12 volt lights suddenly get brighter

[georgetown350]

For two consecutive nights we have noticed our 12 volt lights all of a sudden get brighter.
Has anyone experienced this? is this normal?
They dont flicker, they just get brighter as if perhaps they were to dim before.

Everything else works fine.

Steve

[georgetown350]

For two consecutive nights we have noticed our 12 volt lights all of a sudden get brighter.
Has anyone experienced this? is this normal?
They dont flicker, they just get brighter as if perhaps they were to dim before.

Everything else works fine.

Steve

[FC Ontario]

Are you plugged into a 110 volt outlet when you notice this? It may be just that the 110 volt electrical entrance climbs up to the maximum voltage and that would affect the inverter that powers the 12 volt light??

[Gary RVRoamer]

Is this momentary or do they get brighter and stay brighter for a lengthy period? The timing helps to pinpoint the possible cause.

What you are seeing is an increase in the 12v system voltage. One possible reason is that the converter/charger is under heavy load when trying to charge the batteries, which indicates a dead or shorted cell in the battery bank. It could also happen normally as the charger shifts from absorption charging to float charging when the battery charge is more-or-less complete. Another remote possibility could be that the voltage regulation in the converter is failing and allowing it to vary up & down.

[georgetown350]

Coach is plugged into shore power with 50 amp chord. When the lights get brighter they seem to stay bright. Arrived at campground Monday, noticed lights get brighter Tuesday night and this evening Wednesday.

The coach battery does seem to be weak in the sense that it cant handle a night of furnace while boondocking. The water levels are ok. Connections are good.

[Ray,IN]

You may have located this yourself. I would have the battery load-tested, clean all connections,etc. Most places, Interstate, Sears, will test for free. Most 12V systems depend on the battery to act as a filter between the charging source and the destination fixtures.

[Ken Lenger]

Some converters (Progressinve Dynamics) will increase the output voltage to 14.4 volts for 15 minutes once every 24 hours to prevent battery desulfication (sp). If everything else is working OK, that would be my guess.

[hamguy]

When you are on 120VAC shore power, your converter is supplying the 12V power. If your converter is a 3-Stage, e.g., Progressive Dynamics, it goes into a de-sulfate mode every day. It does this by cranking the voltage up to 14.5+. This only lasts for a few minutes.

[georgetown350]

Thanks guys. I learn something new everyday.

I will no longer worry about this bright light situation. I am purchasing a new battery anyways so either way im covered.

Thanks again and Merry Christmas

[jfb]

Could be that the furnace has been running, hogging the converter output. I've noticed that the bathroom fan noticably speeds up when the furnace shuts down and conversely.....

[Darryl]

During the cold winter months, my florescents start off a bit dim and get brighter as they start to warm up. This usually happens within 10 minutes, depending upon the inside temp. This is normal for this type of light.