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Old 03-17-2007, 11:24 AM   #1
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My house batteries will discharge overnight. I checked the spacific gravity of each battery cell and they all read about the same in the good range. Also checked the amp draw which I feel is to high. 1.5 amps. All light switches were turned off and the compartment light switch was off. Question: How do you open up the 12 volt reset buttions in the `12 volt circuit breaker pannel next to the entrance door? They are all pressed in and will not pop out or open. I am trying to isolate the circuit which has the high current draw.
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Old 03-17-2007, 11:24 AM   #2
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My house batteries will discharge overnight. I checked the spacific gravity of each battery cell and they all read about the same in the good range. Also checked the amp draw which I feel is to high. 1.5 amps. All light switches were turned off and the compartment light switch was off. Question: How do you open up the 12 volt reset buttions in the `12 volt circuit breaker pannel next to the entrance door? They are all pressed in and will not pop out or open. I am trying to isolate the circuit which has the high current draw.
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Old 03-17-2007, 02:34 PM   #3
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Specific gravity testing good. What is good?

Use a clamp on ammeter to frind the guilty circuit. 1.5 amps isn't much.
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Old 03-17-2007, 03:51 PM   #4
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K&J,
Overnight do you throw the battery disconnect switch so there is no draw on your batteries? Also there is a propane detector that is on all the time which may be a draw but not that high. Check your radio switch is it on house or engine. I leave mine on engine all the time. Amplifier for radio surround sound is on that too.
One final question can't you leave it plugged in to shore power all the time?
Hope this helps, good luck
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Old 03-17-2007, 04:57 PM   #5
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No problem when the battery disconnect switch is open. If its closed and I dry camp I have the problem with the excessive current draw. The interior lights will get dim in about 15 minutes of use. I will check monday to see where my radio switch is set at. My motor home is kept in storage with no electric available. I plan on using a clamp on amp meter and opening each dc reset button next to my entrance stairs but do not know how to open these up. The buttons are all pressed in and wont come out. Is this normal?
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Old 03-17-2007, 07:17 PM   #6
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ken & Joyce:
No problem when the battery disconnect switch is open. If its closed and I dry camp I have the problem with the excessive current draw. The interior lights will get dim in about 15 minutes of use. I will check monday to see where my radio switch is set at. My motor home is kept in storage with no electric available. I plan on using a clamp on amp meter and opening each dc reset button next to my entrance stairs but do not know how to open these up. The buttons are all pressed in and wont come out. Is this normal? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Do you have a 110 volt inverter in your entertainment center or elsewhere? It or they may have been left in the on position. On my previous coach, a 95 Vectra on a P30 chassis with two 12 volt coach batteries, the inverter was 750 watt continuous but would run the refridgerator and entertainment center for the daylight hours and make a few pots of coffee before the batteries had to be recharged for the night.
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Old 03-18-2007, 06:47 AM   #7
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Very well might be the inverter. Even if there is no AC load on it, it is using a fair amount of DC power. Can you switch the inverter off?

By the way, there is a difference between AC and DC clamp on meters. AC won't work on DC and the other way around too. Some meters will do either/both.

A specific gravity measure will only indicate the state of charge, not battery capacity. To check battery capacity, you would load bank the batteries with a known load for a determined time period, then check specific gravity, recharge and track the data (volts, amps, temperatures, specific gravities and times). That will give you a good indication of what is goiong on with your batteries. The load is another matter.

Yes, it is normal for the DC breakers to stay "in", they are not designed to be pulled out to the off/tripped position, well at least the ones in you MH. Military versions do.
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Old 03-18-2007, 10:52 AM   #8
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Thanks for the reply. I don't have a inverter in my RV. Its to bad that the round DC circuit breakers (push in to reset) by my step do not open. This is going to make it almost impossible to find the high current draw circuit. No need for a DC clamp on amp meter if this is the case. The batteries I am using are two six volt trojen golf cart batteries. I bought them about a year and a half ago from a golf course. They were supposed to be new. This same golf course made a load check on the batteries and they said they were good. I am now thinking about taking them to a different place for a load test. Maby Sears.
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Old 03-18-2007, 01:41 PM   #9
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I think you have bad batteries or a poor connection. The lights should not dim in only 15 min and 1.5 amp is probably about what one low wattage lamp would draw. Have you looked at the voltage monitor when the lights dim? I have seen them test OK and then, when a load was put on, they would heat up and crap out. How old are they? Probably ought to replace them if they are much older than 5 years.
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Old 03-18-2007, 01:45 PM   #10
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OOps, sorry. I see they are only about 18 mons old. How long did the golf course have them before you bought em?
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Old 03-18-2007, 02:18 PM   #11
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I've been watching this hoping someone would explain how to open those breakers. Often wondered, although I haven't needed to yet. Can you pull the panel out and use your clamp-on ammeter to check each circuit individually?
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Old 03-18-2007, 03:33 PM   #12
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I don't see any reason why it can't be done that way. I can get to the wires by going in from the back side of the breaker pannel. Would have been nice if Winnebago used a circuit breaker which could be opened for testing purposes. I bought my 6 volt golf cart batteries at a place that sells golf carts. They had about 30 of these batteries on a pallet. Almost all of them had corrosion showing on the terminals. I was skeptical but the salesman said they were new. I will know more about my situation when I get them load tested. (If I can find a place that is capable of testing this type of battery) Thanks for the response.
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