Battery question

[Dhilbe]

Still trying to figure out things on my new to us 2014 Dutchstar 4018. I was puttering around the coach and decided to disconnect the shore power. The fridge was on and the main living area lights. The Magnum controller showed a draw of 5A - expected because the fridge was on. Turned the fridge off and the draw dropped to 0A. Tuned the fridge back on and went about my puttering. About an hour later, I checked the batter percentage on the GoPower solar controller panel and it showed the batteries at 84%. The GoPower panel showed the batteries at 100% before I disconnected from shore power. The coach has 6 6V Matrix 225Ah batteries. Again, this is all new to me...but is the drop from 100% to 84% in about an hour normal? I plugged shore power back in and the GoPower controller showed the batteries back at 100% in about 15 minutes. I was hoping I could get through one night on batteries only.....but I’m questioning that now. Thank you, Dave

[vsheetz]

Being new to you having no history on the way the house batteries have been maintained - the batteries may be marginal. I would suggest to check specific gravity and do a load test. .

[Luv2go]

It could be the batteries and the tests Vince suggested above will definitely reveal that. Hydrometers to measure specific gravity are cheap and available at most auto stores.

However it sounds like to me that the GoPower is not a true coulomb-counting meter. Those will display the DC amps coming in and out of the battery and calculate a percentage remaining from that. The GoPower is probably making an estimate based on the battery voltage.

[Arch Hoagland]

Is it a residential refrigerator?

[Loren Rice]

another thing you mighty check is that since you switched from shore power you may have picked up some other load that was on ac power while hooked to the shore power. my motor home has a instahot water heater that will operate off the inverter if shore power is taken away. I always have to switch it off. Also my fridge has a 12v heater that can run if you have that --- its real power hog. In boon dock mode if it is not a residential fridge should be in the gas mode.
So you were checking the power flow from battery before removing shore power,--- now maybe if you haven't already done it I'd check for large unnecessary loads when shore power is disconnected and you are in boon dock mode.

hope this helps

[Dhilbe]

I should have mentioned....AGM batteries and a Maytag residential fridge.

["007"]

With your shore line or Gen operating you will be reading the charging voltages of the converter which can be between 13.5 -14.5 volts.