| House battery draining [message #155565] |
Thu, 05 January 2012 15:32  |
Wander Inn
Messages: 100
Registered: January 2010
Location: Phoenix Az.
Karma: 0
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My house battery's are draining over nite, how do I
find the cause of this?
Mike
Mike & Chris Hughes
1977 Kingsley
Phoenix, Az.
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| Re: [GMCnet] House battery draining [message #155573 is a reply to message #155565] |
Thu, 05 January 2012 16:18  |
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ljdavick
Messages: 3548
Registered: March 2007
Location: Fremont, CA
Karma: -3
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Mike,
Tell us about your house battery setup - (if you already have I either missed it, or already forgot it!)
There are a few things I can think of that would bring down your batteries that quickly. Any combination of batteries could draw down if there is a constant load on them, such as a lamp, fan, fridge, etc. The best way to test this is at the fuse box with a meter, or simple circuit tester. You could identify a live circuit this way. Remember - these coaches have had lots of "improvements" so anything goes - you might find circuits that are not run through the fuse panel.
If the batteries are old, or broken this could account for their inability to hold a charge. You could have a dead, dry, or shorted cell.
You refer to them in the plural, so I'll assume you have at least two. If they are two 6 volt batteries in series, then any of the above could be to blame. If they are 12 volt batteries in parallel then one battery will generally draw down the other. The BOOST switch acts in this way too, though it is designed to be a momentary (normally open) switch. If it has failed you would probably draw down the chassis battery as well as the house bank.
Let us know a little more about your situation and you'll get help from others here who really know what they are talking about!
Larry Davick
Fremont, California
The Mystery Machine
'76 (ish) Palm Beach
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike & Chris Hughes" <>
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Sent: Thursday, January 5, 2012 1:33:02 PM
Subject: [GMCnet] House battery draining
My house battery's are draining over nite, how do I
find the cause of this?
Mike
--
Mike & Chris Hughes
1977 Kingsley
Wander Inn
Phoenix, Az.
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Larry Davick
A Mystery Machine
1976(ish) Palm Beach
Fremont, Ca
Howell EFI + EBL + Electronic Dizzy
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| Re: House battery draining [message #155620 is a reply to message #155565] |
Thu, 05 January 2012 20:53 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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| Wander Inn wrote on Thu, 05 January 2012 14:32 |
My house battery's are draining over nite, how do I
find the cause of this?
Mike
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The first thing I would do is disconnect the batteries from the coach and each other. Many times the batteries will not hold a charge just because they are old and sulphated. If they retain a full charge (12.6V) for a day they are OK and the I would start looking for drains. Many time people hunt for a drain when the battery or batteries themselves are shot.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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| Re: House battery draining [message #155624 is a reply to message #155565] |
Thu, 05 January 2012 21:05 |
RadioActiveGMC
Messages: 1020
Registered: November 2010
Location: Hot AZ desert
Karma: 0
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I know this is silly but mine discharged overnight. But I learned the every so often someone would bump into the front cockpit electric seat adjustment. The switch would stay stuck on the adjust mode and run down my battery.
***"Gettin There"-1973 23' Sequoia-
Michael, Onans smell, "Go solar/wind power!"
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| Re: House battery draining [message #155688 is a reply to message #155565] |
Fri, 06 January 2012 09:14 |
Wander Inn
Messages: 100
Registered: January 2010
Location: Phoenix Az.
Karma: 0
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I have two six volt battery's, bought them in July 2011. Will the 12 volt freg control circut cause this?
Thanks, Mike
Mike & Chris Hughes
1977 Kingsley
Phoenix, Az.
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| Re: [GMCnet] House battery draining [message #155693 is a reply to message #155691] |
Fri, 06 January 2012 09:37 |
Don A
Messages: 895
Registered: October 2008
Location: Dallas, TX
Karma: 0
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<<<<< ERFisher wrote
what is this? gene >>>
Another case where the forum keeps the thread together and makes it so easy to jump back to the beginning and see
"My house battery's are draining over nite, how do I
find the cause of this? Mike"
Don Adams Dallas, TX
'76 26' Glenbrook, '90 Sidekick
rebuilt by R Archer, powered by J Bounds, Koba
[IMG]http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/data/6109/G2.jpg[/IMG]
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| Re: House battery draining [message #155716 is a reply to message #155688] |
Fri, 06 January 2012 14:05 |
Rick Williams
Messages: 256
Registered: July 2004
Karma: 0
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| Wander Inn wrote on Fri, 06 January 2012 10:14 |
I have two six volt battery's, bought them in July 2011. Will the 12 volt freg control circut cause this?
Thanks, Mike
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If you are referring to the refrigerator electronics, no it will not discharge two 6 volt batteries overnight. They will last for many days if supplying just the refrigerator.
Rick Williams
Bliss, Michigan
1978 Eleganza II
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| Re: House battery draining [message #155767 is a reply to message #155717] |
Fri, 06 January 2012 20:03 |
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mike miller
Messages: 3576
Registered: February 2004
Location: Hillsboro, Oregon
Karma: 0
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| ljdavick wrote on Fri, 06 January 2012 12:09 |
The 12 volt circuit on my propane fridge will not draw down my batteries overnight - it would take a long time for that. A 12 volt fridge (not propane) very well might draw down (2) 6 volt batteries overnight. ...
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If, for some reason, the propane refrigerator is trying to run on 12volts, THAT could drain even a 2x6volt battery bank very quickly. A 12 volt COMPRESSOR refrigerator being powered by the same 2x6v bank SHOULD last longer than over night.
I have found using a test light at the fuse panel a fairly quick way to find all but the smallest voltage leaks. Pull the fuses and put the test light across the open contacts. If the light comes on, there is something on that circuit that is using power. The brighter the light... the bigger the "leak."
I helped another GMC'er with a similar problem. It turned out the 12v line to the refer was somehow allowing current to flow to ground. (On GM upfitted coaches this same line is ran to the bathroom to power an optional recirculating toilet.) We didn't worry about it and just ran a new (large gauge) line.
Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
(#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
More Sidekicks than GMC's and a late model Malibu called 'Boo'
http://m000035.blogspot.com
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| Re: [GMCnet] House battery draining [message #155791 is a reply to message #155767] |
Fri, 06 January 2012 22:37 |
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ljdavick
Messages: 3548
Registered: March 2007
Location: Fremont, CA
Karma: -3
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Senior Member |
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Mike,
I stand corrected. My fridge is a 2-way (AC + propane) and I forgot about the 3-way fridges!
Larry Davick
Who is really glad to see Rick Denny's tag lines are back
Sent from my iPad
On Jan 6, 2012, at 6:03 PM, Mike Miller <m000035@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> ljdavick wrote on Fri, 06 January 2012 12:09
>> The 12 volt circuit on my propane fridge will not draw down my batteries overnight - it would take a long time for that. A 12 volt fridge (not propane) very well might draw down (2) 6 volt batteries overnight. ...
>
>
> If, for some reason, the propane refrigerator is trying to run on 12volts, THAT could drain even a 2x6volt battery bank very quickly. A 12 volt COMPRESSOR refrigerator being powered by the same 2x6v bank SHOULD last longer than over night.
>
> I have found using a test light at the fuse panel a fairly quick way to find all but the smallest voltage leaks. Pull the fuses and put the test light across the open contacts. If the light comes on, there is something on that circuit that is using power. The brighter the light... the bigger the "leak."
>
> I helped another GMC'er with a similar problem. It turned out the 12v line to the refer was somehow allowing current to flow to ground. (On GM upfitted coaches this same line is ran to the bathroom to power an optional recirculating toilet.) We didn't worry about it and just ran a new (large gauge) line.
> --
> Mike Miller -- Hillsboro, OR -- on the Black list
> (#1)'73 26' exPainted D. -- (#2)`78 23' Birchaven Rear Bath -- (#3)`77 23' Birchaven Side Bath
> http://m000035.blogspot.com
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Larry Davick
A Mystery Machine
1976(ish) Palm Beach
Fremont, Ca
Howell EFI + EBL + Electronic Dizzy
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| Re: House battery draining [message #155830 is a reply to message #155804] |
Sat, 07 January 2012 12:21 |
Bob de Kruyff
Messages: 4260
Registered: January 2004
Location: Chandler, AZ
Karma: 1
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Senior Member |
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""I have Found The Easiest Way To Drain A Battery
Is To Pull Off The Caps
Then
Place It In A Plastic Container
~~ > Up Side Down <~~
""
I like it Joe. I mentioned it once before, but I still think it is important to isolate (disconnect) the batteries to make sure that the issue is really a parasitic load or if indeed the batteries are crap. It's possible to chase potential problems for a long time just to realize that the batteries have sulphated beyond a reasonable service life.
Bob de Kruyff
78 Eleganza
Chandler, AZ
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