Rutland ESS 400 Solar Energiser - Numpty question!

[Tarragon]

I am embarrassed to post this as I feel a bit stupid!
I have bought one of these and it came with no instructions, apart from a few photos on the box. It said that the battery must be charged before use but it doesn't say how to, but it did say needs at least 12 hours to do this, and I left it "charging" (or so I thought!) for 24 hours before attaching it to my fence.
When I use it I get a blue flashing light and a red flashing light. I have now discovered that the red flashing light indicates low voltage warning and I think that I didn't charge the unit up first properly.
Luckily, my ponies are scared of any electrical fencing and still respected it and stayed put.
I have two questions, if you clever HHO's can help me out:
1. What do I have to do to charge it up?
2. Have I damaged it in any way by attaching it to the fence when it didn't have sufficient charge?

 

[PurBee]

I’ve just had a look at that unit, and as its an all-in-1 design, and comes with a charger, its a simple design.
As you’ve charged it and its flashing red low voltage, its likely there’s a bad wiring connection within the unit.
Unless you forgot to flick the plug switch on to charge it?!
If you know for sure your plug was on and you left it charging over 12hrs and its still showing low, i’d ask for a replacement unilt.

You wont damage it by connecting it to the line to try to use it. If there’s insufficient power it simply wont work.
It sounds like youve got a defective unit.
Not unusual these days as much of the wiring boards are pre-made in china, and OH regularly takes apart new electrical items and re-solders the loose wires - the latest device being a brand new small (good brand) welder!

I’d ask for a replacement of your unit.

 

[Tarragon]

Well that is a relief to know that I haven't damaged it!
As you suspected, I was guilty of not switching it on to charge it
I worked that out and have now had it charging properly (I think!) for 24 hours (as in switched on and earthed but not connected to any fencing) and I am still getting both lights flashing. Will the red light stop flashing when it is charged? Sorry to be so pathetic, I am normally quite intelligent and understand most written instructions with a bit of effort, but I haven't found any instructions to read!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

Not an experienced energiser user!!

I'd worry that not having instructions might suggest the unit has already been sold and returned.

I googled and there is a really good YouTube instructional video which explains you remove the back plate, remove the battery, charge the battery for 12+ hours using the charger then put the battery back in the energiser, connecting red to red and black to black, reattach the backplate and turn it on. A green light flashing shows a happy, ready to go energiser.

 

[PurBee]

Well that is a relief to know that I haven't damaged it!
As you suspected, I was guilty of not switching it on to charge it
I worked that out and have now had it charging properly (I think!) for 24 hours (as in switched on and earthed but not connected to any fencing) and I am still getting both lights flashing. Will the red light stop flashing when it is charged? Sorry to be so pathetic, I am normally quite intelligent and understand most written instructions with a bit of effort, but I haven't found any instructions to read!

The red low voltage light should stop flashing when its getting more fully charged. Its ridiculous you havent got instructions with it. Maybe orangeandlemon is right that its been returned before? Even the most basic electrical gadgets tend to come with multilanguage badly-translated-from-chinese instructions!

Usually units are flashing while charging and then when fully charged the blue light should stay fully on, not flashing.
If after this charge session the lights continue to flash, and it doesnt work on the fence, the charger wiring connections likely are dodgy. Send it back, ask for another.

Some units are sealed with glue and sunken screws - other units are just easy screw-off one side to get inside and check connections - BUT the small print of ‘warranty’ usually states the warranty is void if any repairs are undertaken by anyone other than their staff, or persons not agreed by them.
If youre not good with electrical fiddling, and it continues to not work, just send it back untouched to avail of the natural consumer law warranty, and request a replacement - its often easier.

Hopefully as youve now got it switched on to charge, it’ll work fine.

 

[Tarragon]

Yes, thank you, I think that is good advice. We have at last had a lovely sunny day, so if it doesn't work after this I think it must be faulty.
As you say, you normally get instructions covering 40 pages in 30 languages! Even if then all it does say is use the "on" switch to get it to work

 

[PurBee]

P.s - i think when you first connected it up you had both lights flashing because the battery was low, and also the blue light indicating its charging the battery from the sun using the solar panel.

An electric fence tester hand device is good to have to test the energisers are throwing out the required voltage. Use it right next to where you have it connected to your fencing, see what voltage you get, and use it further away to see if theres any drop in power.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Yosoo-Health-Gear-Electric-1000V-10000V/dp/B0BVLST59Y/ref=sr_1_44?keywords=Electric+fence+tester&qid=1698247581&sr=8-44

 

[Tarragon]

I only realised something was wrong when I would get there early in the morning (7am) and there were no lights at all on the unit, and I thought I must check this out before I go, but by the time I was leaving both lights were flashing again and I thought it was ok! It was only when I thought it through and realised that the unit was only working when there was enough light to charge the battery just sufficient to start charging... doh!
The box does say that it has pulse indicator and a low voltage indicator, so I thought that a pulsing blue light and no flashing red light means it is charged. Difficult to say!
I think I will take it back to the shop and say that it was charged and not working and I would like a replacement.... with instructions!

 

[Tarragon]

Well, would you know!
I took it back to the shop, and they asked me if I had submerged it in water, and I said I hadn't.
They looked at it, then they took the back plate out off and low and behold, there was a tine page of instructions, folded away and tucked up above the battery, on how to connect the battery! Problem solved
They said I wasn't the first person falling foul of this, which did make me feel a bit better.
Battery now connected, and the unit is sitting outside trying to grab whatever minimal sunshine there is on this wet day, and I have a green light

 

[Tarragon]

Not an experienced energiser user!!

I'd worry that not having instructions might suggest the unit has already been sold and returned.

I googled and there is a really good YouTube instructional video which explains you remove the back plate, remove the battery, charge the battery for 12+ hours using the charger then put the battery back in the energiser, connecting red to red and black to black, reattach the backplate and turn it on. A green light flashing shows a happy, ready to go energiser.

I think you were right all along! I was just a bit confused about the phrase "using the charger" as I didn't think I had one (it is the sun!) and I hadn't realised you could charge the battery by plugging it in. You live and learn

 

[PurBee]

Well, would you know!
I took it back to the shop, and they asked me if I had submerged it in water, and I said I hadn't.
They looked at it, then they took the back plate out off and low and behold, there was a tine page of instructions, folded away and tucked up above the battery, on how to connect the battery! Problem solved
They said I wasn't the first person falling foul of this, which did make me feel a bit better.
Battery now connected, and the unit is sitting outside trying to grab whatever minimal sunshine there is on this wet day, and I have a green light

How daft is that for them to put the instructions inside the unit! Very glad you got sorted in the end

 

[Tarragon]

How daft is that for them to put the instructions inside the unit! Very glad you got sorted in the end

Me too!

 

[Tarragon]

Left the battery plugged into the charger in the house since yesterday, attached it to the fence this morning and have a lovely reassuring green light and it went off the scale when I used the electric fence voltmeter gadget to check
One of the poor ponies checked the fence this morning with his nose and must have leapt back 10 feet!
It works