electrical problem

[gayles]

I have a 2004 Sea Breeze with a WFCO 55 Amp RV Camper Battery Charger Power Converter WF-9855. Seems to work only part-time. Anybody have any experience with one that works for a week then not the next. Is there a good way to test it besides checking the voltage on the batteries. Is there a 55amp converter that is more dependable than this model. Thanks for the advise

[gayles]

I mean after the the voltage got to 13.5 the converter stopped charging. After a couple hours the battery voltage settled at 12.6. Then over a time (days-week) the battery voltage went down but the converter never started maintaining or charging the batteries again. I also tried the converter on (1) 12 volt battery same results. Answer to question. I don't have a problem replacing one battery at a time. The shop that I bought the replacement battery from and that tested my other batteries, didn't even try to sell me new ones even after I brought up the same question. Thank you all for the information. I think I see the purchase of a Progressive Dynamics Converter in my immediate future.

[wa8yxm]

Question: Would you want a 12 volt battery in your RV where half of it was brand spanking new and the other half was 2 years old?

Treat six volt pairs EXACTLY as though they were a single 12 volt battery size 4D, You would not replace HALF of a 4D (You can not) yet if you replace just one of your six volt batteries... that is precisely what you have done.

And what you have is a 4D that is half new, half 2 years old.. Very strange.

[BFL13]

Do you mean the converter stopped raising the battery voltage after it got to 13.5v and held there at 13.5v forever? (Is that what you mean by "quit" ?) That just means it didn't do "boost" (various reasons for that are possible.)

Or what?

[YC_1]

Do I understand that you changed one of the two 6 volt batteries? Tested as in used a hydrometer and a load tester? If they did test correctly I too would recommend a Progressive Dynamics unit.

[gayles]

Yes I have cleaned and tightened all the connections and one battery for the coach is new and the other one is two years old both tested fine (2-6V golf cart batteries). The motor home is winterized and nothing is on. I have checked the voltage and it just drops till I hook up a regular battery charger then it charges fine. I have remove and reinstalled the converter more than a couple of times and maybe twice it began to charge then quit. After the batteries were at about 13.5 volts.

[dougrainer]

smkettner wrote:
2004? wow it only lasted 10 years.

If mostly plugged in I would get the 35 or 45 amp PowerMax. If charging from generator a lot then get 45 amp IOTA or 60+ amp Progressive Dynamics.

www.bestconverter.com

I doubt that WFCO was original equipment. National never used WFCO parts in their motorhomes or Trailers. Doug

[YC_1]

More symptoms before throwing the baby out with the bath water.

How are you determining it is not working? Is it dead or just weak. What items are you running? What condition is your battery bank? Have the terminals been removed and cleaned and the ground connections cleaned? Have you tightened the wires at the converter?

[wa8yxm]

WFCO is made in China and has the reputation of so many things made in China (not good) Suggest a Progressive Dynamics upgrade module.

PD 4600 unit will likely replace the electronics in your WFCO without the need to replace the rest of the unit.

[NinerBikes]

Love to fish wrote:
I surged my converter with my generator it smoked and quit working. I replaced it now only half of my 12 vote things work lights hot water batterie charge. But the fridg heater won't. Does any one have any advise. Or help thanks

fridge circuit board if on a Dometic, can die if it sees 15.4v or more.

[time2roll]

2004? wow it only lasted 10 years.

If mostly plugged in I would get the 35 or 45 amp PowerMax. If charging from generator a lot then get 45 amp IOTA or 60+ amp Progressive Dynamics.

www.bestconverter.com

[Peg_Leg]

My old converter had a toroidal core transformer. Looks like a donut with wire wrapped around and down through the center. Anyway it was getting hot, every now and then I'd smell something but couldn't find the problem. It finally got hot enough to burn away some of the enamel coating on the wire and short the transformer.

I don't think there was ever a intermittent power problem just the final melt down. I did a lot of searching and found that my unit wasn't known for it's longevity. I swapped my 55 amp out for a PD9260 that done a fantastic job keeping the batteries charged without boiling away the water.

[Love_to_fish]

I surged my converter with my generator it smoked and quit working. I replaced it now only half of my 12 vote things work lights hot water batterie charge. But the fridg heater won't. Does any one have any advise. Or help thanks

[1492]

Moved from Forum Technical Support

[stickdog]

Here's what most recommend http://www.progressivedyn.com/pd4600_converter_replacement.html