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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
Ok. I checked the converter output this morning and it’s 13.2 VDC So it’s in float mode.
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144Grayling
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11/12/23 10:40am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
According to the operators manual the power converter has 3 modes: bulk, absorption and float. If the output voltage of the battery drops to 13.2 it goes into bulk mode and puts out 14.4 VDC. When the battery reaches 14.4 or after 4 hours, (whichever comes first) it reverts to absorption mode (13.6 VDC). After detecting no load for 48 hrs the converter goes into float mode (13.2).
Notice that none of the modes put out 12.9, so yes it’s probably defective. But as I said above, everything I need 12 volts for is working fine so I’m just going to live with it. I never timed how long I heard the cooling fan running (which I guess was bulk mode) but it seemed like more than 4 hrs. However long it ran, it boiled the battery. Maybe because the battery never got to 14.4 and the converter kept trying, possibly longer than it should have.
There is a caution in the manual that if it cycles into bulk mode more than once during a charge cycle to check for a bad battery. I wasn’t paying good attention and should have done that. And timed the bulk mode. And of course I shouldn’t have left the battery outside uncharged for 2 winters. So I lost all kinds of points on this one. As long as it’s not going to drive the converter crazy with zero volts battery discharge and damage it to the point it doesn't put out 12 volts, I can live with it. And as long as it’s not going to burn the trailer down trying to charge an air gap.
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144Grayling
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11/11/23 09:27pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
That may very well be true. But for now it serves our needs. This trailer is parked on our property to stay in during visits while we work on a permanent house here on the island. It’s a “bridge strategy” ( altho that bridge has gotten longer than hoped.) So as long as everything is working on 12.9 v (and it is) the motivation to put more money into it is pretty much zero. When we are done with it we’ll probably just give it away and the new owners can decide what to do.
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144Grayling
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11/11/23 08:51am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
No surprise the battery is no good. Wouldn’t hold a charge. Still unknown whether a bad controller overcharged it and killed it or I killed it by leaving it uncharged all winter and the controller just boiled it trying to charge it. For right now I’ll be running on shore power with no battery. Just for the next few days then shut the whole thing down for winter. Saw no point in buying a battery at this point. Thanks again for all the help.
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144Grayling
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11/10/23 02:33pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
Thanks for all the information. The battery is a 12 volt lead acid RV deep cycle battery from Les Schwab. No reason to think it’s not what it says it is. As far as I know the only 12v functions in the trailer are lights, bathroom exhaust fan, radio and propane alarm. All those are fine on what’s coming out of the converter now: 12.9v No slide out, no hitch jack. Checking the panel it also has a few other 12v circuits that we don’t use ( dont need the water pump since we’re hooked up permanently, and the furnace, since we use electric heat instead of propane.) And it says the hood fan is 12v which I didn’t know. So everything we need is working fine off the converter and shore power. I don’t know why the converter was overcharging the battery to the point of boiling, but if it can go without a battery I really don’t need to care about it. I suspect that I killed the battery by leaving it outside uncharged over a couple of winters and that’s my bad. But, again, if I don’t need a battery in the system I’m ok. Still getting mixed opinions on that.
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144Grayling
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11/10/23 10:01am |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
The 12.9 was with the battery disconnected. (In fact the battery was at the NAPA shop miles away??) Looks like one vote for “it’s ok to run without a battery” and one vote for “you should put in a battery” Anyone else wanna break the tie?
And if I really do need a battery to protect the system should it be a deep cycle RV battery or a plain old car battery, knowing it will never be without shore power.
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144Grayling
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11/09/23 09:42pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
Ok. I just checked the voltage coming off the converter, no battery in place. It is 12.9, which is a bit low, but enough to run the lights. Haven’t heard back from NAPA on the condition of the battery. Unfortunately I left the battery outside not on a charger over a couple of winters, which I figure killed. A stupid expensive mistake. But if I don’t need a battery as long as I’m plugged in, I’d rather not spend a couple hundred bucks. So back to my original question: can I just run on shore power with no battery? Will this harm the converter? Thanks for the help.
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144Grayling
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11/09/23 06:17pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
Also the NAPA guy said that a deep cycle RV battery is not really appropriate for my set up (basically kept at full charge by the smart converter) since it never discharges. Opinions on that?
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144Grayling
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11/09/23 04:40pm |
Tech Issues
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RE: Ok to run shore power without battery?
Thanks for the input. The battery is at the NAPA shop being tested. I’ll check the converter output when I get to the trailer. Lights aren’t extra bright.
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144Grayling
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11/09/23 04:35pm |
Tech Issues
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Ok to run shore power without battery?
I have a 2007 Komfort trailer with a WFCO ultra distribution panel model WF8955an with a 3 stage converter. Lately the fan in the panel has started running for hours at a time. I checked the battery and it is boiling HOT. We don’t travel, the trailer is plugged into shore power 100% of the time. Is there any problem with removing the battery and just having the 12v lights and bath fan run off the converter?
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144Grayling
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11/09/23 12:46pm |
Tech Issues
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