144Grayling
Lopez Island, WA
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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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vermilye
Oswego, NY, USA
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I'd check the voltage the converter is producing, particularly if you are going to run it without a battery. I know of at least one case where a WFCO converter failed & produced 21V, destroying a pair of AGM batteries. High voltage can damage your lighting & 12V appliances...
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Boomerweps
Hills of PA
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I added a battery disconnect and use that for winter storage but left the TT plugged into shore power so I can still use the lights and radio. Just yesterday I plugged in a portable electric heater and took a nap in there. Need the light’s because I put reflectix in all the windows, retains the heat a little better and makes it much darker in there. My batteries are LiFePO4 so no float voltage isn’t a big deal.
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valhalla360
No paticular place.
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Obviously, something is wrong with the battery charger...so best not to use it at all until it can be repaired or replaced.
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agwill
enosburg falls, vt
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sounds like a bad battery to me. out of water?
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wa8yxm
Davison Michigan (East of Flint)
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I half agree with the person who said something is wrong with the converter.
The reason it's only half is there is a "Suspect #2" (or perhaps #1) and that is the battery.
Either the converter is putting out high voltage (your lights will be super bright and likely not last long story follows) or the battery MIGHT have one or more cells shorted (your volt meter is your friend.. Resting should be 12.6 Put a small load on it (I like automotive test lights.. Look like an ice pick with a bulb in the handle and a wire with clip lead.> Add 25-50 feet of say 18 or 20 ga wire (with a clip on one end and a ring terminal on the other) and you have a very useful tool.... Test fuses swiftly.. Find broken wires (12 volt side of life only) and more very fast and very easy)
If the light goes dim after a few seconds.. Shorted cell (you don't need the extension ground lead for battery testing)
Oh the extension lead.. Like I said put a ring terminal on one end or strip back an inch or two twist loop and solder This is so you can clamp the test lights clip on and a clip on the other.. Then Fold in half and re-roll on the spool it came on (or put one end through the center holes and move it to the middle and re-roll. That way you only need to unroll enough when you need it.
But use a volt meter even if it's a 10 buck horrible frieight special to measure battery and House voltages with the battery disconnected.... Post results.
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144Grayling
Lopez Island, WA
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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
Lopez Island, WA
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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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dougrainer
Carrolton, Texas
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144Grayling wrote: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?
Auto Parts guys are total experts on RV charging systems. NOT! Doug
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144Grayling
Lopez Island, WA
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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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