Alternator Output for House Batteries

[Barlow46]

Am on the road and Alladin is showing 45 amp output for house batteries. Generator is not running. When engine (isl400) is off and generator is on alladin is showing 48 amps charging. Xantex converter remote is showing bulk charge and after three hours of running generator, screen is showing 70% charged and will not go any higher. Menu default is set at 100%. Digital ohm meter is showing 13.4v at both the upper and lower battery bank with generator running. (8 battery bank). Before I pull all of the batteries and check specific gravity, would someone take a look at their alladin with the chassis engine running and tell me what they are seeing. Chassis batteries are charged. I am concerned that I may have a battery
problem that is creating to much of a demand on the engine alternator. Coach is an 05 dynasty, isl400, zantex 3000 modified sine wave, 8 house batteries. Thanks.

[Robi.1014]

Don't have an Alladin, but do have a thought for you.

Your "...and check specific gravity..." tells me your bank is wet cells. Given the continuous high-rate-of-charge that you're seeing, I'm thinking: dead cell in one of the batts. That dead cell (and/or the cells also in that battery) should be boiling its electrolyte while this charging is going on .... so much so that you might just be able to hear the boiling. Suggest using shore power (to keep things quiet) and listen intently.

[RJay]

Your charge rate is set for 100% but is your bank size correctly set? The house current is subtracted from your charge current, do you have high use?

[Barlow46]

Bank size is set to "auto" which takes a few series of discharges (after a power disconnect) to give you a correct reading as I understand it. I am presently parked, staying with friends, so there is no or very little use at all. Alladin says 1 amp discharge at times but usually "0". No shore power available at present location. Turned off generator after 3 hr. run and let everything sit. Went out a few minutes ago and alladin is showing battery bank is now 93% of full charge. Will wait until tomorrow and see what the reading is and then start up the generator again and see what input I get from the charger.

[Barlow46]

Ran generator today for 35 min. Charge rate stayed around 45 amps. Display from inverter shows 89% of full charge but did not change during the generator run. Guess it is time to pull the upper and lower bank and check each battery cell and see if I can tell what is going on.

[RCLImperial]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barlow46 Ran generator today for 35 min. Charge rate stayed around 45 amps. Display from inverter shows 89% of full charge but did not change during the generator run. Guess it is time to pull the upper and lower bank and check each battery cell and see if I can tell what is going on.

Sounds pretty much normal to me. I get similar results with my '04 Imperial and the Aladdin system. Getting the batteries to 100% takes a long time, because the charge rate drops off as you approach that level.

Dick Lucas, '04 HR Imperial

[Barlow46]

Took all 8 batteries out this morning after a 4 hr. generator run last night. 4 batteries in the lower tray showed ok on the specific gravity. 4 batteries in the top tray didn't show well on the hydrometer. I removed all 8 and took them into Dan at Just Batteries on the west side of Mooresville, NC. He is a trojan supplier. I also took in my 4.0 positive cables as I was seeing some slight corrosion just under the heat shrink. Dan load tested all 8 batteries and found 4 in good shape (2009 man.date) and 3 bad (2006 man.date) and 1 just on the borderline (2006date). I replaced all 4 in the top tray with new T105's Trojans. Dan also removed the heat shrink on my cables and cleaned the crimp area and put new heat shrink on. He sold me the T105's for $99.99 each plus tax. He did not charge me for cleaning up and putting new heat shrink on my cables. He was very meticulous with his work and his shop was very neat and clean. I would highly recommend him for anyone in the area. I installed the batteries this afternoon and cleaned up and painted the battery trays. When I turned everything back on, I started up the inverter and am now showing 95% charged. I started the generator and the charging amps are now down around 18-20 amps. I then turn off the generator and started the coach engine and noted the alternator charge was also putting out around 18 amps according to the Alladin. As I said in the first post, I was concerned initially about the high rate of charge showing on Alladin from the engine alternator. Thanks to all who posted suggestions.