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Old 01-07-2010, 12:16 PM   #1
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Suspect I killed my house batteries

I recently went on a cruise for 8 days, leaving my Newmar mh without shore power in direct Ft. Lauderdale sun. When I got back, my house batteries were dead (along with my fridge and freezer contents - ick!). Lessons learned - what I didn't realize and discovered after doing a bit of research is that I may have destroyed the batteries. I've made 3 moves since and the batteries are not charging on shore power or on the chassis battery. I called Newmar and they kindly and simply explained how the batteries are supposed to work and suggested I check water levels. I did that today and one cell of 12 (6 each on 2 batteries) was low. I know nothing about this, but I suspect this is not the problem. Have I committed battery murder or is one low cell enough to cause my problem? Please keep it simple. As exhibited, I'm battery knowledge challenged!
TIA for your help!
Dyana
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Old 01-07-2010, 01:16 PM   #2
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You can kill a battery by letting cell(s) go low on water for long periods. You can also kill a battery by continuous discharge for a long period. The two can be found together under the right (i.e. wrong) circumstances, or separately. Have the batteries tested at Kragen, AutoZone or NAPA.
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Old 01-07-2010, 01:48 PM   #3
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Give those batts a good with a batt charger and give them a try.
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Old 01-07-2010, 02:04 PM   #4
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Thanks guys - I'll take them in and see what the experts say - and hope I'm not buying new ones. Not being at all mechanically inclined, living full time in my mh has kept my learning curve at an interesting incline!
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Old 01-07-2010, 07:38 PM   #5
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JazzZen,

I am a full timer also, and whenever I leave for any length of time on any trips, I never disconnect my shore power. I will turn off the water however If I want to keep the refer going and the air conditioner on when the weather gets hot I always have power to the coach. I worry less about electrical problems than water problems. I usually have neighbors looking after things also.

Sorry about your batteries but letting a cell or two go dry or low will destroy a battery quicker than you think. Been there and done that, lesson learned. I installed a new bank of batteries 2 years ago, 4 - 6 volt ones and I have religiously on a monthly basis inspected all of them and have added distilled water to each of the batteries when needed.

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Old 01-08-2010, 08:26 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JazzZen View Post
Thanks guys - I'll take them in and see what the experts say - and hope I'm not buying new ones. Not being at all mechanically inclined, living full time in my mh has kept my learning curve at an interesting incline!
i cannot tell from your post what year and what type batteries and converter your moho has.
you can update your signature block with this info.
your batteries would benefit from an equalization, also called desulfation charge. some converters do that but most don't. separate charges are available to accomplish this. i use a schumacher charger for this purpose.

check these resources: read the first one first, last one 2nd.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - DC Battery Specialists
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
Electrical Tutorial
Deep Cycle Battery FAQ
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Old 01-09-2010, 06:22 AM   #7
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Red face

Quote:
Originally Posted by DAN L View Post
i cannot tell from your post what year and what type batteries and converter your moho has.
you can update your signature block with this info.
your batteries would benefit from an equalization, also called desulfation charge. some converters do that but most don't. separate charges are available to accomplish this. i use a schumacher charger for this purpose.

check these resources: read the first one first, last one 2nd.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - DC Battery Specialists
The 12volt Side of Life (Part 1)
Electrical Tutorial
Deep Cycle Battery FAQ
Thanks for the resources and advice! Still working on this, but will let you know how it works out.
The whole signature line thing is part of my current learning curve! I'm new to the forum and have a painfully slow internet connection right now, so the sig line is waiting until I can peruse without frustration!
Thanks again all!
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Old 01-09-2010, 09:59 AM   #8
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Some converters will refuse to charge batteries that are completly dead.. Likewise some battery control systems will refuse to allow the alternator to charge them.

Some will

Though the odds are that you have indeed totalled them and need to replace 'em (Consider six volt golf car battery pairs)

It does not cost much to hook up a "Dumb" automotive charger for a couple of hours and see what happens.. you might get lucky
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Old 01-10-2010, 05:53 AM   #9
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The end game? Dead - done - kaput - pushing up daisies. I took the batteries in yesterday and they were both history. I guess not having me around for 8 days was just too much for them :-) I replaced them with new (no golf cart batteries available in this small town) and will double check today to make sure they're taking a charge. But I have a feeling that things are fine now. Thanks again everyone for your guidance. I'm not much of a do-it-yourselfer, but it feels good to handle things myself when I can. Knowing you're there to ask if things go wrong helps a lot!
Dyana
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Old 01-10-2010, 07:46 AM   #10
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Hi Dyana,
Since you disconnected, transported and then reconnected the batteries, you are an official DIYer. Congratulations. Now you're just like the rest of us. No matter how long we've been RVing, every year there is something I am doing for the first time.
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Old 01-10-2010, 08:33 AM   #11
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Hi Dyana,
Since you disconnected, transported and then reconnected the batteries, you are an official DIYer. Congratulations. Now you're just like the rest of us. No matter how long we've been RVing, every year there is something I am doing for the first time.
WoooHooo! More initials to put behind my name! Usually I'm paying someone else to do things I've never done! Just a little puffy with the honor. . .
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Old 01-10-2010, 10:58 AM   #12
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I do hope the new batteries you installed are for deep discharging, and not just an automotive type battery.
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Old 01-10-2010, 01:14 PM   #13
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I do hope the new batteries you installed are for deep discharging, and not just an automotive type battery.
I love your name! How did we ever find time to work and to live too!?

While there is an embarrassing amount of specific knowledge I don't have, I know enough to know I don't know - and when it's important enough to get good answers. This was one of those cases - not only did I get excellent advice from the generous folks on the forum, but from the kind (and very patient) folks at the auto parts store.
Thanks for your concern.
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Old 01-10-2010, 01:27 PM   #14
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Do any of you believe in putting a small amount of mineral oil in each cell? I have seen it mentioned in some posts. Less maintenance and less gassing? Curious.
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