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Old 08-13-2014, 10:22 PM   #1
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Parasitic electrical flow

I was talking to someone at a campground this week and complaining about my batteries running down to 50% of capacity in 3 days. He happened to have a Fluke clamp-on DC ammeter. We opened the battery compartment and put the ammeter on the positive lead and measured a few conditions. It turned out that the refrigerator draws 1 ampere all the time when running on LPG. I think that there is a LPG solenoid that has to be activated.

The LED reading lights in the bedroom draw 0.1 ampere each.

I just bought a clamp-on for my own use. I want to run some more tests when it arrives and I will post the results.
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Old 08-13-2014, 10:47 PM   #2
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Your propane detector is hard wired as well and always drawing some power.

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Old 08-13-2014, 10:58 PM   #3
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Fridge current draw on propane

Our fridge also draws nearly an amp when running on propane.

We have a 2013 25FB. The documentation for the fridge shows that there is a small heating element that runs on 12V. It's not for the cooling system, it is for fighting condensation. I think this heater is near the door, but I am not sure.
This heater draws about 1/2 an amp.

The manual implies it runs as needed, but I think it runs pretty much all the time.

We have identified the wire that runs to this heater. We intend to insert a switch in this wire, and only turn it on if we experience a condensation problem.

By the way, we have a clamp-on meter made by Klein. I think we paid around $90. You can get clamp-on models for less, but the cheap ones don't measure DC current, only AC.
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Old 08-14-2014, 04:06 AM   #4
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check your fridge manual. mine has a switch to shut that heater off.
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Old 08-14-2014, 07:23 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by richinny View Post
check your fridge manual. mine has a switch to shut that heater off.
Mine as well.

When dry camping my draw is about 1.9 amps. In addition to the propane detector, fridge board, water pump and LED lighting, I run two small 2" computer fans inside the fridge. I do shut off the outside fans, but I have found that the interior ones are necessary of I get warm and below freezing areas of the fridge when packed full.

Last week, I was able to go three plus days and was to 40% when I left that site. Don't like to go that low, but they had a no generator policy.

BTW, I found that the charge line from the truck initially supplies 15 amps, then drops off to 12 amps, presumably as the circuit warms up and resistance increases.
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Old 09-11-2014, 09:36 PM   #6
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Attached is the DC current study that I did recently with a DC clamp-on ammeter.
http://wonderfulwalter.com/current_study.pdf
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Old 09-11-2014, 09:53 PM   #7
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Here are measured DC current numbers on my 2014 20' FC.

Measured with a Tri-Metric meter and 100 amp shunt.

Water heater, when flame on: .74 amp

Refrigerator, flame on: .32

Refrigerator fan only: .55

Bed lights, reading, each: .17

Bed lights, overhead, 3: dimmest .1
brightest .52

Main overhead lights, 6 dimmest .23
brightest 1.18

Step light: .06
Scare light (floodlight) .13

Table light: High .62
Low .31

Kitchen lights (either, there are 2) High .38
low .19

Bath lights (2, each with high and low) All .72
one high .38
one low .19
Every LED light inside on at the same time: 3.9 amps


Fantastic fan, each: High 1.55
Medium 1.22
Low .93

Bath fan (little, 4" round) 1.5

Kitchen range fan: 2.4

Kitchen range fan lights (halogen) 3.5

Furnace, 18,000 btuh, direct vent burner on: 3.65
fan only: 2.9

Radio, all off, no lights showing: no measure
Radio, disco lights on, no volume: .7
Radio, lights on, medium volume: .9 to 1

Propane detector: .06


Pump: (variable speed) 2-4

1000 watt sine wave inverter, on, no load 1.76
with TV and DVD plugged in, but not on: 1.76

TV on and DVD playing: 3.6

TV on DVD playing, + radio on for sound: 4.9-5.3

Very small microwave, supplied by inverter: 89

Toaster, supplied by inverter: 75

Apple Mac Book Pro, charged running from
inverter: 3.1 to 3.3
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Old 09-11-2014, 10:08 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by idroba View Post
Here are measured DC current numbers on my 2014 20' FC.

Measured with a Tri-Metric meter and 100 amp shunt.

Water heater, when flame on: .74 amp

Refrigerator, flame on: .32

Refrigerator fan only: .55

Bed lights, reading, each: .17

Bed lights, overhead, 3: dimmest .1
brightest .52

Main overhead lights, 6 dimmest .23
brightest 1.18

Step light: .06
Scare light (floodlight) .13

Table light: High .62
Low .31

Kitchen lights (either, there are 2) High .38
low .19

Bath lights (2, each with high and low) All .72
one high .38
one low .19
Every LED light inside on at the same time: 3.9 amps


Fantastic fan, each: High 1.55
Medium 1.22
Low .93

Bath fan (little, 4" round) 1.5

Kitchen range fan: 2.4

Kitchen range fan lights (halogen) 3.5

Furnace, 18,000 btuh, direct vent burner on: 3.65
fan only: 2.9

Radio, all off, no lights showing: no measure
Radio, disco lights on, no volume: .7
Radio, lights on, medium volume: .9 to 1

Propane detector: .06


Pump: (variable speed) 2-4

1000 watt sine wave inverter, on, no load 1.76
with TV and DVD plugged in, but not on: 1.76

TV on and DVD playing: 3.6

TV on DVD playing, + radio on for sound: 4.9-5.3

Very small microwave, supplied by inverter: 89

Toaster, supplied by inverter: 75

Apple Mac Book Pro, charged running from
inverter: 3.1 to 3.3
NICE WORK!

And the 100 amp shunt gives you that extra decimal place of accuracy too.

In reference to running your gas/absorption fridge on LP, the control board will always be on and requires about 1/2 amp. when you operate on LP, the control board must supply a constant voltage to the LP solenoid to keep it open, as it's a normally closed solenoid that requires constant voltage to operate, so an amp while operating it on LP is about right.
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Old 09-12-2014, 12:33 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by idroba View Post
Here are measured DC current numbers on my 2014 20' FC.

Measured with a Tri-Metric meter and 100 amp shunt...
Excellent! I'll be slipping a copy of this into my Owner's Manual. Thanks for taking the time to share all of that data.
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Old 09-12-2014, 05:43 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lewster View Post

In reference to running your gas/absorption fridge on LP, the control board will always be on and requires about 1/2 amp. when you operate on LP, the control board must supply a constant voltage to the LP solenoid to keep it open, as it's a normally closed solenoid that requires constant voltage to operate, so an amp while operating it on LP is about right.
I was surprised that this new 2014 Dometic 4 cu ft refrigerator has such a low draw(0.35 amp) in comparison to the other Dometic refrigerators I have measured. You are correct that it needs power to keep the gas valve open, but it is less that I have seen other units use. The circuit board itself also seems to have a lower power draw so maybe Dometic has been making some changes. I can only tell you what I see on this 4 cu ft unit in the FC 20.

The refrigerator fan draw of .55 amps was the original fan, not only noisy but a real energy hog. I have since replaced it with a 7" computer fan with an air flow of 120 CFM and a current draw of 0.2 amps vs. the .55 amps of the original. It is dead silent too.
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Old 09-12-2014, 06:38 PM   #11
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Idroba,

Would you have the name or a link to that computer fan you put in the fridge compartment?
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Old 09-12-2014, 09:04 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waltc View Post
Attached is the DC current study that I did recently with a DC clamp-on ammeter.
http://wonderfulwalter.com/current_study.pdf
The study is much appreciated! Made a copy for my files. Thanks.
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Old 09-12-2014, 10:53 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by dkottum View Post
Idroba,

Would you have the name or a link to that computer fan you put in the fridge compartment?
I am out on a camping trip right now, but when I get home I can give you the information as I have the package it came in.

All I can say now is that it came from Fry's electronics, a big electronics superstore chain and was about $12. Once I get home I can give you the specific name and model information. I stood at their computer fan section and picked out the one with the highest CFM rating for the lowest current draw.

More later.
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Old 09-12-2014, 11:43 PM   #14
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Thanks, Idroba !!!
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Old 09-13-2014, 01:30 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SSquared View Post
Our fridge also draws nearly an amp when running on propane.

We have a 2013 25FB. The documentation for the fridge shows that there is a small heating element that runs on 12V. It's not for the cooling system, it is for fighting condensation. I think this heater is near the door, but I am not sure.
This heater draws about 1/2 an amp.

The manual implies it runs as needed, but I think it runs pretty much all the time.

We have identified the wire that runs to this heater. We intend to insert a switch in this wire, and only turn it on if we experience a condensation problem.

By the way, we have a clamp-on meter made by Klein. I think we paid around $90. You can get clamp-on models for less, but the cheap ones don't measure DC current, only AC.
Any chance you could snap a pic or explain the location of this wire please? I have a Dometic RM2820, the manual says it has a switch under the eyebrow control panel, but it does not.

I contacted Dometic and was told that some had a switch and others did not, but of course was not allowed to tell me how to disconnect the element. I have switched to a Dinosaur board on a previous Dometic I had so I am a little familar.

I thought this would have been a hot topic on this forum due to the battery drain, but i searched and could not find much. It appears most people have the switch and just did not know it was there.

Thanks , Ken
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Old 09-13-2014, 03:12 PM   #16
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The power wire that enables the door heater is generally found on either the control board or if present, the fuse block.

The schematic for same will be in your manual.


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Old 09-13-2014, 10:00 PM   #17
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Picture of heater wire

Quote:
Originally Posted by kmaggard View Post
Any chance you could snap a pic or explain the location of this wire please? I have a Dometic RM2820, the manual says it has a switch under the eyebrow control panel, but it does not.

...snip....

Thanks , Ken
We never got around to cutting this wire. (We got a large solar system this summer, and have had plenty of power--except for last Tuesday when it rained almost the whole day)

Note that my fridge is a different model than yours (RM 3762 here).

The wire is a light blue one, at the left end of a row of wires coming off the bottom edge of the board. In the wide shot, you can see that there is a wiring diagram pasted inside the fridge. The same diagram is in the manual.

The wire goes from P5 on the board to heating wire T.

In the detail photo, the red arrow identifies the wire.
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Old 09-14-2014, 03:49 AM   #18
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The study is much appreciated! Made a copy for my files. Thanks.

Ditto to WaltC! Sorry I missed it the first time around.
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Old 09-14-2014, 10:38 AM   #19
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Thanks for the help to all of you. I am headed out there now to take a look.

Looks like same location on my control board per the wiring diagram.
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Old 09-16-2014, 08:52 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dkottum View Post
Idroba,

Would you have the name or a link to that computer fan you put in the fridge compartment?
I am home now and got the information:

Cooler Master MegaFlow 200

200 mm fan, 700 rpm, 110 cfm of air flow, 30,000 hour life, 0.16 amp (I measured 0.2 amp)

I got it at Fry's electronics for about $12-15, forget the exact amount.
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