Need New House Batteries - HELP!
Hello all, I could sure use some help and guidance from the experts! I'll do my best to keep this short and really appreciate you taking the time to read about my dilemma. I have a 2005 American E...
Forum Discussion
Hi Steve,
Get a kill-a-watt meter. Plug it in between shore power and the RV, and live as if you were living without power for six days. Keep all loads below 1800 watts or you will burn out the meter. That gives you the number of watt hours you are using. From that, the batter bank can be properly sized. Upgrade the solar to keep that size bank fully charged.
Time required? About ten seconds to plug the shore power cord into the meter, and another ten seconds to read what the KWH's are after the six days.
Cost required? About $20.00 for an extremely useful meter.
It is up to you what type of battery bank to use.
Just because you paid 1200 for a solar system does NOT mean it is correctly installed nor adequate to your needs.
Get a kill-a-watt meter. Plug it in between shore power and the RV, and live as if you were living without power for six days. Keep all loads below 1800 watts or you will burn out the meter. That gives you the number of watt hours you are using. From that, the batter bank can be properly sized. Upgrade the solar to keep that size bank fully charged.
Time required? About ten seconds to plug the shore power cord into the meter, and another ten seconds to read what the KWH's are after the six days.
Cost required? About $20.00 for an extremely useful meter.
It is up to you what type of battery bank to use.
Just because you paid 1200 for a solar system does NOT mean it is correctly installed nor adequate to your needs.
SJ Eagle wrote:
doing energy audits, checking charge capacities, etc. just isn't my thing.
Before the purists out there jump all over me let me say, I work 60-70 hours a week and when I have a weekend off and I want to get away, I just want the darn thing to work! I've been messing with this system for so long, trying anything and everything to get it right and I'm just worn out.
So If new AGM or Maintenance free batteries will get me camping, great. I paid $1200 for the solar, installed. Yes I know you get what you pay for but then again I didn't expect that solar would eliminate the need for the generator. With all that being said, where do I go from here?
