|
|
12-24-2019, 03:52 PM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 25
|
House batteries bad?
So I replaced my house batteries about a year and a half ago with Interstate batteries and they all read dead with hygrometer and run down in a matter of minutes when disconnected from shore even after being connected to shore for 2 days. When disconnected from shore, they read 5.8 volts on meter at the terminals. When connected to shore, they read 6.8, so they should be charging. When stored (which is most of the time) I have a knife switch that disconnects them from the RV electrical system. Is it likely for all four to go bad at the same time. Always worked fine up until this time.
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
12-24-2019, 04:46 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,529
|
It's possible they could go bad at the same time but not usually. I'd be asking myself what happened recently....was the switch left closed with a large parasitic load going in the coach? What else was changed/added or done differently.
For now- try to get the batteries back up with an external charger- see if they'll accept the charge. If not, one or more cells are open. This is a start. try it and see what the next step will be.
__________________
2008 Winnebago Sightseer 35-J
|
|
|
12-24-2019, 04:48 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,569
|
Are these 6 or 12 volt batteries?
__________________
1996 Tioga Class C
2007 Monaco Diplomat 40 PDQ
TOAD 2012 Cadillac SRX 4
|
|
|
12-24-2019, 05:11 PM
|
#4
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 35,349
|
Were they fully charged when you disconnected them ?
Did they sit discharged and then freeze ?
|
|
|
12-24-2019, 05:13 PM
|
#5
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,529
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by okcnewbie
Are these 6 or 12 volt batteries?
|
Yes, I guess this would be a logical first question!
__________________
2008 Winnebago Sightseer 35-J
|
|
|
12-24-2019, 05:19 PM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 4,569
|
It appears there are probably 4 six volt batteries that all went low and are probably needing replaced. After replacing make sure the charger is working correctly and don't let the new batteries get low on water.
__________________
1996 Tioga Class C
2007 Monaco Diplomat 40 PDQ
TOAD 2012 Cadillac SRX 4
|
|
|
12-24-2019, 07:52 PM
|
#7
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 25
|
Battery problems
They are 6 volt batteries, All were 100% charged when disconnected. They were disconnected, no access to parasitic loads. I always disconnect them and they typically drop 3% to 5% per month. Not sure what happened here, but maybe a cold spell got them. They may have set discharged, but I don’t understand why they discharged. Hooking to shore power charges them but they dump their load in 10 minutes. Looks like bad cells. Wierd that they would all go out at the same time being only 1.5 years old. Oh well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fordphares
So I replaced my house batteries about a year and a half ago with Interstate batteries and they all read dead with hygrometer and run down in a matter of minutes when disconnected from shore even after being connected to shore for 2 days. When disconnected from shore, they read 5.8 volts on meter at the terminals. When connected to shore, they read 6.8, so they should be charging. When stored (which is most of the time) I have a knife switch that disconnects them from the RV electrical system. Is it likely for all four to go bad at the same time. Always worked fine up until this time.
|
|
|
|
12-24-2019, 09:00 PM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Forest River Owners Club iRV2 No Limits Club
Join Date: Jun 2017
Posts: 1,054
|
Battery tester
I would disconnect them from one another and then charge each one separately. You may just have one bad battery. I bought a battery load tester to test my house batteries. https://www.harborfreight.com/100-am...ter-61747.html
This works good and can save time and hassle of taking them to a battery store to have the same thing done. I use it before every trip to check out both chassis and house batteries.
|
|
|
12-25-2019, 01:01 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: SoCal
Posts: 15,749
|
Charge -> check specific gravity -> equalize -> check specific gravity again. Typically should see an improvement and increased cell to cell consistency.
__________________
Vince and Susan
2011 Tiffin Phaeton 40QTH (Cummins ISC/Freightliner)
Flat towing a modified 2005 Jeep (Rubicon Wrangler)
Previously a 2002 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 37A and a 1995 Safari Trek 2830.
|
|
|
12-25-2019, 06:40 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2019
Location: Meshoppen, PA
Posts: 1,997
|
Yes . As suggested. Test each individually
|
|
|
12-25-2019, 02:12 PM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
Winnebago Owners Club Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 2,529
|
If charging is successful- then find the big loads that are drawing the batteries down. I find that it's a good 2 person job. One person looks at the meter while connected to the battery bank. The other pulls fuses- one by one. The person at the batteries monitors voltage drop each time a fuse is pulled. Make sure you are checking one at a time- replacing each fuse as you check the next. In your case, a 2 or 3 volt drop on one circuit should show you where the main problem is. Your knife switch- if installed properly and used properly should have prevented this event in the first place.
__________________
2008 Winnebago Sightseer 35-J
|
|
|
12-25-2019, 03:02 PM
|
#12
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 65
|
Alright, so I think I may have a bad battery. I’m seeing 13.8 on the batterIes the solar is connected to. The battery that’s the last line, connected to the coach, has a ton of corrosion buildup on the terminal. It’s like greenish white solidified foam on the top. Weeks back the couch got left on not on shore power so I’m guessing I toasted a battery or two
|
|
|
12-25-2019, 03:03 PM
|
#13
|
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 2,392
|
When you use the batteries, how far down do you usually discharge them? The lower you discharge them during use, the fewer charge/discharge cycles you will get out of them. General recommendation for flooded cell batteries is to not discharge to a state of charge less than 50%. There are charts available to show the state of charge based on battery voltage.
__________________
Richard
1994 Excella 25-ft (Gertie)
1999 Suburban LS 2500 w/7.4L V8
1974 GMC 4108a - Custom Coach Land Cruiser
|
|
|
12-25-2019, 03:03 PM
|
#14
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 65
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by puttin
If charging is successful- then find the big loads that are drawing the batteries down. I find that it's a good 2 person job. One person looks at the meter while connected to the battery bank. The other pulls fuses- one by one. The person at the batteries monitors voltage drop each time a fuse is pulled. Make sure you are checking one at a time- replacing each fuse as you check the next. In your case, a 2 or 3 volt drop on one circuit should show you where the main problem is. Your knife switch- if installed properly and used properly should have prevented this event in the first place.
|
Thanks: this is with no load at all. Pretty sure I have a bad battery or several.
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|