2.2 Amp drain with battery switch OFF?

[Tireman9]

When I was connecting battery in prep for the season I noted a strong spark.
I then measured 2,24 Amp battery drain even with the battery switch Off.

Does this mean the switch is defective or that there was a mistake in the wiring?

2.2 Amp is enough to kill a battery pretty quickly. Only reason the battery lasted it's first few months was I have installed my own battery disconnect switch.

2016 Coachmen 22QB Chevy chassis, 3350 miles

[BFlinn181]

Check that any TV antenna booster is off, and any compartment lights. You could also try pulling one fuse at a time and watch the ammeter to find out what's causing the drain. Your LP gas detector is probably always connected, also radio memory and clock. Those are some of the things I've encountered draining my house batteries.

[wanderso]

Is your LP tank a manual valve or an electric solenoid valve? A prior RV I had was electric and that alone drew 1 amp when turned on.

[Tireman9]

Thanks for the replies. I understand the suggestions to look for some item left "on"

I guess I have to wonder what the battery switch Coachmen installed as standard equipment is connected too?

I thought it was a battery disconnect switch but maybe it only disconnects some items in the coach and leaves others on.

Does anyone know what the switch is suppose to control?

[dpinvidic]

Do you have an inverter?
Mine in connected directly my batteries, so with the disconnect switch off, my remote display fir the inverter was still on. The inverter drew about 1.1 amps even ghough ig was off.

Take a look at you battery compartment to see if any small wires areconnected BEFORE the disconnect switch.

Dan

[BFlinn181]

The battery disconnect switch is a solenoid. It must have power to open and close, so that's one item that must be wired directly. In addition, radio and ECU memory, LP detectors, and other devices are often wired directly instead through the disconnect.

[dpinvidic]

Originally Posted by BFlinn181

The battery disconnect switch is a solenoid. It must have power to open and close, so that's one item that must be wired directly. In addition, radio and ECU memory, LP detectors, and other devices are often wired directly instead through the disconnect.

The solenoids for this are "Latching" , so they only get power when they have to toggle to the opposite position.

Regards,

Dan

[Old Scout]

Some things like inverters, starter relays, starters, etc are wired directly to the bats, by-passing the cut-off switch. Some inverters have a "hibernate" mode that kills most draws--reduced my draws to alsmost zero while in storage, off the grid....otherwise, adding a manual blade cut-off switch will insure total disconnect....

[BFlinn181]

Originally Posted by dpinvidic

The solenoids for this are "Latching" , so they only get power when they have to toggle to the opposite position.

Regards,

Dan

That is true, but they must be wired around a disconnect switch. If they were wired to be shut off with the disconnect switch, you wouldn't be able to turn them on again! I wasn't suggesting the relay required vast amounts of power, just that it is one of a number of things that aren't disconnected with the disconnect relay.

[rag_ftw]

Originally Posted by dpinvidic

The solenoids for this are "Latching" , so they only get power when they have to toggle to the opposite position. Regards, Dan

I don't think they all are latching. Mine was always very warm to the touch. I assume it was using power to "stay latched".

[twinboat]

I'm willing to bet that most disconnect relays ( solenoid ) are not latching.

The are normally open and close when power is applied to the coil.

There will be no draw from them, when open ( disconnected ), because the closing coil will not have power past the switch.

They are not a phantom draw.

[bearaboo]

I put a disconnect switch on my house battery so that there is absolutely no power to the unit

[Old-Biscuit]

Many items bypass a battery disconnect switch and are wired directly.

One only needs to check wires connected to battery pos post and which wires do not go to disconnect.

Then you need to ID what those wires feed.
Then you can hook a meter between those wires one at a time and the battery pos post to see which one is heaviest draw or if it is a accumulation of all those------parasitic drain

[dpinvidic]

Originally Posted by rag_ftw

I don't think they all are latching. Mine was always very warm to the touch. I assume it was using power to "stay latched".

On my sons Bounder, his AUX Start relay would also engage when on shore power, and yes, it was warm because the coil was energized and it was tying house & chassis batteries together for charging.

However, his battery disconnect switches were two small momentary rocker switches on a panel above the door. They had a center "OFF" position.

The latching relays on his coach were only energized momentarily to change the latching relay.

the way to tell is to count the number of "SMALL" terminals on the relay.
A regular relay will have two, a latching relay will have three ("turn on" & turn off", & gnd).

Some coaches may use a continuous duty relay, but that would sure be a waste of power...

Dan