Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a question for us on a Victron product?

You may find a quick answer below:

1. How can I find the serial number for my unit? For smaller items such as the Bluepower chargers, DC/DC converters, MPPT charge controllers the serial number can be found labelled on the reverse of the unit. For larger units (MultiPus & Quattro units) the serial number is on the inside of the unit behind the front panel. The front panel will need to be removed to access this.

1. How do I update my firmware? For SMART enabled items firmware can be updated through the VictronConnect app. For VE.Bus products updates can be done by downloading the VE Configure Tools software (free download from the Victron site). 

1. What is the difference between SMART and Non-SMART? When you see SMART related to a Victron product, this indicates the item is Bluetooth enabled and can be monitored/configured through the VictronConnect app.

1. What is the difference between the BMV units? BMV700 – This is the base model for batteries in the 6.5 – 95 voltage range and capacities from 1 – 9999 Ah. BMV702 - The 702 has the same features as the 700 with the addition of an auxiliary input. This can be used to measure the midpoint voltage of a second battery or temperature. BMV712 – Like the 702, the 712 also has an auxiliary input but with the addition of Victron’s smart technology which implements Bluetooth connectivity.

1. How do I size the correct battery charger for my battery bank? As a rule of thumb, we suggest the battery charger should be sized between 10 & 20% of the battery capacity.  Example: For a 12V 300ah battery bank a suitable sized charger would be between 30A & 60A.

1. How do I size the correct size inverter capacity for my application? When sizing an inverter, you need to consider both the peak power and continuous power. Peak power is the maximum power the inverter can supply (usually no longer than a second). Appliances such as compressors, AC units & pumps have a greater peak start up requirement than running power.  Continuous power is what the inverter supplies on a continuous basis. This could be the power required to run a microwave or all loads totalled up.

1. What is the difference between Isolated and Non-Isolated DC-DC converters? The isolated units have a separate, galvanically isolated input and output whilst the non-isolated units use a common negative return.  Also, the isolated units are adjustable in output voltage whereas the non-isolated units are fixed.

1. I have a lithium battery. Which Victron BMS would suite my application? For use with a VE.Bus MultiPlus and Quattro in the system you would require the VE.Bus BMS as this has the VE.Bus interface. The miniBMS can replace the VE.BUS BMS in certain applications and similar to the VE.Bus BMS has two outputs. Contact us to discuss your system and which BMS would be best.

1. How do I size my DC cable? Using the correct size cable is important and can only be determined once you know the currents in the system. To size the correct size cable for your system you can: Check the Victron product manual. Victron recommend cable sizes and the fuse size for their products in the manual/datasheet. Victron ToolKit App – This helps to calculate cable size and voltage drop. You can select Voltage, cable length, current, and cable cross section.