House battery question

If you are not disconnecting the battery (battery disconnect switch) parasitic loads are draining the battery. If you buy a battery maintainer it will keep your battery healthy and you can leave it connected all the time while in storage.

If I am not constantly connected to some sort of shore power when parked at home I will disconnect my deep cycle batteries. The parasitic drains will run my battery down in as little as two weeks... maybe less time...

I have a battery disconnect switch installed on my battery bank.

Roy Ken

Batteries are damaged by cold when they have little charge. When I leave one outside over a winter, I usually put a charger on it for a couple of hours once in December and again in January or February.

The real problem is continuous small loads draining the battery and making it vulnerable - a light left on for a week followed by a night at 30 below destroys the battery. Even little loads like a propane detector can drain the charge over time. The smart thing to do is disconnect the battery so there is no load. Don't rely on the battery disconnect switch; unhook a cable.

I did not understand that even deep cycle batteries should not be discharged much more than half way in regular use - that shortened the life of my first set of house batteries, which soon left us with no furnace in the early spring mornings. Overcharging can also reduce battery capacity. If plugging in to shore power for days at a time, I would make sure the converter charging voltage drops to no more than 13 after batteries are fully charged. If not, the batteries must be disconnected from charging, by unhooking if the disconnect switch doesn't do it.

Thanks so much I guess I should have researched this sooner we have had the RV for years now LOL. I think we have gone through at least three maybe four or more house batteries in 8 years. I am reading those posted threads too.

I am curious though, why don't we have this problem with the Engine battery? Because we let the RV sit several months over the winter and it starts up just fine in the spring no problem. Is there a difference between the two in terms of wiring etc?

I am assuming that the main engine battery does not have parasitic loading problem that a house battery has that Dakzuki mentions?

Nobody has mentioned it, but you originally stated:

"SRM29 Interstate Deep Cycle battery, 675 cold cranking amps".

This tells me that your battery is not the type of battery you should be using for your rv. Any battery measured in CCA (cold cranking amps) is designed for "starting" as they supply a high number of amps for a short period of time. Discharging them will significantly reduce its effectiveness to hold a charge.

You really need to look for a deep cycle battery that is measured in Ah (Amp hours). Those are designed to have repeated discharge/recharge without significant damage to the cells and its ability to hold a charge.

As others have mentioned, your rv has parasitic loads that will discharged the battery even if nothing is turned on. You need to disconnect the battery and it then should hold a charge for a longer period.

Also, your converter may not have the three stage ability to "float" charge your battery once it is fully charged. Continuous charging can damage the battery as much if not more than discharging it.

Hope this helps

Ron

lanerd wrote:
Nobody has mentioned it, but you originally stated:

"SRM29 Interstate Deep Cycle battery, 675 cold cranking amps".

This tells me that your battery is not the type of battery you should be using for your rv. Any battery measured in CCA (cold cranking amps) is designed for "starting" as they supply a high number of amps for a short period of time. Discharging them will significantly reduce its effectiveness to hold a charge.

You really need to look for a deep cycle battery that is measured in Ah (Amp hours). Those are designed to have repeated discharge/recharge without significant damage to the cells and its ability to hold a charge.

As others have mentioned, your rv has parasitic loads that will discharged the battery even if nothing is turned on. You need to disconnect the battery and it then should hold a charge for a longer period.

Also, your converter may not have the three stage ability to "float" charge your battery once it is fully charged. Continuous charging can damage the battery as much if not more than discharging it.

Hope this helps

Ron

WOW! So interstate is being mis leading? Because it states right on the label "Marine/RV Deep Cycle" and also on the top it says 675 CCA 845 MCA...I think MCA means marine cranking amps...

On another note, anyone have experience with this product the Battery minder http://batteryminders.com/store.php?spawner=nav&&app=rv

your interstate battery is fine for RVing. it isn't the perfect battery but it is what most of us use. but of course if you want a REAL RV battery here you go: http://www.apexbattery.com/12-v--250-ah-8d-deep-cycle-agm-rv-recreational-battery-ub-8d.html?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=41442439746&utm_content=pla&gclid=CMDA8rXap7cCFUJqMgodR1kAtg I'd think not.

coming from Michigan, in the winter I'd just take the batteries out and put them in the basement.

edbehnke wrote:
your interstate battery is fine for RVing. it isn't the perfect battery but it is what most of us use. but of course if you want a REAL RV battery here you go: http://www.apexbattery.com/12-v--250-ah-8d-deep-cycle-agm-rv-recreational-battery-ub-8d.html?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=41442439746&utm_content=pla&gclid=CMDA8rXap7cCFUJqMgodR1kAtg I'd think not.

coming from Michigan, in the winter I'd just take the batteries out and put them in the basement.

OK thanks. If a batt is dis connected in basement and kept warm, is there a need to hook it up to a charger once and a while?

Hi,

The nearer the battery is to deep cycle the more self discharge happens. Charge the battery fully, disconnect from all loads. Do not put it in a warm location as that will increase the self discharge.

You may wish to look at a modest solar system to keep the battery bank in tip top condition between trips.