Vent-a-hood question...

[DeckArtist]

Mine doesn't work, so I am painting the wall it joins and after removing it, I tested the wiring. It has two black and two white wires going to it, but when tested with a 120v tester, I get nothing. Is it possible the wiring is 12v from the battery? I do not have mine hooked up yet so I cannot see if it works and I do not have a 12v tester yet.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Most all RV appliances and lighting use 12vdc as their basic power. Those that can also use 120vac are the exception. So yes, it's not only possible, it is near 100% sure.

 

[DeckArtist]

Thanks Gary...good deal. Will hook up the battery to test it later tonite. My lights all work without a battery so they must be dual power capable.

 

[Larry N.]

My lights all work without a battery so they must be dual power capable.

Do they work when unplugged? When plugged in it's likely the converter that powers them if there's no battery. Better yet get, and learn to use, a multimeter (inexpensive one at Harbor freight is fine), so you can actually identify things instead of guessing. Mistakes could be costly, in some cases.

 

[John From Detroit]

Is it possible the wiring is 12v from the battery? I do not have mine hooked up yet so I cannot see if it works and I do not have a 12v tester yet.

Not just possible. Absolute the fan-hood in an RV is a 12 volt device. both the light and the fan are 12 volts normally... Does the light light.. If neither works good chance you popped a fuse. But key word is "Chance" not 100%

 

[DeckArtist]

Do they work when unplugged? When plugged in it's likely the converter that powers them if there's no battery. Better yet get, and learn to use, a multimeter (inexpensive one at Harbor freight is fine), so you can actually identify things instead of guessing. Mistakes could be costly, in some cases.

No...the lights only work when plugged in so far BUT, I do not have the battery hooked up either so they might once that happens. I have a 12 V meter but it is packed. My neighbor has one so we're good there.

 

[DeckArtist]

Not just possible. Absolute the fan-hood in an RV is a 12 volt device. both the light and the fan are 12 volts normally... Does the light light.. If neither works good chance you popped a fuse. But key word is "Chance" not 100%

No, neither the fan or the lights work right now.

 

[Larry N.]

No...the lights only work when plugged in so far BUT, I do not have the battery hooked up either so they might once that happens. I have a 12 V meter but it is packed. My neighbor has one so we're good there.

Which says the lights are 12V DC lights currently working from your converter and, barring miswiring, etc., should work fine from a battery when you get one.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

My lights all work without a battery so they must be dual power capable.

Not "dual power". Your trailer should have a 12v converter/charger which serves in lieu of the battery as long as it is plugged to external (shore) power. That would power the vent fan as well.

 

[John From Detroit]

So you understand how the 12 volt system works
120vac---Converter---Battery(Ies)---Fuses--Stuff
Now you may have one or two or more batteries in parallel or series (Two six volt in series become one 12 volt electrically)..
The converter which converts 120vac from shore to 12 volt (Well 13.6-14.6) to charge the batteries and power stuff is in parallel with the batteries.. From the point of view of the lights. IT's just another battery. Appears it's a good one
Check your fuses. My favorite 12 volt tool is not a volt meter (Though it has it's uses) but a 12 volt test light.. This you get at most any Auto parts place or Department ... It looks like an old fashing Ice pick the handle will be plastic clear or translucent (i have one that's yellow) There is a wire with a clip coming out of the handle and a lamp inside. I find I often need to re-seat the lamp.
Also get a coil of wire.. oh about 18 ga give or take 2.. 20-50 feet and another pair of the same clips or other clips like the one on the test lamp.
How to use to test fuses. Ground the clip (Any known good ground)( If needed use the coil of wire and spare clips to "Extend" the ground wire)
Touch the tip to a known good 12 volt point (BRIGHT LIGHT GOOD anythign else re-seat the lamp) and try again)
Now touch the tip into the little square windows on the top of each blade fuse or the metal ends of a cartridge fuse.. BRIGHT BRIGHT = Good
BRIGHT DARK (or the other way around) = Bad

Dark dark = no test.
Way easier than using a volt meter as you do not need to look at it.

 

[DeckArtist]

Not "dual power". Your trailer should have a 12v converter/charger which serves in lieu of the battery as long as it is plugged to external (shore) power. That would power the vent fan as well.

So, if the vent hood and hood light do not work on shore power, they will not work with a battery hooked up....correct?

 

[DeckArtist]

So you understand how the 12 volt system works
120vac---Converter---Battery(Ies)---Fuses--Stuff
Now you may have one or two or more batteries in parallel or series (Two six volt in series become one 12 volt electrically)..
The converter which converts 120vac from shore to 12 volt (Well 13.6-14.6) to charge the batteries and power stuff is in parallel with the batteries.. From the point of view of the lights. IT's just another battery. Appears it's a good one
Check your fuses. My favorite 12 volt tool is not a volt meter (Though it has it's uses) but a 12 volt test light.. This you get at most any Auto parts place or Department ... It looks like an old fashing Ice pick the handle will be plastic clear or translucent (i have one that's yellow) There is a wire with a clip coming out of the handle and a lamp inside. I find I often need to re-seat the lamp.
Also get a coil of wire.. oh about 18 ga give or take 2.. 20-50 feet and another pair of the same clips or other clips like the one on the test lamp.
How to use to test fuses. Ground the clip (Any known good ground)( If needed use the coil of wire and spare clips to "Extend" the ground wire)
Touch the tip to a known good 12 volt point (BRIGHT LIGHT GOOD anythign else re-seat the lamp) and try again)
Now touch the tip into the little square windows on the top of each blade fuse or the metal ends of a cartridge fuse.. BRIGHT BRIGHT = Good
BRIGHT DARK (or the other way around) = Bad

Dark dark = no test.
Way easier than using a volt meter as you do not need to look at it.

So you may have missed...I have no battery hooked up right now and the vent hood doesn't work at all. I know how to use a 12v test light. mine is packed. Been working on cars up until the time I bought a new one.

Only thing I am not clear on is how the 12v converter works when on shore power with no battery hooked up.

 

[Lou Schneider]

So you may have missed...I have no battery hooked up right now and the vent hood doesn't work at all. I know how to use a 12v test light. mine is packed. Been working on cars up until the time I bought a new one.

Only thing I am not clear on is how the 12v converter works when on shore power with no battery hooked up.

The converter charges the battery, which in turn powers the 12 volt appliances. There may be two wires or more wires that would go to the positive and negative posts if the battery was present, if so it's likely one set comes from the converter and the other brings power back into the RV. Without a battery you'd have to connect each set together to get converter power into the RV.

 

[DeckArtist]

Oh and all fuses are good, no broken ones. They are the newer blade style clear color coded auto motive type.

 

[DeckArtist]

The converter charges the battery, which in turn powers the 12 volt appliances. There may be two wires or more wires that would go to the positive and negative posts if the battery was present, if so it's likely one set comes from the converter and the other brings power back into the RV. Without a battery you'd have to connect each set together to get converter power into the RV.

So I asked if the battery hooked up would then power the vent hood and light...I haven't had a chance to test it yet cause it was raining when I got home. I have a brand new deep cycle battery ready to go.

 

[DeckArtist]

 

[John From Detroit]

So you may have missed...I have no battery hooked up right now and the vent hood doesn't work at all. I know how to use a 12v test light. mine is packed. Been working on cars up until the time I bought a new one.

Only thing I am not clear on is how the 12v converter works when on shore power with no battery hooked up.

Well some 12 volt converters do not work if no battery is hooked up but yours. it appears, does. (or the lights would not work). Are you old enough to recall when Pocket size Transistor radios came out and used the 9 volt retangular batteries.. and shortly after they came out with "Battery Eliminators" so you could put one of these in place of the battery and plug into the wall like a desk top or shelf top radio?
Since your converter workd sans-a-battery it works like the battery eliminators did back then.
From the viewpoint of the lights.. Fan and such. it "Replaces" the battery.
It's a bit more complex.. but from the viewpoint of the light and other 12 volt stuff. it's the battery.

 

[DeckArtist]

Ok, that makes sense. So I guess I will hook up the battery tomorrow and see if the vent hood works before I can it.

I am 66 so I remember the transistor radios, but not the battery eliminators. Guess I missed out on those.

 

[DeckArtist]

Here's the new battery setup ready to go. I bridged the two small battery wells together with a wooden platform, then mounted the battery box. It's a large deep cycle. I didn't know the system would automatically charge the battery. Is it like a trickle charger?

 

[Lou Schneider]

Your converter is a single stage, it puts out a constant voltage, around 13.5 volts. The battery draws as much current from the converter as it wants - it can be upwards of 20 - 30 amps if it is heavily discharged, then it drops towards zero when the battery voltage rises as it gains a charge.

Other converters are called multi-stage, they boost the voltage and current to charge the battery faster when it is partially charged, then reduce it to 13.5 volts once the battery fills up.