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Old 06-16-2015, 09:44 PM   #1
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Battery disconnect switch

Hello,
My battery disconnect red light does not turn off when I switch it from either store or use. Is this normal?
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Old 06-16-2015, 10:02 PM   #2
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Yes. That switch is the least intuitive device known to man....
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Old 06-16-2015, 10:14 PM   #3
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Yes that is normal. The Owners Manual has a pretty good description of the switch operation. We use the switch frequently to isolate the batteries for different conditions.
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Old 06-16-2015, 11:57 PM   #4
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A search of the appropriate sub-forum "Batteries, Univolts, Converters & Inverters" reveals answers to this frequently asked question (and frequently misunderstood issue).

Answers such as seen in the thread "Battery Disconnect Switch 2010 Flying Cloud" and "Battery Disconnect Switch, Solar & AGMs."
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Old 06-17-2015, 10:18 PM   #5
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Thanks
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Old 06-17-2015, 10:59 PM   #6
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From the thread about the 2010 FC. This is how our AS behaves.

"It can be a little confusing.

If the trailer is not plugged in to shore power, the LED lights only in the "use" mode.

If the trailer is plugged in, the LED will be lit in both "use" and "store"'. In the "store" mode the batteries are disconnected from the electrical system. The power supplied by the converter is running the trailer and LED.

Regards,

JD"
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Old 06-17-2015, 11:07 PM   #7
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In the STORE mode the propane detector is still powered, and has a constant current draw. I believe the battery disconnect relay takes power in either position, so a constant draw (can someone confirm this?) The tongue jack is wired directly to the batteries.
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Old 06-18-2015, 12:41 AM   #8
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Doug, if I understand your question, I don't believe the relay is a constant draw. There's just an always hot buss for things like the LP detector. I wish I knew what all of those devices are.
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Old 06-18-2015, 12:45 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by dkottum View Post
In the STORE mode the propane detector is still powered, and has a constant current draw. I believe the battery disconnect relay takes power in either position, so a constant draw (can someone confirm this?) The tongue jack is wired directly to the batteries.
The relay only takes power to move it from one position to the other, but no power constantly. The propane detector takes power all the time, about 6 mA in my trailer. If you have a radio like the one in my 2014 FC 20, and you turn the use/store switch to store, then unplug the rig, when you turn the switch back to USE, the demo disco lights on the radio come on and the thing takes about 0.75 amp. On my unit, the radio is behind a cabinet door and you can't see it has come back on, with it's flashing light display. A good way to kill the batteries in a few days. Really stupid design. BTW, I have found no extra power drain for the sub woofer in my rig. It seems to turn on and off with the radio.

I put a positive off switch on the propane detector as well as the radio. I still totally disconnect the batteries (but leave them in place) for winter storage.

The factory inverter option is another possible power drain. The inverter has it's own power wires to the batteries and does not go through the use/store switch. So, it is possible to leave the inverter on and run the batteries down quickly, even when the switch is in Store. The inverter takes 1.75 amps when on, but doing nothing but sitting there.

And yes, the tongue jack is directly wired to the batteries, so if someone turns on the tongue jack lights there is another drain on the batteries.
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Old 06-19-2015, 08:41 AM   #10
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Like idroba, I disconnect the batteries any time the trailer is not in use and in a location where my solar panels are not getting good sun exposure.

I agree, it's a stupid design to have a parasitic drain when the trailer is switched to store.
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Old 06-19-2015, 10:32 AM   #11
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Is it normal for the panel to read 13.6v when the battery switch is off and the shore power connected? is that just the converter trying to charge a load that isn't there? or am I boiling my batteries?
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Old 06-19-2015, 11:02 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by leedav View Post
Is it normal for the panel to read 13.6v when the battery switch is off and the shore power connected? is that just the converter trying to charge a load that isn't there? or am I boiling my batteries?
In "store" the voltage you see will be the converter/charger output voltage.

I believe that the 16' Sport units such as you have are the only ones that come with a 3 stage converter/charger from the factory. I understand it is a WFCO unit. If that is true, you do not need to worry about overcharging your batteries if it is working properly.

BTW, the batteries don't "boil" but overcharging can result in excess gassing and loss of liquid. I am a stickler for proper terminology and to me, boiling is what water does when it is heated to 212 F and changes to a gas. The acid in the battery does not do that. The use of the word "boil" is common here on the forum but I would like to see all of us change to something which is more accurate. I am not sure what that might be, maybe "gassing" of the batteries.
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Old 06-19-2015, 11:12 AM   #13
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Originally Posted by idroba View Post
In "store" the voltage you see will be the converter/charger output voltage.

I believe that the 16' Sport units such as you have are the only ones that come with a 3 stage converter/charger from the factory. I understand it is a WFCO unit. If that is true, you do not need to worry about overcharging your batteries if it is working properly.

BTW, the batteries don't "boil" but overcharging can result in excess gassing and loss of liquid. I am a stickler for proper terminology and to me, boiling is what water does when it is heated to 212 F and changes to a gas. The acid in the battery does not do that. The use of the word "boil" is common here on the forum but I would like to see all of us change to something which is more accurate. I am not sure what that might be, maybe "gassing" of the batteries.
agree.. the real question I should have asked is "is the battery disconnected from the converter when the disconnect switch is open?"
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Old 06-19-2015, 11:50 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by leedav View Post
agree.. the real question I should have asked is "is the battery disconnected from the converter when the disconnect switch is open?"
On my 2014 FC 20' the battery is disconnected from the converter/charger when the Use/Store switch is in Store. I believe it is the same on all units with a Use/Store switch, but cannot say that for absolute sure.
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Old 06-27-2015, 10:36 PM   #15
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The placard should be changed to read "on" and "off" and the title of the unit should just be "battery." Why would you "use" a "battery disconnect switch" as its labeled and BE on battery.

That took some getting used to. End rant.
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