Battery run down

[Dean The ResourcefulNorse]

I recently left my water pump on in the coach while stored for about 30
hours. I don't believe it actually ran at all as my system is tight, but
nevertheless, it was "on".

And I found my house battery depleted..zero, nada.



Could there be that large of a draw or should I be looking elsewhere?



75 Avion

Dean hanson

 

[ghickey]

Unless it ran continuously, I would be looking for something else.

Refrigerator? Bathroom fan left running? Furnace running a lot?

Do you have an inverter? Maybe it was on and something ran flattening
the batteries?

Maybe a bit far fetched, but maybe a bad solenoid up front that kept the
house batteries connected to the engine batteries and they were down
quite a bit?

Can not think of a lot more in a standard coach that would cause the
batteries to deplete in that time frame.

--
Gerard Hickey / WTØF IRLP:3067/Echolink:529661
hickey DMR: 3102272
425-395-4554

> I recently left my water pump on in the coach while stored for about 30
> hours. I don't believe it actually ran at all as my system is tight, but
> nevertheless, it was "on".
>
> And I found my house battery depleted..zero, nada.
>
>
>
> Could there be that large of a draw or should I be looking elsewhere?
>
>
>
> 75 Avion
>
> Dean hanson
>
> _______________________________________________
> GMCnet mailing list
> Unsubscribe or Change List Options:
> http://list.gmcnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gmclist_list.gmcnet.org
>

 

[Matt Colie]

Dean,

You don't say what the house bank is or how old it is...
We have a pair of GC2s and they will run everything except the heat for 36 hours before getting to 50%.

If you have not had a battery diagnosed as bad, I suggest you use my cheap and sleazy trick to locate the phantom load.

Solder two leads on a small 12V bulb, I mean like panel size, not a tail light. Put something on the ends of the leads so you can put it in series
with the now charged bank. If you have no good thing on hand, you can strip one lead and put it around the clamp bolt in that battery clamp, and the
other you can clamp to the battery post with a small hose clamp. If you do have a phantom drain. The bulb will be lit. Now go pulling fuses and
disconnecting things you don't suspect until the light goes out.

Good Hunting

Matt
--
Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

 

[Melbo]

Matt

That is a great way to solve a mystery. I really like it.

Melbo

--
Albuquerque NM Bus Conversion 1978 MCI 1973 GMC

 

[Stu Rasmussen]

Alternatively, you can use a Sonalert or similar beeper instead of a
light bulb in series with the battery lead - then you can be anywhere in
the coach turning things on and off and see when the load disappears
when things get quiet.

But the beeping will drive you (and anyone nearby) nuts while you're
doing the testing.

JWID

Stu

> Dean,
>
> You don't say what the house bank is or how old it is...
> We have a pair of GC2s and they will run everything except the heat
> for 36 hours before getting to 50%.
>
> If you have not had a battery diagnosed as bad, I suggest you use my
> cheap and sleazy trick to locate the phantom load.
>
> Solder two leads on a small 12V bulb, I mean like panel size, not a
> tail light. Put something on the ends of the leads so you can put it
> in series
> with the now charged bank. If you have no good thing on hand, you can
> strip one lead and put it around the clamp bolt in that battery clamp,
> and the
> other you can clamp to the battery post with a small hose clamp. If
> you do have a phantom drain. The bulb will be lit. Now go pulling
> fuses and
> disconnecting things you don't suspect until the light goes out.
>
> Good Hunting
>
> Matt

 

[hal stclair]

Or use a 12 volt test light in the same way.
Hal
--
"I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind, except you happen to be insane."

1977 Royale 101348,

1977 Royale 101586, Diesel powered,

1974 Eagle Bus 45',w/slideout,

Rio Rancho, NM

 

[john r. lebetski]

The water pump switch is backlit. So that bulb is on all the time pump running ir not. The interior lamps in the average car with multiple lamps,
say 4, will drain the battery to a no crank level in 8 hours So one bulb could possibly do that in 30 hours or roughly 4 x 8 if your battery is not
in good health
--
John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II

 

[Ken B]

Two additions to Matt's posting.

1. A test light will work well and you do not have to solder up a light bulb. After all they are just a light bulb and a wire with an alligator clip.
I wonder if they call them crocodile clips in Australia? Where is Rob? I will have to call and ask him.

2. When doing this do not turn on something 12 volt and expect it to work. The light bulb in series will take most of the voltage (voltage drop)
leaving very little voltage to run the device. There is no way you will get even a larger light bulb to work or a water pump to run with this hooked
up, but the light bulb will stay on indicating the circuit is trying to draw power.

I have used this technique several times using a cheap HF test light.
--
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana

 

[johnny]

It used to be a difference in 'alligator' and 'crocodile' clips, the latter having jaws that move more closely parallel.

--johnny
--
Foolish Carriage, 76 26' Eleganza(?) with beaucoup mods and add - ons.
Braselton, Ga.
I forgive them all, save those who hurt the dogs. They must answer to me in hell

 

[RF_Burns]

Johnny,
Are you sure you're not thinking "Roach" clips 8)

We had an Electronics shop back in high school. We had to start buying our own gator clip leads because all the pot heads stole the class sets.
:roll:

lol

--
Bruce Hislop
ON Canada
77PB, 455 Dick P. rebuilt, DynamicEFI EBL EFI & ESC.1 ton front end
http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=29001
My Staff says I never listen to them, or something like that