correct Polarity. Locate the ‘Reverse polarity’ indicator on the PSU and ensure that the

indicator is NOT illuminated. If the indicator is illuminated see section 3.18.

H) Check operation of equipment. It is now safe to operate the 12V and 230V equipment.

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2.4 Control Panel - Component Layout

Your control panel will have an appearance as below, but depending on your type of vehicle (caravan
or motorhome) the control panel features will vary. Not all features are present in all vehicles.

EC600 Control Panel

2.5 Control Panel Operation

Power Button. Press the power button to turn the leisure power on. Press the button
again to turn the power off. The adjacent LED will illuminate when the power is on, the
screen backlight will turn on and system information will be shown on the LCD display. To
avoid night time nuisance the LED and backlight will be turned off after a preset time, see
note below.

Menu Navigation Up Button. Use the menu up and down buttons to scroll through the
various functions. The menu operates on a continuous loop arrangement so you can go
up or down to reach all menu items. It is recommended to start in the down direction.

Menu Navigation Select Button. Use the select button make a selection or to change a
value or setting. This button is also used to select the display or toggle the display
information on many menu items.

Menu Navigation Down Button. Use the menu up and down buttons to scroll through the
various functions. The menu operates on a continuous loop arrangement so you can go
up or down to reach all menu items. It is recommended to start in the down direction.

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· Leisure battery, the leisure battery voltage and charging or discharging current is
displayed. Use the select button to toggle the display, with voltage on the main
display whilst current (in or out of the battery is shown on the bar-graph and vice
versa, current on the main display and voltage on the bar-graph.

· Vehicle battery, when connected the vehicle battery voltage and charging or
discharging current is displayed. Use the select button to toggle the display, with
voltage on the main display whilst current (in or out of the battery is shown on the
bar-graph and vice-versa, current on the main display and voltage on the bar-graph.

· Solar Power, the charging current from the solar panel along with the voltage of the
battery it is charging is displayed. Use the select button to toggle the display, with
voltage on the main display whilst current is shown on the bar-graph and vice-versa,
current on the main display and voltage on the bar-graph.

· Select Battery, press the select button toggles between the Leisure and Vehicle
batteries as the power source (or battery to be charged). The selected battery is
shown in the header area.

· Tank-Fill on/off, (Caravan Only) Turn tank fill on to start the external water pump
and to start transferring water from the external water container to the internal water
tank. Tank filling will stop when the onboard tank is full or if more than 7 minutes
have elapsed.

Menu

Tree

· Tank Heaters on/off, (Motorhome Only) this feature enables or disables the
automatic Fresh & Waste water tank frost protection system. Tank heating will start
when the tank level is 25% or higher and the external temperature is under 2 degrees
C.

· AC Limit, the AC current limiter, when enabled, will monitor the incoming AC current
and if the set limit is reached the 230V heating element within the heating system will
be temporarily turned off until the current falls below the set limit. Use the select
button to set the limit or to turn the feature off. The AC Limit icon in the header
indicated that a limit is set and will flash if the limiter is active. For this feature to
work correctly the Heating setting must be set to Timer so that the EC600 system
can control the heating system.

· Temperature & Humidity, Pressing the select button scrolls through the internal
temperature, internal humidity & external temperature readings. Please note that due
to the location of the internal temperature sensor there may be slight differences to
the temperature shown on the heating system. Further details can be found in
section 3.18.

· Dimmer %, this display shows the lighting dimming level and is adjusted in 5%
increments. The display commences where the level was last set. Press the select
button to increase the level up to 100% and then back down again to 5%. Pressing
the dimming button on the control panel immediately shows this dimming value.

· Heater Settings, this sub menu allow the heater controls and associated settings to
be adjusted. A full explanation of the controls can be found in the heater section.

· Air Conditioning Settings, this sub menu allow the optional air-conditioning controls
and associated settings to be adjusted. A full explanation of the controls can be
found in the aircon section.

· Fridge Settings, this sub menu allow the fridge controls and associated settings to
be adjusted. A full explanation of the controls can be found in the fridge section.

· System Settings, this sub menu allows a number of system features to be
configured like the Clock, Date, Key beep, Backlight time, LED time, Tank Alarms,
Bluetooth Pairing etc.

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Pump Button. With the power on, press the pump button to turn the water pump on.
Press the button again to turn the pump off. The adjacent LED will illuminate when the
pump is on and the level of the water tank will be shown on the screen.

Interior Lights Button. With the power on, press the lights button to turn the main
lighting supply on or off.

Light Dimming Button. With the power on, press the dimmer button to turn the dimmed
lighting on or off. Press the select button to adjust the dimmer level (the menu
automatically changes to the adjustment screen). The last setting is remembered.

Awning Light Button. With the power on, press the awning light button to turn the
awning light on or off. The Adjacent LED will illuminate when the awning light is on. The
awning light may also be controlled by the caravan alarm system or the motorhome
locking system.

Note, display illumination. The LCD back light will illuminate for the pre-set time (default time is 30
seconds) adjustable between 5 and 120 seconds. Setting the timer to 0 seconds will force the
backlight to be permanently on. The illumination of the blue LED’s adjacent to the power, pump &
awning light buttons can be configured in the same way as the backlight. The screen will wake up if
your hand is placed near the panel or if a button is pressed.

2.6 Operation while driving

The EC600 system is designed to shutdown parts of the system while the engine is running. This is to
meet Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) regulations and to ensure the safe operation of the
caravan or motorhome.

Please ensure the system shutdown switch on the PSU is in the on (button in) position before driving
(see 2.2). This will ensure the electronic system is active and will therefore be able to control the
charging process, supply the refrigerator and monitor other system circuits.

On motorhomes if / when fitted, designated 12V sockets, en-route reading lights and en-route heating
will remain operational while the engine is running.

With the engine running the screen will show ENGINE RUNNING, the leisure and vehicle battery icons
will be displayed to indicate they are being charged and the charging voltage will be show in the main
display.

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3 System Technical Information

The following section provides further technical information relating to the electrical system. You can
also access the supporting technical manual from www.sargentltd.co.uk

3.1 Residual Current Device & Miniature Circuit Breakers

Residual Current

Device (RCD)

RCD

Test

button

Miniature Circuit

Breakers (MCB’s)

The Residual Current Device (RCD) is
basically provided to protect the user from
lethal electric shock. The RCD will turn off
(trip) if the current flowing in the live
conductor does not fully return down the
neutral conductor, i.e. some current is
passing through a person down to earth or
through a faulty appliance.

To ensure the RCD is working correctly,
the test button should be operated each
time the vehicle is connected to the mains
supply (see section 2.3)

The Miniature Circuit Breakers (MCB’s)
operate in a similar way to traditional fuses
and are provided to protect the wiring
installation from overload or short circuit.
If an overload occurs the MCB will switch
off the supply. If this occurs you should
investigate the cause of the fault before
switching the MCB back on.

The following table shows the rating and circuit allocation for the three MCB’s

MCB Rating Output Wire Colour Description

1 10 Amps White 230V Sockets

2 16 Amps White (Yellow for heater) Extra 230V Sockets / Heating System

3 10 Amps

Black (Blue for Whale water

heater)

Fridge / Charger / Auxiliary devices /
Whale Water Heater

3.2 Generator Usage

Caution should be used before connecting a generator to your caravan or motorhome.

WARNING

Never start or stop the generator while electrical loads are connected and switched on. Start the engine, let
it stabilise and then connect the electrical load. When stopping the generator, disconnect the electrical load

and let engine stabilise before switching off.

Whilst some generators use electronic inverter technology, others use a more basic principle to
generate the 230V supply. Preference should be to choose a generator which produces a consistent
sinusoidal wave form with accurate voltage control.

The Reverse Polarity warning light on the PSU may illuminate when using a Generator. This is a
normal side effect when using some types of generator. Instead of connecting the neutral conductor to
earth, some generators centre tap the earth connection making both neutral and live conductors 110V
above earth. This 110V difference causes the neon polarity indicator to illuminate.

In most cases it is safe to use a generator, but please consult the generator handbook for further
information.

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