Rene T
Site Team
I just checked the charging output of my converter and I was getting 13.2 volts. I disconnected the ground wire to the battery and check the battery voltage and it was also 13.2 volts. I guess I'm OK. Right?
Converter Output
- Thread starter Rene T
- Start date
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Alfa38User
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
- Posts
- 6,678
That's a good "maybe". It depends more on what you expect that to tell you. Your converter worked? Yes. Your battery is is top shape? Not so much!!
What you were reading was the surface charge that remains for a bit after the charger is disconnected. Remember, any normal 12V wet cell (lead acid) battery is fully charged at about 12.6V, anything more should raise a question about methodology!! That 13.2V reading does not mean the battery is fully charged, but the chances are lookin' good.
To dissipate the surface charge more quickly, simply turn on a light for a couple of minutes and then off again and you will get a more realistic reading....
What you were reading was the surface charge that remains for a bit after the charger is disconnected. Remember, any normal 12V wet cell (lead acid) battery is fully charged at about 12.6V, anything more should raise a question about methodology!! That 13.2V reading does not mean the battery is fully charged, but the chances are lookin' good.
To dissipate the surface charge more quickly, simply turn on a light for a couple of minutes and then off again and you will get a more realistic reading....
John From Detroit
Well-known member
13.2 as the converter output (I assume you were measuring positive battery wire to negative (Ground) Cable and nothing was connected to the battery negative) is a bit low but not alarmingly so. Might be meter inaccuracy. Or it could be voltage loss due to parasitic loads and connections.
To do it right you have to measure at the converter's output And you need a calibrated meter.
To do it right you have to measure at the converter's output And you need a calibrated meter.
If your battery was fully charged, (which appears was the case at 13.2v), then your converter would normally go into 'Float" mode which would be close to the 13.2 volts that you were seeing. It sounds to me like the converter is operating just fine.
As was suggested, remove some of that charge off the battery and see if the converter will step back up to a higher voltage output to replace it.
As was suggested, remove some of that charge off the battery and see if the converter will step back up to a higher voltage output to replace it.
OP
OP
Rene T
Site Team
Just Lou said:
I guess the easiest way to do that would be to shut off the circuit breaker to the converter, turn on a couple of lights for a few minutes then turn the breaker back on and check the output from the converter.
Note, this is a brand new battery purchased this past March.
Howard Jaros
Active member
There should be at least a half of volt of difference read at the batteries when the converter is on and then it is switched off. If not you may want to investigate further.
OP
OP
Rene T
Site Team
Went out today and confirmed that the battery was at 13.2 and it was. I shut off the main breaker in the RV and ran my big slide in/out I think it was 9 complete cycles. It uses a electric motor for the slide. I disconnected the battery cables and the battery now reads 12.8 volts. I turned the breaker back on and just for the heck of it, I took a reading of the battery cables before I connected them to the battery and they read 6.8 volts. I then connected the cables and checked the battery again and it was still 12.8. I'm going to let it sit for a few hours and then check it again. I don't know why the reading just on the cables showed 6.8.
Something else I noticed which may be nothing. I had my compartment light on while I was working and when I disconnected the cables from the battery, the light stayed lit but it got real dim. Sounds like it was only getting 6.8 volts going to it just like the cables read. Does the converter still put out some DC power without the battery being disconnected?
Something else I noticed which may be nothing. I had my compartment light on while I was working and when I disconnected the cables from the battery, the light stayed lit but it got real dim. Sounds like it was only getting 6.8 volts going to it just like the cables read. Does the converter still put out some DC power without the battery being disconnected?
OP
OP
Rene T
Site Team
Went out and checked the voltage after about 5 hours and it read 13.4. So I guess I'm OK
