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Conserving electricity

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glenncc

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Conserving electricity
« on: February 05, 2015, 12:20:05 pm »
For you electrical engineers out there I am wondering if there is a difference in electrical consumption between regular power hookups and using coach batteries until they are depleted to "safe" levels and then recharging those batteris via that power hookup?  Is it a case of having a set supply of electrical power and using it at the same level no matter how that supply is depleted or could there actually be a savings by using the batteries?
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keelhauler

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Re: Conserving electricity
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2015, 12:41:37 pm »
Converter inefficiency.
It takes more power to charge the batteries to the same level from where they were depleted to.

Also try to never drop your batteries below 12.1 volts, this is 50% charged.

Converters never fully charge your battery, your alternator will or solar arrays.
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John
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glenncc

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Re: Conserving electricity
« Reply #2 on: February 05, 2015, 12:59:42 pm »
Just three days ago I replaced my pair of 6-volt Interstate house batteries with comparable new Interstate 6-volt batteries.  After being plugged in and camped since then when I unplugged today to test my new batteries they showed a charge of 11.9 volts.  Are you saying they were already more than 50% depleted (12.1 volts)?  Does that mean my new batteries are defective? 
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keelhauler

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Re: Conserving electricity
« Reply #3 on: February 05, 2015, 03:27:32 pm »
Seldom are new batteries fully charged.

12.73V is fully charged.

Keep charging with battery charger or RV alternator.
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John
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bobojay

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Re: Conserving electricity
« Reply #4 on: February 05, 2015, 06:11:08 pm »
Quote from: glenncc on February 05, 2015, 12:59:42 pm
Just three days ago I replaced my pair of 6-volt Interstate house batteries with comparable new Interstate 6-volt batteries.  After being plugged in and camped since then when I unplugged today to test my new batteries they showed a charge of 11.9 volts.  Are you saying they were already more than 50% depleted (12.1 volts)?  Does that mean my new batteries are defective? 

After having worked in a Delphi battery plant in the 1999 to 2005 times period, and being the second shift person that charged the batteries, I can tell you it's best to not take a battery straight off the shelf, especially if you buy them at most auto parts stores or car dealers, without putting them on a charger for a few hours before installing and using them. You want to charge them at a fairly low rate for those hours.
Now this of course applies to wet cell batteries I'm talking about....

glenncc, if you were plugged in that whole time, I think you need to check to see what your converter is putting into them, and make sure you have good connections
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Bob & Sharon
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David J. Rotelle

Re: Conserving electricity
« Reply #5 on: February 05, 2015, 07:02:24 pm »
We took delivery of our new Cruiser in August and a few weeks ago realized our Converter had stopped working. When plugged into 110 we were not charging nor converting to 12 volt.
Kermit sent us a new converter which I installed yesterday. We are now reading 13.1 and the Converter is working well again.

I'm not sure what happened to our original converter, Kermit says it is VERY rare to have one go bad. Although I'm grateful Kermit sent us a new one I think it's possible we experienced some sort of a power surge that caused the damage.

I purchased an in line RV surge protector as a precaution.  You may want to check your inverter just to be sure, I agree you should put a charger on your new batteries to get them up to a full charge. If your converter is working properly and you are plugged in with your shore line I think your batteries should hold their charge.
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keelhauler

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Re: Conserving electricity
« Reply #6 on: February 06, 2015, 10:55:19 am »
Another thing to check is the Battery Disconnect off? If you are plugged into 110v the light will be on but the relay may not be closed so that batteries will not charge from the converter. Hit the up USE position. To be sure you could unplug the 110v, if the relay is on then, the red light will be on.
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John
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glenncc

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Re: Conserving electricity
« Reply #7 on: February 08, 2015, 11:20:17 am »
All seems well now.  The fully charged 6-volt batteries are showing 12.9 volts.  I'm just surprised it took so long to get them to that point.  Interstate told me they were fully charged when installed, but I have my doubts. 

Thanks for all the help, guys!
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