Lazy converter?
Just got back from a recent trip and while I was plugged in at the camp spot, the converter was acting odd. I have a voltage gauge inside which lets me know how the house batteries are doing while ...
Forum Discussion
This is a simplified block diagram of the typical 30A Electrical Configuration used in the RV's.
The heart of things is the 120VAC and 12VDC Distribution panels. The converter only uses 120VAC to produce 13.6VDC which will feed the 12V Distribution Panel to operate you 12VDC Appliances and things from the shore power connection or generator. The convert is also your battery charger when connected to shore power. You can note the the battery also feeds the same point on the 12VDC Distribution Panel. This is how the battery operates all of your 12V appliances and thing when not connected to shore power or generator.
Alot of batteries will boil out their fluids resulting in internal core shorts when being used with WFCO products. You really have to keep any eye on them and make sure they have their normal level of battery fluids.
You will need to determine what happened first Bad battery causing the converter to response funny or the converter going bad to cause the strange things you are seeing on the 12VDC Monitor meter. Most failures of this nature are usually the battery being boiled out of its fluids first which was caused by the converter/charger always putting out 13.6VDC for long extended times and not checking the fluid levels. Once shorted out then the CONVERTER/CHARGER tries to resolve the shorted cell when charging the batteries and does strange things when connected to shore power or generator.
If you disconnect the converter 12VDC DC output leads the converter should just sit there producing a level 13.6VDC output when being fed by the shore power connection or generator. The batteries not connected to anything should read 12.6-7VDC if fully charged. A shorted cell in a battery will cause the battery to typically read around 5-6VDC on the battery terminals and the case will be hot to touch and smell bad. The shorted cell will be dry of fluids. This battery must be removed from the system as continuing to try to make it recover "COULD" result in the battery exploding...
In the end New batteries and a replacement PD9260C Converter/charger should fix you up... in Hindsight constant inspection of the batteries would have prevented this from happening but most of us replaced the WFCO converter/charger products with PD or IOTA replacements early on. My WF8945 Converter/charger got replaced just after 4 months of use when I purchased my new trailer in 2008 and lost one of deep cycle batteries due to no fluids inside it. The remaining batteries have been good ever since then and still going today. They are just now starting to show loss of performance slightly (not holding charge like they did when new) when camping off the power grid. I do the 50% to 90% charge states every day when camping off the power grid.
Roy Ken
The heart of things is the 120VAC and 12VDC Distribution panels. The converter only uses 120VAC to produce 13.6VDC which will feed the 12V Distribution Panel to operate you 12VDC Appliances and things from the shore power connection or generator. The convert is also your battery charger when connected to shore power. You can note the the battery also feeds the same point on the 12VDC Distribution Panel. This is how the battery operates all of your 12V appliances and thing when not connected to shore power or generator.
Alot of batteries will boil out their fluids resulting in internal core shorts when being used with WFCO products. You really have to keep any eye on them and make sure they have their normal level of battery fluids.
You will need to determine what happened first Bad battery causing the converter to response funny or the converter going bad to cause the strange things you are seeing on the 12VDC Monitor meter. Most failures of this nature are usually the battery being boiled out of its fluids first which was caused by the converter/charger always putting out 13.6VDC for long extended times and not checking the fluid levels. Once shorted out then the CONVERTER/CHARGER tries to resolve the shorted cell when charging the batteries and does strange things when connected to shore power or generator.
If you disconnect the converter 12VDC DC output leads the converter should just sit there producing a level 13.6VDC output when being fed by the shore power connection or generator. The batteries not connected to anything should read 12.6-7VDC if fully charged. A shorted cell in a battery will cause the battery to typically read around 5-6VDC on the battery terminals and the case will be hot to touch and smell bad. The shorted cell will be dry of fluids. This battery must be removed from the system as continuing to try to make it recover "COULD" result in the battery exploding...
In the end New batteries and a replacement PD9260C Converter/charger should fix you up... in Hindsight constant inspection of the batteries would have prevented this from happening but most of us replaced the WFCO converter/charger products with PD or IOTA replacements early on. My WF8945 Converter/charger got replaced just after 4 months of use when I purchased my new trailer in 2008 and lost one of deep cycle batteries due to no fluids inside it. The remaining batteries have been good ever since then and still going today. They are just now starting to show loss of performance slightly (not holding charge like they did when new) when camping off the power grid. I do the 50% to 90% charge states every day when camping off the power grid.
Roy Ken
