advisability to turn off battery periodically
Had a cell die, and then the WFCO burned it to a crisp. Had to replace battery and the acid-laden case. It seems there is little advantage (?) in keeping the battery charging ALL the time when con...
Forum Discussion
WFCO should actually be going into "storage" or "float" mode when no load draw has been present for a predefined period of time. Storage or float voltage is roughly 13.2V, not absorbtion which is higher than storage.
See HERE for WFCO stage voltages.
See page 7 HERE for more explanation..
A "bad" battery most likely will force the WFCO in staying in absorbsion mode especially in the case of a bad cell.
These converters measure voltage and current to determine what mode to go to and use a timer for each mode.
For detailed explanation you can go to WFCO Theory of Operation document HERE Page 2.
I quote "Float Mode-is third stage of converter operation. This mode is to provide a trickle charge to the battery. If converter observes no significant variations in current draw for approximately 44 continuous hours, it will drop the output of the converter from 13.6V to 13.2V..
..This lower voltage will keep the battery charged while the RV is not in use..
..A change in DC current will cause the converter to exit Float mode and return to default, or normal, Absorbtion Mode."
If you have things turned on like a fridge that may even be enough to wake up the converter and stay in absorbtion mode.. Turn everything off and wait 44 hrs and see if converter changes to storage.
Or as others have noted, too long or too light of wiring between converter and battery allows too much voltage drop which can cause WFCO converters to sort of hang up on switching stages. The fix to that is to replace existing wire from converter to battery with a heavier ga wire which reduces the voltage drop between them.
If you disconnect the battery, you will need to periodically remember to connect it and allow the battery to recharge for a day or so. That replenishes the "self discharge" that happens naturally with batteries.
Otherwise if you can determine and fix what is keeping the converter from going into storage you can just leave everything connected and the converter powered up 24/7.
See HERE for WFCO stage voltages.
See page 7 HERE for more explanation..
A "bad" battery most likely will force the WFCO in staying in absorbsion mode especially in the case of a bad cell.
These converters measure voltage and current to determine what mode to go to and use a timer for each mode.
For detailed explanation you can go to WFCO Theory of Operation document HERE Page 2.
I quote "Float Mode-is third stage of converter operation. This mode is to provide a trickle charge to the battery. If converter observes no significant variations in current draw for approximately 44 continuous hours, it will drop the output of the converter from 13.6V to 13.2V..
..This lower voltage will keep the battery charged while the RV is not in use..
..A change in DC current will cause the converter to exit Float mode and return to default, or normal, Absorbtion Mode."
If you have things turned on like a fridge that may even be enough to wake up the converter and stay in absorbtion mode.. Turn everything off and wait 44 hrs and see if converter changes to storage.
Or as others have noted, too long or too light of wiring between converter and battery allows too much voltage drop which can cause WFCO converters to sort of hang up on switching stages. The fix to that is to replace existing wire from converter to battery with a heavier ga wire which reduces the voltage drop between them.
If you disconnect the battery, you will need to periodically remember to connect it and allow the battery to recharge for a day or so. That replenishes the "self discharge" that happens naturally with batteries.
Otherwise if you can determine and fix what is keeping the converter from going into storage you can just leave everything connected and the converter powered up 24/7.
