Cruisers Forum
Main Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: sailors35 on January 16, 2017, 11:30:52 pm
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Do the PCs come with a battery disconnect/selector switch so one may disconnect, select or combine house and chassis batteries? Also, is there master control panel for DC and AC breakers for turning various power demands off or on to cut down on parasitic electrical draws. Again many thanks
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http://forum.phoenixusarv.com/index.php/topic,2490.msg20796.html#msg20796
I wanted to minimize power consumption from the battery while off grid along the line of your question. Perhaps this thread provides some insight. I initially had a calibration error in my power monitor which I addressed in a later reply to this thread. I still haven't completely eliminated the parasitic drain without turning the battery disconnect switch off but it is manageable. I think the small drain I currently have can be eliminated but I haven't pursued it yet.
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Our PC is coming up on it's 10th birthday this spring so maybe this does not apply to a brand new PC. But the parasitic drain on our PC is very minimal that when using the PC there is nothing to worry about. It is when our PC sits for extended periods without getting used, I need to be watchful. During those times, I disconnect the chassis battery and once every other month I charge the house batteries with a secondary charger. Keep in-mind that our PC is in our garage where it is easy to charge that way. If our PC was stored outside off-site, I would disconnect all the batteries.
I keep the house batteries connected because I find myself inside often enough that it's nice to be able to turn on the lights. Otherwise I'd disconnect the house batteries at home as well.
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Do the PCs come with a battery disconnect/selector switch so one may disconnect, select or combine house and chassis batteries? Also, is there master control panel for DC and AC breakers for turning various power demands off or on to cut down on parasitic electrical draws.
There is no disconnect on batteries.
There is a switch on the dash to allows the house batteries to charge the engine battery. When the engine is running it automatically charges the house batteries. BUT, the switch on the dash is a momentary switch which would require holding it on.
There is no reason I can see why this shouldn't be a normal on-off switch. I replaced the switch with an identical on-off switch which I bought at Advance Auto Parts. The switch pops out and has spade lugs so you just disconnect old and reconnect the wires to new switch.
WHY?- With solar panels installed that are for house battery. When in storage I leave the switch on so it is also charging the engine battery. I have done this for 10 years with no problems. One thing that is affected is that the step cannot be left extended using the switch by the door. When you turn on the dash switch the step goes in.
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Our PC is coming up on it's 10th birthday this spring so maybe this does not apply to a brand new PC. But the parasitic drain on our PC is very minimal that when using the PC there is nothing to worry about. It is when our PC sits for extended periods without getting used, I need to be watchful. During those times, I disconnect the chassis battery and once every other month I charge the house batteries with a secondary charger. Keep in-mind that our PC is in our garage where it is easy to charge that way. If our PC was stored outside off-site, I would disconnect all the batteries.
I keep the house batteries connected because I find myself inside often enough that it's nice to be able to turn on the lights. Otherwise I'd disconnect the house batteries at home as well.
Hi Ron! Not to digress, but do I recall correctly - you wrote in the past about the battery disconnect solenoid catching fire? It seems that comes to mind, and I usually think of it when my battery switch is set to on, and randomly disconnects as we're travelling (usually hitting a bump, or something like that). Am I way off?
Rob
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Yes I did have a fire with our first motor home HERE (https://www.flickr.com/photos/37432012@N08/albums/72157621472936441). It was under the hood of our little Toyota chassis. The solenoid that switched between batteries failed, burned up and smoked, leaving behind black soot on the inside fender wall it was mounted to and on the hood above it, fortunately with no paint damage. It did melt the wire harness jacket below it but did not damage the wires inside. I got very lucky with that catastrophic failure.
On our PC, we have a similar looking device mounted near our fuse panel in the house, I think under the fridge. It is the thing that makes the loud "Click" when turning the main house power on/off, along with that loud chirp from the propane detector.
I suppose there is a threat of a similar failure, but I never gave it a serious thought.
The solenoid thingy looks something like this.
(http://images.oreillyauto.com/parts/img/large/bgm/5498002.jpg)
On the Toyota RV, I replaced it with a battery isolator that looked like this.
(http://www.bluewatermarinesvc.com/images/bat_isolator.gif)
Circled in red, you can see where the original solenoid was with the two mounting screw holes caulked, and the wire harness below it, and also the replacement blue isolator. If you look close, you can see the black wire harness jacket is deformed/melted.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/535/32389374485_58f2287a72_z.jpg)
I have no plan to change the solenoid on our PC.....not yet anyway. I am not even sure if the one in our PC is used in the same manner as our old Toyota chassis rig.
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So just to clarify, there is no regular Battery disconnect switch that turns off the coach 12V systems on PC's?
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So just to clarify, there is no regular Battery disconnect switch that turns off the coach 12V systems on PC's?
Yes there is. On our 2350 and is common with most PCs, the switch is located next to the entry door, mounted on the side of the sink base cabinet. I believe that kill-all switch activates the solenoid pictured earlier. But with everything killed, there is still a parasitic battery drain. That is why people discuss disconnecting the batteries to assure there is no drain at all.
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Thanks Ron....thought I was having a senior moment here. Thought it would be a RIVA etc standard on all RV's. Was just thinking about switching off the system to work on.
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FYI---But it may not be "new" news for some. I had emailed PC about the use of a battery disconnect switch. Earl
answered the question....poor guy is doing double duty I guess. At any rate his answer was "they do now"! Starting with the 2017's
All will have a new manual battery disconnect switch? I guess all the discussions about Parasitic draws with the older models have created change.
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FYI---But it may not be "new" news for some. I had emailed PC about the use of a battery disconnect switch. Earl
answered the question....poor guy is doing double duty I guess. At any rate his answer was "they do now"! Starting with the 2017's
All will have a new manual battery disconnect switch? I guess all the discussions about Parasitic draws with the older models have created change.
2o2
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Here is my super duper, ultra sophisticated Okie disconnect switch:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Battery-Cutoff-Switch-Car-Rv-Boat-Truck-Link-Terminal-Quick-Disconnect-Kill-Key/119498120
Paul
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Just to muddy waters more. Blue Seas, among others, makes a "Battery Combiner" to replace an isolater. This is a glorified relay that when charging batteries dumps charge to the other bank when house batts are full. No parasitic draw like an isolator. Left my 3 way batt switch on one batt for years and let this relay do the work.
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I ordered this switch and sent it to the factory in lieu of their normal relay type switch when we had our unit built last spring. It provided a positive means of disconnecting all loads running through it and also provided a means of disconnecting my solar charging system. I was told the factory liked this switch and would be using it for their 2017 models. This is a four position switch which was used for solar. I don't know if all the 2017 models are exactly like this or not.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0070YEEI8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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I ordered this switch and sent it to the factory in lieu of their normal relay type switch when we had our unit built last spring. It provided a positive means of disconnecting all loads running through it and also provided a means of disconnecting my solar charging system. I was told the factory liked this switch and would be using it for their 2017 models. This is a four position switch which was used for solar. I don't know if all the 2017 models are exactly like this or not.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0070YEEI8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Among the Amazon reviews several people have had issues with that switch falling apart on them.
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Regardless of the type, brand, design of disconnect switch mounted at the batteries, has anyone had reliability issues with them? I wonder if having one introduces a weak point of failure when they become dirty and corroded. Then they would create a problem under a heavy load condition, right? I admit it would be convenient to have one, but worry about long term reliability.
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I had the same Blue Sea rotary disconnect switch on an earlier camping unit for four years without any reliability issues. I guess time will tell on the new one installed on my PC. It went into service in July of last year.
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I ordered this switch and sent it to the factory in lieu of their normal relay type switch when we had our unit built last spring. It provided a positive means of disconnecting all loads running through it and also provided a means of disconnecting my solar charging system. I was told the factory liked this switch and would be using it for their 2017 models. This is a four position switch which was used for solar. I don't know if all the 2017 models are exactly like this or not.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0070YEEI8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Installed before solar controller? Solar to say Pos. 1, Batt. to 2, 1+2 for charging from solar and engine?
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Sailor35,
I connected the battery to #1 and solar to #2 (from a practical perspective the same as what you said). The #1 + #2 position allows the coach to run off the battery and solar as well as the converter and engine. The #1 position runs off the battery, converter, and engine.
I typically leave it in the #1 + #2 position. If the PC is parked and not being used and no shore power connected even a small amount of sun keeps the batteries fully charged.
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Do the PCs come with a battery disconnect/selector switch so one may disconnect, select or combine house and chassis batteries? Also, is there master control panel for DC and AC breakers for turning various power demands off or on to cut down on parasitic electrical draws. Again many thanks
I have a 2015 model, in it, there is no chassis battery disconnect but there is an isolator that prevents the house batteries from drawning down the chassis battery. There is a switch by the side entry door that you can turn off that disconnects MOST loads from the house batteries. I forget exactly what is left attached, but I believe the propane/carbon monoxide sensor stays connected.
Therr is a DC/AC breaker/fuse panel in all the Phoenix models.
Also.. The entry step has a lead from the ignition and chassis battery so the step will still retract if you turn the ignition on.
I installed a knife switch (camping world and lots of other places sell theml to disconnect the chassis battery during storage. For the winter, I remove the house batteries and keep them on a battery tender all winter long.
If i need to 'visit' the RV during the winter, I close the knife switch on the chassis battery, start the engine and then can run the lights, slide or start the generator as the alternator will provide power... Since the alternator output provides power to both chassis and house batteries, it's equivalent to having the house batteries installed (as noted.. Over the winter they are removed).
I hope that answers your concerns.