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Subject Topic: Leisure battery advice Post Reply Post New Topic
PersonDumplings
05/11/2017 at 5:35pm
 Location: North Shields
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Hello at the start of the season I went to the caravan and discovered the battery was completely flat I had bought the battery new along with the van new in May last year. So in April we brought another battery used the van about 6 times last used it in August thinking we may get away again so I didn't disconnect it. Yesterday 4th November decided to prepare the van for winter and discovered the new battery completely flat. Nothing was left on and I only used the battery for the motor mover. It is a brand new Elddis affinity model and it has recently had its first year service. I am having problems with the alarm where it constantly keeps going off however I have left this off whilst in storage.
Any advice or suggestions I don't want to keep disconnecting the battery after every trip and it is proving very expensive replacing the batteries.
Thanks


PersonRob and Tina
05/11/2017 at 7:06pm
 Location: Royal Forest of Dean
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I don't know the answer but a few things come to mind:
Does your caravan have a Sargent electrical system with a system shutdown button on the mains unit?
Have you got an aerial amplifier tucked away somewhere that has not been switched off?
Have you got a solar panel that should be charging the leisure battery?
Have you tried charging the "dead" batteries with a smart charger in case they can be saved?
Is the alarm going off because the battery is so low?

Hopefully the answers to these questions might help track down the problem.


Rob


PersonDumplings
05/11/2017 at 7:08pm
 Location: North Shields
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Cheers Rob I will check


Personchrisn7
05/11/2017 at 7:41pm
 Location: West Yorkshire
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Your alarm has an internal back up battery like a domestic alarm. This has a stand by life of perhaps 5-6 months on its own, but is normally kept charged by the leisure battery.

So,once the leisure battry is flat, the alarm battery starts losing charge and once the voltage falls sufficiently the alarm will go off.

I would check for a 12v system shut down button, as suggested. Once this is switched off, every 12v appliance will be too, even if the individual appliances have been left switched on.


Personnavver
05/11/2017 at 7:51pm
 Location: West country
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The fridge needs to be switched off as well or it continues to use 12 volt power. There should be an off position.


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PersonOpensauce
05/11/2017 at 8:04pm
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A battery that is not being used should be charged once a month or it will deterioate. If your caravan is stored for months over winter then you should keep battery at home & trickle charge once a month. Just a cheap charger will do from Halfords etc.


Persontango55
06/11/2017 at 12:30am
 Location: Lichfield
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Have you checked to see if the TV booster is switched off?
Usually it's in an overhead locker out of sight so easily forgotten about but this will drain the battery if accidentally left switched on.


PersonDumplings
06/11/2017 at 12:54pm
 Location: North Shields
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Thanks everyone much appreciated I will double check the above


Personchrisn7
06/11/2017 at 1:31pm
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Quote: Originally posted by navver on 05/11/2017
The fridge needs to be switched off as well or it continues to use 12 volt power. There should be an off position.


Not so, the fridge cannot be operated on 12v unless connected to the car and the ignition is on and engine running.

If it were possible, people going off grid would have a flat leisure battery in no time...


PersonPaul_B
06/11/2017 at 5:32pm
 Location: Yorkshire
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Quote: Originally posted by chrisn7 on 06/11/2017
Quote: Originally posted by navver on 05/11/2017
The fridge needs to be switched off as well or it continues to use 12 volt power. There should be an off position.


Not so, the fridge cannot be operated on 12v unless connected to the car and the ignition is on and engine running.
If it were possible, people going off grid would have a flat leisure battery in no time...



New type fridges have a constant 12v connection for the control panel.


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Personnavver
06/11/2017 at 7:40pm
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Quote: Originally posted by chrisn7 on 06/11/2017
Quote: Originally posted by navver on 05/11/2017
The fridge needs to be switched off as well or it continues to use 12 volt power. There should be an off position.


Not so, the fridge cannot be operated on 12v unless connected to the car and the ignition is on and engine running.

If it were possible, people going off grid would have a flat leisure battery in no time...




The newer fridges use 12volt for controls regardless of whether they are on 12 volt from car, 230volt mains or gas. When disconnected they continue to draw 12volt form the caravan battery unless switched to the off position.

Ours is a Dometic 103 litre from 2015.
This is what the manual says.

When not using the caravan always ensure that the fridge control knob is turned to the “off” position. Failure to
do this will result in a flat battery due to 12v power drain from the fridge circuit relays.



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