Hints, Tricks and Gadgets/Tools --- small ones.

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Carson, you can get a battery load tester from any auto supply store.  I think I paid about $35 for mine.  It puts a large load on the battery and gives an indication of the battery condition on a meter within a few seconds.
 
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The only problem with load testers is that they tell you how the battery sustained that one load, but don't give you a hint about the next time a load is put on the battery. Something I learned from working with a guy who's entire working life was batteries - lead acid, NiFe, NiCad, and others. That was over 40 years ago though, but the logic still holds today.
 
If the battery fails under the heavy load of the tester, it won't last long in normal service.  I've used mine to detect failing AGM batteries on several occasions and the tests were quite reliable.
 
John and Ned, thanks for the info.

    You are probably reading too much into my "basic" test. It was meant for the "un-initiated techs" being able to do a quickie check, without having to buy more tools and test equipment, and get a a fairly accurate reading of the state of charge of the battery, now. I have read many posts where 'newbies' with problems would take a no-load reading and find voltage to be sufficient, only to find that the problem stayed.

  Even a 1 volt drop under load means it may take many hours of charging with a basic charger to get the battery back up to full charge.

  I wasn't talking about a professional analysis of the health of the battery. Simply, is the battery charged or not? Is the charger working or not?

The MO of this topic - keep it SMALL. It's an educational thing.

Excuse my rebuttal if you disagree.

carson FL
 
Carson,

There's nowt wrong with your test per se. Using voltage under load is one of several tests that, taken in combination, can give some indication of the condition of a battery. I continually monitor/check battery voltage on our coach and our boat, and it's is my primary indicator to determine when to fire up the generator. Making a mental note of how much time elapses between required recharges is my first indicator that my deep cycle wet cell batteries need equalizing. There's nothing scientific about my "tests" either, but they've worked for me for many years.
 
Carson, your test is much more complicated than using a battery load tester.  Connect the tester, press the switch for the specified time (10 seconds or so) and if the meter is in the green, the battery is ok, if in the red, it's not.  The meter reads volts so you can also read the no load voltage both before and after the load test.  It takes longer to describe than to do the test.
 
Ned said:
If the battery fails under the heavy load of the tester, it won't last long in normal service.

Very true Ned. The battery guy's point was that passing a load test is no guarantee that a battery will remain "good". He'd had more experience load testing batteries than I will ever have in my lifetime.
 
The load test Ned has described is proably the fastest and most economical way of detecting a faulty battery.  While there are other test that can be done they require much more time. 
 
Oh, I understood your test was a basic one.. And I agree.. if the voltage drops quickly under a light load. the battery (or something) is wrong.

Also, you need to test the voltage at the lights as well... I've seen many a case where you load the battery with just a couple of lights (most RV light bulbs are right close to 1 amp each) and the voltage at the battery barley flickers

But the voltage at the BULB (or at another 12 volt location in the rig) changes greatly

(This is caused by a bad connection, with the grounds being suspect #1)
 
Tom, a battery that stays in the green under the 100A or so load is more likely to stay usable than one that goes in the red.  The load tester is for finding bad batteries, not predicting future failures.
 
Ned said:
a battery that stays in the green under the 100A or so load is more likely to stay usable than one that goes in the red.

No disagreement Ned. FWIW the load tester I'm used to seeing (although it's been many years) is a handheld one that has two built-in prongs (more like spikes) and was used to test inidividual cells.
 
Mine has cables with large clips on them to test the whole battery, not individual cells.  The meter is calibrated for both 6V and 12V batteries.  Can't test individual cells on my AGM batteries.
 
Ned,,, I'd say that if a battery under the proper load test drops to oh, say, eight volts within fifteen seconds.. That it is a good sign that it is going to fail.. THE NEXT TIME IT"S NEEDED.

(For those who don't know how the thing works,, That is an indication that the battery HAS failed and the only reason you don't know it is you have not tried to use it yet so in fact I'm agreeing with NED... It did not predict failure, IT detected it)
 
Do you need a good deodorizer, defumer, dehumidifier, de-everything for your RV?

Have you heard of ZEOLITE?

Zeolite is a volcanic product with a"high ion exchange capacity". ???

It comes in both granular form or in rock/pebble form in mesh air bags. 1 and 2 lb bags.
Just put it in the fridge, bathroom, pet areas etc.

It will last indefinitely but requires occasional "recharging" by placing it in sun light for a few hours. Then it'll be just like new.

I cannot recall where I purchased the mesh bags, maybe a hardware store, CW, pet store .... just can't remember.

The granular version is also called "ODORZOUT". Used primarily for pet problems.

    The description is a fascinating read. Just click on ZEOLITE MESH BAG

    A number of articles are available by googling.

carson FL

PS: No I don't sell the stuff.
 
Another small hint/trick:

  During storage (lengthy non-action) the water in the P-traps (the U-shaped pipe under sinks and bathtubs) has a tendency to evaporate. This will eventually cause fumes/odors to permeate into the RV from the waste tanks.

  Simple solution: Make sure the traps are filled with water, then add 1 TBSP (tablespoon) of el-cheapo vegetable oil and add through the drains. The floating film of oil will now substantially prevent evaporation. It will also help to keep the stoppers in place, but not really necessary.

carson FL
 
Hey Carson, I like those last two post - I'll have to find one of those "de-smeller" things
 
A little recap here, statistically speaking, on this new topic.

I authored the first entry of this topic on Sep/24/07. To date, Oct 6/07 (12 days) there have been:

840Views

36 entries by 13 individual contributors/posters.

There were 9 original ideas (Hints etc) posted. (27 of the 36 were rebuttals, alternatives or chit chat.)

    I am merely trying to gauge whether "you'all" think if this topic should continue.

Judging by the interest (840 views), there seems to be little interest in 'unloading' some of the myriad ideas that 'you'all' can dig out of your hat and post. Remember, the newbies can use all the help they can get.

I still have a slew of future postings in mind; the product of learning the hard way from 40 years of  tenting, trailering, VW Westphalia-ing and now Class A-ing. But I don't want to be the major source of info, even though I get a kick out of sharing these small, but important "hints". I still have a lot to learn myself.

So, what do you say folks, is it a go or shall we save memory space.

carson FL
 
Keep them coming Carson. At some point along the way (maybe multiple points) I'll capture the bones and put them in the library. Thanks for starting this topic.

Folks, any and all ideas are welcome. If they can be explained a little better with photos, by all means attach them. Don't know how to attach photos? Click the Resources button in the toolbar above and scroll down to Forum navigation tips.
 
Like other recent starters, I appreciate the experience. I don't care how many views or how many posts, as long as they keep coming.

thanks,

Ray D  ;D
 

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