Simple question; hard to pin down in search mode.For a standalone deck mount converter, would you wire the + output to the battery side of the battery cutoff switch, or to the load/house side? Those are the only two choices! :)

To me, a battery cutoff switch is just that, something to isolate the battery.

If the idea is to be able to run the rig on the converter with no battery, and that's the only converter, then by the batteryIf you have the old converter still hooked up inside the rig, and the deck mount up by the batts, then you can have the switch on the battery to old converter pos wire where it is now, and no switch for the new converter at all.That would let you run the rig on the old converter while the new converter charges the batteries with no load on them slowing down the recharge.

BFL13 wrote:If you have the old converter still hooked up inside the rig, and the deck mount up by the batts, then you can have the switch on the battery to old converter pos wire where it is now, and no switch for the new converter at all.That would let you run the rig on the old converter while the new converter charges the batteries with no load on them slowing down the recharge.This is how I have mine wired. The OEM WFCO runs through the switch and the IOTA deck mount is hard wired. The IOTA has a 3' wire run to the batteries.There was a spare breaker slot in the WFCO AC side so I put the WFCO on its own breaker. And the IOTA runs through a switched outlet in the front pass-through. I can run either the WFCO or IOTA converter, both, or none.

I would run it through the switch in most cases.Exception would be if you relocated the converter close to the battery for the purpose of improved charging. In this case converter would be direct to battery, no switch, no fuse.

I have two converters on my 12VDC Power Distribution system installed in the 2009 time frame..I have the original WFCO WF8945 Converter still functional in the bottom compartment of the WF8900 series Power Distribution system.I also added a PD9260C Stand-alone Smart Mode CONVERTER which is much closer to the battery switch later on..This is my wiring diagram showing both converters in use. I only use the WF8945 Converter as a back up unit and the PD0260C Converter as primary. I simply just flip the correct 120VAC Circuit breaker to turn 'ON' the converter I want to use.Roy Ken

Wire converter to which side of battery switch?

16 Replies

mbopp
Explorer
Oct 18, 2014
mena661 wrote:
Do the Iota's do this?

Yes. My IOTA status LED flashes and there is a parasitic draw when the AC power is removed. I pull one of the cables off the batteries if I won't be hooked up to AC power for a few days.
Wayne_Dohnal
Explorer
Oct 18, 2014
Just a warning not sure if it applies to your converter
Some actually many of the converters with a remote control aka pendant
consume a small amount of power from the battery all the time they are connected to the battery. Just something to think about
FWIW, my PD9160A with Charge Wizard draws between 3 mA and 7 mA. The rate appears to be determined by the CW's mode which in turn determines the duty cycle of the green LED. That puts the battery discharge between about 2.2 and 5 Ah per month. For comparison, my battery monitor pulls out 6.4 Ah per month, and the self discharge of a 2x GC battery using the common 5% per month rate is 11.25 Ah per month.

Bottom line: The battery draw of the 9160A+CW is IMO a nit. One detail that PD did a very good job with.
mena661
Explorer
Oct 17, 2014
KJINTF wrote:
Just a warning not sure if it applies to your converter
Some actually many of the converters with a remote control aka pendant
consume a small amount of power from the battery all the time they are connected to the battery. Just something to think about
Do the Iota's do this?
BFL13
Explorer II
Oct 17, 2014
Snowman9000 wrote:
Begs the question: Is the reason for the switch:
A) to disconnect the house in order to not run down the batteries, or
B) to disconnect the batteries for safety or some other reason, while connected to shore power.

For me, the benefit comes from A. I haven't run into B yet.

Even if the switch is on the battery side, you could still have other loads on the battery. A trailer would still have jacks, slides, breakaway switch, LP alarm, and stereo clock. A MH may have some things too.

You might need a switch right at the battery post to cut off everything. For help in remembering, you could run a wire from there to a big lamp above the rig's doorway which is on when the switch is closed :)
KJINTF
Explorer
Oct 17, 2014
Just a warning not sure if it applies to your converter
Some actually many of the converters with a remote control aka pendant
consume a small amount of power from the battery all the time they are connected to the battery. Just something to think about
mena661
Explorer
Oct 17, 2014
B for me. Don't want to have to worry about equalizing messing with the fridge board or other 12 stuff.
Snowman9000
Explorer
Oct 17, 2014
duplicate
Snowman9000
Explorer
Oct 17, 2014
Begs the question: Is the reason for the switch:
A) to disconnect the house in order to not run down the batteries, or
B) to disconnect the batteries for safety or some other reason, while connected to shore power.

For me, the benefit comes from A. I haven't run into B yet.
Snowman9000
Explorer
Oct 17, 2014
Thanks, it's good to see the different rationales for each way. The way I'm leaning is to put it on the battery side. That way if I plug into shore power I'm sure to get a battery charge. And if nothing works in the house, I'll realize the switch is OFF. OTOH if I connect it to the house side instead, I could plug into shore power but forget to turn the battery switch. My house circuits would work but my batts would not charge.

So, the downside of putting it on the battery side is that I could not completely isolate the batteries. I'd have to switch off the converter to accomplish that. I'm trying to think of what happens to make that become an issue.

I'm trying to make it idiot-resistant. :)
But I have to imagine which consequences of idiocy would be more likely, and which ones worse.
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Oct 17, 2014
Two theories.

If hooked on battery side you can fully turn off coach but still charge batteries

MOST RV dealers hook to house side of switch so you can power coach from shore after disconnecting.