I am getting a low voltage reading at my heater. I am testing it with my voltmeter at the blower motor. I get a 10.6 reading when plugged into shore power. Furthur testing at the rv power distribution panel/fuse panel gives me a similar reading when I test from the blue shore power line attached to the 12v panel to the white ground input coming from my house battery. My house battery is at 12v, a little low I know, but a separate issue. My question is does this mean that my white ground has a bad connection somewhere?The problem becomes evident when it gets dark and I turn on a couple of lights. They pull enough power away from the heater to slow the blowere and thus drop the sail switch, so no heat. At bedtime, lights go off, heater on, warm time.

Your battery, converter, and supply wiring are all parts of one 12V system. You need to find out if the converter is working and if the battery is usable.With a voltmeter, measure across the two battery terminals without the 120V shore cord connected to a supply. You said you have 12V but I would check it again. If it is 12V, that is less than 50% charged. Next, connect to shore supply with your shore cord and measure again across the battery terminals. You should measure at least 13V. If not, there is a problem with the converter, open fuses at the converter, or a tripped circuit breaker between the converter and battery. Initial diagnosis is that your converter is not outputting charge voltage. Check the 120V circuit breaker that powers it and measure for DC voltage at the outputs.

Are you saying that when plugged into shore power that the battery still reads 12 volts? If so maybe your battery is pulling everything down. When plugged into shore power your battery should be over 13 volts. Either the battery is pulling it down or it isn't charging properly. The battery 12 volt problem is not a separate problem. It is all linked.

Your converter is not working. Voltage with converter working should be 13-13.5 VDC.

Merry Christmas. I hope it's not too cold without furnace running.Your battery is not capable of running this load at the moment. This is why it drops to 10.6 under load. It is deeply discharged - less than 50% remaining. Could be even less than 40%. When they are getting older, they have problems keeping 12-something volt under load when discharged that deep. But you should still be able to see 13V on the battery terminals because 13V is coming from converter - so I concur with Westend, your converter isn't charging the battery.

I am pretty sure that the battery charging component of my converter isn't working, although I am not sure how or where to test that. I have the cover off and am looking at the cooling fan, etc, but done fully understand everything I am seeing.As far as I can tell the only way my house battery charges right now is with the vehicle running. I had a problem with that as well and found that the ? Control Switch? that allows power to flow from the auto battery/alternator to the house battery, but not the other way, had failed. Also, the wire from the auto battery to this switch had corrosion and wasn't letting voltage through. Those items are repaired/replaced, but I haven't gotten my battery back up to a full charge yet (charger not working?? ). Thanks for helping me work through this. I think I am close to answers but need a little more assistance. ....

Low voltage at atwood rv heater, help please | Good Sam Community

mdecorso
Explorer
Dec 25, 2015
Okay. I am following the very simple diagnostic there BFL13, and am seeing my converter is bad. Darn.

I cannot find any fuses on the unit besides the bladed 12v fuses for various circuits and the 120v breakers. Remain hopeful I'll find one after moving a few things to get to the back of the power converter unit and find it is blown.
BFL13
Explorer II
Dec 25, 2015
mdecorso wrote:
Okay. I am following the very simple diagnostic there BFL13, and am seeing my converter is bad. Darn.

I cannot find any fuses on the unit besides the bladed 12v fuses for various circuits and the 120v breakers. Remain hopeful I'll find one after moving a few things to get to the back of the power converter unit and find it is blown.

The two 30a fuses will be on the fuse panel (front upper left on mine), not on the unit, off by themselves, not part of the collection of 12v circuit fuses. Replace both if only one is blown.
mdecorso
Explorer
Dec 25, 2015
Okay. I am following the very simple diagnostic there BFL13, and am seeing my converter is bad. Darn.

I cannot find any fuses on the unit besides the bladed 12v fuses for various circuits and the 120v breakers. Remain hopeful I'll find one after moving a few things to get to the back of the power converter unit and find it is blown.
mdecorso
Explorer
Dec 25, 2015
Here is a new development. I turned off ALL 12v stuff in the camper. Fridge, every light, water pump, whatever could be on. When I did this I got 16.45v at the blue and white wire on the converter. As soon as ANYTHING was turned on, one light, water pump switch (water was already pressurized so didn't actually run), heater, whatever, only ONE item, voltage dropped to 11.1v. Each successive item would drop it by .1v. So with nothing at all on, I have too much power. With one or more things, not enough.

Still wondering if this could be a ground issue and maybe I don't need a new converter.
BFL13
Explorer II
Dec 25, 2015
From posts a few years ago, there were examples of the 6300 running at up to 21v ISTR. Means it has an internal fault.
pianotuna
Nomad III
Dec 26, 2015
Replace it.
Almot
Explorer III
Dec 26, 2015
mdecorso wrote:
I turned off ALL 12v stuff in the camper. Fridge, every light, water pump, whatever could be on. When I did this I got 16.45v at the blue and white wire on the converter.

16.45V alone is the reason to replace the converter.

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Low voltage at atwood rv heater, help please

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