Maintain strong 12v battery

[luggage]

Yesterday I posted a question about power for my slides and was greeted with exceptionally fast and helpful responses. This prompts me to ask another question related to that subject. Since the 12v battery is the power for the slides and I have always had concerns about maintaining a strong battery, should I keep my battery ("on/off" switch) in the "on" position at home for the lights and whatever else the battery powers. But if I do that will that not slowly drain the battery. After all that was the reason I had the "on/off switch" installed. I keep my RV plugged in to 110v shore power for AC when I need it since I am working on inside. Thanks again and I look forward to learning more about my electrical system.

[wa8yxm]

THe answer depends on the converter you have..

The old Magnetek 6300 series and I suspect some of their other entries had very poor voltage regulation, also they were designed for 110-115 volt not today's 120 volt. so they tend to overcharge the batteries if left plugged in long term and "Boil" them dry in very short order. Flip side. the 6300 needs a battery connected or it does not work properly.. (may run lights ok though).

More modern converters have better regulation and with those, if you have "Shore power" (House power) leave the batteries connected.

I have a Progressive INdustries Intella-power 9180 with optional wizard.. I keep mine connnected save when re-filling propane tank (Easiest way to turn EVERYTHING off).

[Golden_HVAC]

Hi,

If the RV is plugged in, then the battery will stay properly charged. DOn't worry about the switch being on or off, unless you are storing the RV someplace without 120 volt power. In that case, switch to off to slow the battery discharge.

Batteries will self discharge at about 5% to 10% of their capacity per month. In a RV, the CO meter will discharge it at about 10 amp hours per day. You can not shut off the CO meter in most models, except when the storage switch is off. Leave on the propane detector and it's solenoid to allow propane into the pipes, you will draw about 1 amp per hour, or enough to drain a pair of batteries in about a week.


The slide motor uses a lot of amperage, but not for a full hour. So while it might draw say 40 amps, because it runs about 1/30 of one minute, that means it only takes about 1.2 to 2 amp hours to move the slide in or out.

The water pump is also very energy efficient. While it can draw 7 amps per hour, it will pump 2 gallons per minute, or pump a 120 gallon tank dry with only 7 amp hours.

The CO meter is not as efficient. While drawing only a couple of watts, say 0.2 amps per hour, it is running all weekend, and in 3 days can draw 25 amp hours, twice what the water pump will use in a long weekend.

You can fix all of this with a pair of 100 - 120 watt solar panels. Now much less expensive than in the 90's when I bought mine. SunElec.com sells some for about $1 per rated watt.

Fred.

[Ranger_Smith]

I would leave it plugged in and leave the battery switch on. Check the batteries once a month for water. The converter will keep them charged and strong. The lights will then work off the converter. Most converters need to be connected to the batteries to maintain regulation. I would only shut off the battery switch if in storage somewhere with no power.