Sudden Voltage Drain. December 04, 2013, 04:34:27 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143920As a result of restoring a wooden 19 ft sail boat, I have not been active on this site for a while. With project completed I have to do some upkeep on my 2001 26-1/2 ft mid-bath Lazy Daze with the following sudden problem lately. My Lazy Daze is equipped with 4 ea. 6 volts golf cart batteries which have been working great for years beside replacing these periodically. Lately, when in storage the batteries drain to the point that when the solar start charging again in the morning the dash radio start playing. At that time my batteries show 12.3 @ 12.4 volts on the Controller (Heliotrope RV-30S0 which came from the factory this way. I have removed all 12 volt fuses with the intend to trace which circuit could be having a short. None so far and the voltage drain is still in effect. Any suggestions from from the group. With you help and suggestions I like to resolve this myself. You can call this personal pride or anything you like. I am looking forward to suggestions. Thaks.
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain. Reply #1 – December 04, 2013, 05:19:15 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143924This is kind of problem is easier, sometimes much easier, to determine with a clamp-on DC amp meter, like this one from Sears for $51: http://www.sears.com/craftsman-digital-clamp-on-ammeter/p-03482369000PYou can't beat a clamp-on DC amp meter for working on batteries! Besides measuring AC and DC amps by clamping on around the wire, it measures AC/DC volts, temperature with a thermocouple, capacitance, and frequency. I just ordered one for the motorhome.Eric wrote, On 12/4/2013 2:34 PM:
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain. Reply #2 – December 04, 2013, 05:38:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143926Thanks Eric, I just was looking at some this morning. However, I bought instead a Craftsman Compact Multimeter 82141 for $ 25.06 also at Sears. I'll follow your advice and get the clamp-on DC amp meter which you suggested.Aad
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain. Reply #3 – December 04, 2013, 06:55:46 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143928"when in storage the batteries drain to the point that when the solar start charging again in the morning the dash radio start playing. At that time my batteries show 12.3 @ 12.4 volts..."A classic demonstration of why voltage readings tell you next to nothing about the state of your batteries. The voltage you're seeing in that situation is coming from your solar panels, not your batteries. If you covered the panels, the indicated voltage would probably drop quite a bit.But even that reading wouldn't tell you the batteries' true state of charge, because they slowly float up and down as charging power and loads are added and removed. You have to let them sit for at least half an hour with no inputs or outputs--no charging and no devices drawing current--before you can get a meaningful voltage reading.In short, you can't really know where you stand unless you have a computerized battery monitor (e.g., LinkLite). You can guess that your batteries aren't holding a charge well, or that you have a drain somewhere, but you don't really know what's going on. If you had a battery monitor, you could look at its readout and say, "Oh, I have 1.5 amps going out. That sounds like a light left on," or "Wow--I have a 30 amp drain! That has to be the refrigerator running on battery power."But I understand that you'd like to troubleshoot this problem now, rather than wait until you can install a battery monitor. :-) Here are some possibilities.First, you don't have a short. If you did, you wouldn't be seeing a slow drain--you'd be seeing a blown fuse.Second, you'll need to turn off the solar charging system to make any sense of the readings you get. If necessary, pull its fuse to ensure that it's not affecting the battery voltages.Have you checked the electrolyte level in each battery cell? The most common reason for not being able to hold a charge is low fluid levels.Have you used a hydrometer to check the charge state of each cell? If one is significantly different, you have a bad cell, in which case that battery must be replaced.Is the dashboard radio being left on overnight? (your mention that "in the morning the dash radio start playing" suggests it has.) If so, that'll drain your batteries.Is anything else plugged into the dash? GPS? ScanGauge? I know those outlets are supposed to be powered by the engine battery, but they could have been rewired at some point. Unplug anything there, just in case.What about the CB radio, if you have one?Have you walked through the rig at night and checked all lights to be sure they're off? You mentioned pulling all the 12V fuses, which should eliminate this possibility, but maybe you missed one.What about the water pump? Signal booster for the TV antenna? Satellite receiver, if any?If you have an inverter, is it shut off?I'm just trying to mention as many possibilities as I can think of. Others here will undoubtedly think of more.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain. Reply #4 – December 04, 2013, 07:18:42 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143929Hi Andy, When I mentioned storage I was referring to just overnight storage at our home park. During the daytime the solar is putting out 5 amps during the middle of the day. We live
Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #5 – December 05, 2013, 11:46:57 am Yahoo Message Number: 143949I must have a major short somewhere. Yesterday I charged my batteries over the converter to 13.0, shut the converter off overnight and this morning I had a reading of 11.9 on the controller. As I mentioned before I left all the circuit fuses out. Any suggestions where to look? Any comments are welcome to me. Thanks.Aad Rommelse
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #6 – December 05, 2013, 12:11:51 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143950How about the batteries themselves? How old are they?Dick
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #7 – December 05, 2013, 12:12:16 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143951Aad, Look to the batteries themselves. I'll bet you have a shorted cell. Check the voltage of each battery individually with everything disconnected. Bet one of them is quite low. May be time for new ones.Rich
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #8 – December 05, 2013, 01:18:09 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143954Dick and Richard, Although I have not checked each battery individually I do check the water level regularly. The cells are well-covered at this time. Although one never knows but they are approximately 9 months old. What I was thinking about doing next is to disconnect the three solar panels from my bank of 4 ea 6 volts batteries and charge the batteries again via the converter. Any other suggestions. I am always open for advice and learn something.Aad
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #9 – December 05, 2013, 01:28:13 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143955Aad wrote:QuoteAlthough I have not checked each battery individually I do check the water level regularly. The cells are well-covered at this time. Although one never knows but they are approximately 9 months old. What I was thinking about doing next is to disconnect the three solar panels from my bank of 4 ea 6 volts batteries and charge the batteries again via the converter. Any other suggestions. I am always open for advice and learn something. Ok, my advise is to take the advise of previous posters and check your batteries individually. But not for voltage, that doesn't tell you much. Use a hydrometer on each cell. Look for a cell that has a reading significantly different from the other cells. Tom
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #10 – December 05, 2013, 01:53:33 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143956Thanks Tom. I'll pursue this next and let the group know the results.Aad
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #11 – December 05, 2013, 07:24:50 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143962Aad, as I and others have suggested, your next logical step it to get a hydrometer ($10-$20 at any auto parts store) and check each individual cell's charge state. If one cell is markedly different, then you have a bad cell and that battery will need to be replaced (presumably under warranty). From the symptoms you have described so far, a bad battery is the most likely problem here.Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #12 – December 05, 2013, 07:39:17 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143963Thanks Andy. Yes, I did get myself an hydrometer this afternoon. However, with way my batteries and cables are located I have to remove the batteries from the tray as well as the storage compartment below. It was too late
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #13 – December 06, 2013, 04:56:29 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143974To All, Yes, one battery was indeed my problem. Although I regularly check the fluid level on all four of my house batteries, the two additional batteries
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #14 – December 06, 2013, 05:56:40 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143975Thanks, Aad, for filling us in. I'm sorry that you'll have to replace a battery, but it's useful for all of us to know what the problem was... especially since as far as I can remember, none of us thought to include "Check for loose connections" on our lists of suggestions! I didn't, anyway, and I ought to know--I was hit by this problem many years ago when my car wouldn't start due to a loose battery terminal. Shame on me for forgetting!Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels
Re: Sudden Voltage Drain Reply #15 – December 06, 2013, 09:47:12 pm Yahoo Message Number: 143976Aad, May I suggest instead of saying 'my s.....' that your try: 'well, the next time I do that, it will be a mistake'.To err is human, to really scr***up takes a computer.....joelFrom: "aadandmary@..." To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com Sent: Friday, December 6, 2013 2:56 PM Subject: [LD] Re: Sudden Voltage Drain
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