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Old 11-28-2015, 02:30 PM   #1
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Batteries charge drops fast!

Guys:

Batteries show full charge on monitor panel and 100% on inverter panel, but within several minutes of furnace blower being on, charge drops to 60% charged!

Is this normal?

After studying off furnace, charge returns to full within minutes.

Is there an issue?

Advise.
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Old 11-28-2015, 02:37 PM   #2
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If it comes back up it sounds more like a high resistance connection than the battery dropping.

I would be looking at the voltage at the center post of the batteries and at the outside of the connector to the post. Better might be measuring the voltage from the center of the post to the outside of the connector and to each side of the big disconnect relay. If you measure more than a couple tenths of a volt clean the contacts and check the cables.

BTW that is a good trick for checking connections. Measure from the stud feeding the power to the system to each point in the chain when under load. Any bad connection will have a measurable voltage drop.
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Old 11-28-2015, 04:52 PM   #3
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That's the symptom of an all-but-dead battery. Have you checked/added distilled water to the cells lately? An otherwise ok battery will act like that if low on electrolyte.
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Old 11-28-2015, 05:18 PM   #4
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Agree with previous inputs--if bats draw down but then recover, could be bats or connections. If bats stay up [50-60%soc] thru the night with furnace use--tend to think its a connection; if bats die quickly with routine furnace use, it might be the bats. You didnt mention number of bats or their age, or what else might be drawing 12v amps at the same time but bad connections or old bats are two possible causes.
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Old 11-28-2015, 06:46 PM   #5
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Added Distilled water just about 3 weeks ago. Batteries are also quite new?
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Old 11-28-2015, 07:09 PM   #6
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With load on and your indicator showing a low charge get your volt meter and measure battery voltage center of post to center of post.

If it reads low charge or same as indicator than battery issue.

If it reads full then connection issue.

Next measure center of post to terminal and that should read zero.

Report what you find.

Next measure gender of positive post to a shiny spot.
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Old 11-28-2015, 09:23 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TQ60 View Post
With load on and your indicator showing a low charge get your volt meter and measure battery voltage center of post to center of post.

If it reads low charge or same as indicator than battery issue.

If it reads full then connection issue.

Next measure center of post to terminal and that should read zero.

Report what you find.

Next measure gender of positive post to a shiny spot.
Good advice on the testing, but what does the sex of the post have to do with it? lol
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Old 11-29-2015, 05:42 AM   #8
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I just posted this link to a similar topic on the Class A MH section. Lots of information here on how to test and maintain your batteries. Batteries are not cheap and it's a good idea to know as much as possible to maintain them properly.

Pacific Power Batteries - About Automotive Batteries
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