Batteries draining while being plugged in

[Brian w. Hall]

Hi, I am hooked up in an RV park but have noticed that my interior lights are getting dim and it appears that the house batteries are draining but I am getting AC input from the RV park. My electricity is working from the outlets and the Air Conditioner is also running fine off the shore power. I was under the impression that the lights in my RV would also be powered off the shore power but that's not happening. Could I be doing something wrong or is this an issue I'll have to get fixed? Thanks.

 

[Greg H.]

I think I'd check the converter, what's the DC voltage output?

 

[Brian w. Hall]

I disconnected from shore power and turned on generator and engine and drove around the block. I came back and re connected shore power and now my Volts and amps are back to normal and lights seem to be working. Volts are at 12 but my DC amps are showing less than 10. I'm just nervous the problem will happen again. I never come to RV parks so shore power is a new concept to me.

 

[Brian w. Hall]

Is the inverter supposed to be on or off when hooked up to shore power? Thanks.

 

[Ernie Ekberg]

see if the reset button or breaker has tripped on your charger/converter/inverter

 

[Brian w. Hall]

I'm going to make a conclusion that my house batteries are old and are not charging properly. They do charge off the chasis battery but not with shore power. I'm going to get new batteries I guess.

 

[waroland]

Is the inverter supposed to be on or off when hooked up to shore power? Thanks.

Inverter should be on all the time!

 

[Just Lou]

I'm going to make a conclusion that my house batteries are old and are not charging properly. They do charge off the chasis battery but not with shore power. I'm going to get new batteries I guess.

I'm sure that the Dynasty has an inverter/charger combo unit.  I would think that the I/C should be on to charge the batteries from shore power.  Turn it on and see.....

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Your lighting runs off 12v DC power. While on shore power, the battery charging system supplies 12v by converting shore power to 12v, so you have a continuous supply of 12vdc without draining the batteries. It appears you no longer are getting that continuous supply, so the lighting is now draining the batteries instead. That suggests a faulty inverter/charger (or converter/charger, if no inverter is present).  When you started the engine, the engine alternator took over the charging function and restored some battery power, but it will probably go down again.

If the alternator can charge the batteries, I doubt if you need new ones (yet). If they were bad, they would not charge from any source.

The charger function of an inverter usually works all the time, whether the inverter is "on" or not. Some models have a switch that specifically disables charging, but it still defaults to having an active charge mode. Turning the inverter on simply makes it available to supply power 120vac power to appliances when and if shore power or generator is not in use.  What brand of inverter (or converter) do you have? That info will allow us to tell you in more detail how it works.

 

[Brian w. Hall]

Thanks for following up on this topic. I have a heart interface inverter. I took it to an RV place this morning to do some more troubleshooting and they're assessment was that the charging mechanism was no longer working and the inverter would need to be taken out and serviced. I'm going to continue on my trip and wait until Thursday when I get back to Atlanta. Thanks.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Buy yourself an inexpensive automotive battery charger at a Walmart, Sears or auto parts store. A portable 10 amp charger that clips to the battery posts will keep your house batteries up sufficiently to continue your trip. Just plug it in and let it run, at least overnight but I would probably run it 24/7 while plugged to shore power. It will fall behind usage in the evenings, but will catch up overnight..

 

[max49]

Maybe late, but if your 'battery disconnect switch" is in disconnect mode, your converter will still power your 12 volt lights but will not charge your batteries.  Some times service centers don't check the simplest things and go to higher profit items.  Just a food for thought.

 

[BLAKDUKE]

I had the battery disconnect switch installed a while back.  However there is trick to this.  ONE HAS TO USE IT IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE EFFECTIVE.  DUMB ME.  I posted in another thread about this and then remembered that I had that switch installed exactly for that purpose.  However as I said in order to accomplish the task you have to use it. 

ALK

 

[ticat900]

Inverter should be on all the time!

Not so.Converter should be on all the time. Inverter does not need to be on when on sp or gen power

 

[ticat900]

Maybe late, but if your 'battery disconnect switch" is in disconnect mode, your converter will still power your 12 volt lights but will not charge your batteries.  Some times service centers don't check the simplest things and go to higher profit items.  Just a food for thought.

neverheard of this what model MH does this? all converter/inverter systems I have ever owned (four) the converter charged the batterys and the batterys ran the lites.whendisconnect switch is off=no lites

 

[Ned]

There is no reason to turn the inverter off, even when on shore or generator power.  It acts somewhat like a UPS in that it will keep powering your devices and appliances in the event of a sudden loss of shore power.  Ours hasn't been turned off in 16 years other than when boondocking to conserve battery power.  We've had occasions where the shore power went out temporarily and we didn't even notice it as the inverter kept everything running.

 

[Just Lou]

neverheard of this what model MH does this? all converter/inverter systems I have ever owned (four) the converter charged the batterys and the batterys ran the lites.whendisconnect switch is off=no lites

On coaches using most models of the RV-Custom Products or Intellitec BCC, the converter will feed the DC distribution system (power fuse  panel), but will not charge the batteries unless the disconnect is closed.

However, I think we have established that the OP uses an Inverter/Charger, and various (usually more direct) connections to the batteries are employed.

My OEM setup was converter only, and operated as per my first paragraph.  I have since, installed an Inverter/Charger (Samlex Invercharge S-2012A).  This unit, whether controlled by the remote, or from the unit controls, is either ON or OFF.  The inverter power cannot be controlled separately from the charger power.  I leave mine powered at all times unless stored.

Other I/Cs may operate differently.

 

[Just Lou]

Not so.Converter should be on all the time. Inverter does not need to be on when on sp or gen power

This depends on how the inverter is wired to feed the distribution system.  My inverter is on at all times and feeds a majority of the coach circuits.  As Ned said, it makes for a very effective UPS system.

 

[ticat900]

This depends on how the inverter is wired to feed the distribution system.  My inverter is on at all times and feeds a majority of the coach circuits.  As Ned said, it makes for a very effective UPS system.

My inveter/converter  system is on in the sence the converter runs and all the 120V circurts(several) that flow through it are working.Its just not on in the  "invertion mode"

 

[max49]

neverheard of this what model MH does this? all converter/inverter systems I have ever owned (four) the converter charged the batterys and the batterys ran the lites.whendisconnect switch is off=no lites

Hmm, I guess we both learned 2 things here and that's great because none of us know every thing