Forum Discussion

Campinfan's avatar
Campinfan
Explorer III
May 17, 2014

Battery disconnect

I did not want to hijack another thread so I am posing this question here. I just got a new fiver and the disconnect switch only disconnects some things...like the lights. Since I do not want to fry my battery when I am parked at home and hooked to electricity, should I add another disconnect on the positive side? I am thinking that will prevent my battery from overcharging. I know I need to keep checking the water level but you know how busy things get with 3 kids, I am worried I will forget and cook the battery.
  • Allworth's avatar
    Allworth
    Explorer II
    May 17, 2014
    Now, don't be too harsh on dealers.

    They only lie when their mouths are moving.
  • Campinfan's avatar
    Campinfan
    Explorer III
    May 17, 2014
    Thanks for the assurances. I have heard so much about overcharging and "cooking" the battery that I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. My dealer said not to worry but I know that dealers do not always tell you the right info.
  • bfast54's avatar
    bfast54
    Explorer
    May 17, 2014
    Agree,the age of your rig,unless low end ..budget rig....should have a Smart type charger.

    Monitor the water levels......if it starts using a lot of water,batts get warm.....go further,but,should not need to......
  • john_bet's avatar
    john_bet
    Explorer II
    May 17, 2014
    They must have changed the way converter work since '05. Mine is plugged in all the time and I have yet to cook my original battery. My converter is a 55 amp IOTA. I add a little water every spring and press on.
  • GON2SKI's avatar
    GON2SKI
    Explorer
    May 17, 2014
    I added a second disconnect ( a knife switch) at the neg on lower T105 6V battery as in storage the draining features caused two dead batts.
  • RoyF's avatar
    RoyF
    Explorer
    May 17, 2014
    My converter maintains fully charged battery at 13.2 volts, which (I believe) is not a "cooking" voltage. I wouldn't worry unless you are measuring higher voltage, say in the 14s.
  • downtheroad's avatar
    downtheroad
    Explorer
    May 17, 2014
    More than likely you have a 3 stage converter.. It has a 'float' stage that will maintain your batts without overcharging (boiling) them. Once your batts are fully charged, the converter will go into the 'float' mode automatically and maintain a full charge state.

    As you said, continue to monitor the water level. But, that's all you need to do.
  • Bumpyroad's avatar
    Bumpyroad
    Explorer
    May 17, 2014
    I just put my RV on a timer and have it come on a hour or so a day.
    bumpy

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