Disappearing voltage?

[dsprik]

I agree, Tom. I don't ever recall hearing that converter/fan running hard (or even running) when no 12v systems were on. We have been fulltiming for over two years with this 3400 and long timing after that. Something's wrong. Anyone else here have any ideas/suggestions?

[firetrucker]

The IOTA converter puts the batteries through an equalizing cycle every week or two, I think. If it were that, plus real high temperatures in the rig, then the fan might run on high. There are also several invisible but small 12 volt loads, like the refrigerator (are the climate control or low ambient switches on?), propane detector, and rechargeable light.

Bob

[jimcol]

Dave,
I think you always have some DC drain on the battery such as the smoke, CO2, and LP gas detector. Even killing the main DC panel doesn't take these items off line. The draw is minimal but sooner or later the battery is going to need the converter. Heat also shortens the life of the battery. Just because it is not fizzing doesn't always mean the battery is good. Might be worth pulling it out and having it tested. I'm not smart enough in this area to say if the converter could be the problem with your voltage drop. It would be easy to eliminate it as the cause by turning your breaker off going to the converter then firing up the a/c unit. Let uys know what you find.
Jim C.

[dsprik]

Didn't think of the detectors - the smoke detector is strictly battery, but the other two are not. The fridge, though, is off and doors propped open.

The converter was running hard yesterday for about 4+ hrs before it started to wind down. I will check it here this morning before I leave for Home Depot. Maybe that 10/3 extension cord will straighten everything out.

*On Edit~ Another thing I could try on the converter is to turn the key on the battery cutoff and leave the power on to the rig to see what kind of reaction the converter had. I wouldn't hurt anything doing that would I? Anyone ever try that?

[jwedell]

Just a thought; Do you have 1 battery or 2 and if 2 are they both 12 volt batteries in parallel. A bad cell in one battery can cause the other battery to constantly try to charge it and the converter will keep charging both of them all the time. even one battery with a bad cell will do the same thing. IMHO you may want to have the battery checked out. Either way Good Luck.

[dsprik]

quote:Originally posted by jwedell

Just a thought; Do you have 1 battery or 2 and if 2 are they both 12 volt batteries in parallel. A bad cell in one battery can cause the other battery to constantly try to charge it and the converter will keep charging both of them all the time. even one battery with a bad cell will do the same thing. IMHO you may want to have the battery checked out. Either way Good Luck.

Thanks for the info, John. I do only have one battery. However, I have had this same battery for 3 yrs - 2 yrs of that as FTers.

I plugged in my new 10/3 extension cord and it worked great. I did have an initial drop in voltage over about two minutes, but unlike the old 100 ft 16/3 cord, it stabilized after dropping about one full volt - 108.3 to 107.4 - and never budged from there during the next 20 minute that I ran the AC.

I will continue to monitor that converter. I have had a converter malfunction and die on me, but it did not act like this. Can't believe there is anything wrong with the converter... Just wondering if I am drawing current somewhere (12v or 120 AC) in the Monty.

[Tom S.]

As far as the battery / converter is concerned, the only thing that would effect them is a 12 volt drain. If you disconnect the external power, then anything drawing 12 volts will have to do so from the battery. Check for a current drain by using an amp meter. Do not shut off the battery disconnect while doing the test. If you have a draw of more than a few milliamps, start looking for what ever is drawing the current by pulling fuses one by one while looking for changes in the amp meter. If there is only a small draw on the battery, pull the battery and have it tested.

BTW: Congrats on the new cord!

[dsprik]

Thanks, Tom! I will do that.