inverter, on or off overnight. (1 Viewer)

[lou020]

one for you electrikery experts..

while at lincoln, my 2x 110ah leisure batteries were flat,, 11v and lower both mornings. i had left the 2kw inverter switched on charging the mifi, and we had the led strip under the bathroom/bedroom door on, this strip has about 15 leds on it,the type which comes on a roll and you cut to length.

would the inverter run down the batteries if left on,
the batteries,,,,one is about 4 years old and the other maybe 18 months,,both numax.
the motorhome is autotrail chieftain with the EC325 electrics.
we had the genny running saturday night till 8.30 and still flat batteries sunday.
haven't noticed before because usually we're on ehu.

 

[Steve and Denise]

An inverter dose draw a current when on stand by but only a small amount I would disconnect both batteries fully charge them seperatley then test them with a known load

 

[iandsm]

True the inverter will draw a very small amount if left switched on but not in use. It should not flatten your batteries overnight. But you were charging mifi, even that would probably not draw much once it has recharged. It sounds like your batteries are duds but it's worth a full charge test. I think if I were replacing batteries I would replace both at the same time with identical ones.

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[tonka]

Agree on above.. Low current draw and the Mifi takes bugger all anyway.
Suspect battery (s) kaput.

 

[Glandwr]

Inefficient way of charging mifi. Taking 12 volts, to 230 volts then back down to 5 volts will lose as well as leaving on over night. Why not get one of these
Broken Link Removed.

 

[lou020]

i went out this morning to the van and the leisure battery was reading 12.6v. The fault is probably the youngest charging all his gizmos and gadgets while laid in bed,,,I'll get 2 new ones just in case from our supplier.
Glandwr,, we have loads of those usb things, just need to start using them.
thanks for the replies.

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[GJH]

I agree with all the above comments but wonder why anyone uses an inverter to charge items like MiFi, phones, tablets &c. We use a 12v multi-socket adapter which includes lighter sockets and USB sockets and charge without the overhead of an inverter.

The only thing we do use an inverter for is my camera battery which only came with a mains charger. I forgot to check before buying whether it could be charged in the camera as my previous one could. However, even that takes very little power.

 

[JockandRita]

Our tablet and MiFi get charged (separately) via a permanently live USB port on our 1500w inverter, however we too use the twin port USB male plug (as shown above) from either of the 2 x dedicated 12v habitation sockets.

Only the boss's hair dryer, slow cooker, Phillips Pod vacuum cleaner and our FTA satellite receiver, are powered by an inverter. Almost everything else is 12v.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[lou020]

I'm going to use the 12v sockets from now on, trouble with the autotrail is 1 socket is in the overcab and 1 rear bed above the garage. I don't like leaving things in them in case the the bedding interferes with the cable.
I think the reason we charge through the inverter is because we use a anti surge plug adapter.

I'll take a feed off the 12v supply to the inverter and fit some usb sockets under the seats.

ps. just been out to the van and the leisure batteries are at 12.6v ,, with nothing switched on now for 2 nights,it has 1 x 100w solar panel working so that may have topped them up yesterday, although it's parked under a big tree.

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[ciderman]

the batteries should be reading at least 13.5v or more with the solar panel charging my twin batteries read anything up to 14v on the solar. if your batteries read less then I would say they are fecked

 

[JockandRita]

Lou, disconnect the solar supply to the batteries now, and check the voltage again tomorrow morning. I think you'll be in for a shock. I reckon the solar charge is the only reason your batteries are reading 12.6v A fully charged system should read a minimum of 12.7v. Are you using a digital volt meter for your readings, which is more accurate than an analogue meter reading?

Good luck with solving the problem with 2 x new batteries.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[lou020]

Jock,, I was reading from the onboard sargent panel. I'll disconnect the solar and check it with a digital meter on Thursday morning.
Is there a way of testing each battery with a multi meter. I have the the old fashioned big pronged drop tester.

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[PhilandMena]

Agree with others that your Leisure batteries may have had it. However, do a drop test to make sure.
If your going to replace them strongly advise you get the Banner leisure batteries as they are the dogs Bollocks.

 

[TheCaller]

would the inverter run down the batteries if left on,

Yes, but 12 hrs overnight shouldn't flatten 2 x 110Wh batteries if it wasn't doing anything other than charging a mifi. A 2k inverter will have a significant quiescent current draw though. If you post the make & model number we can probably tell you how much.

Unless you are setup with a mobile power station like Techno100 or eddievanbitz, turn the inverter off when not in use & as far as possible, only use it for things where there is no 12v alternative. They are an inefficient way of operating anything that could be run directly from the 12v supply.

What else do you use the inverter for? 2k is quite a beast & will be very inefficient when operating devices that only need a few hundred watts. If you don't need that capacity, it might pay to sell it & buy a smaller one. I would look for a 50% margin, so if the biggest device you ever use is 400w, a 600w inverter would be ideal.

Like everyone else, I suspect your batteries are past their best.

 

[lou020]

The inverter is a silverline, i had it given by one of our drivers and has worked brilliant for the last 4 years.
we use it for a small table top freezer while travelling if we are going somewhere hot, as the onboard freezer is useless in hot weather. we also use it for a microwave which it operates well.
iv'e disconnected the solar now,and will check on thursday what the batteries have dropped to.

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[Speve]

I notice your leisure batteries are quite a bit different in age that can cause a problem in itself as the older battery may bring down the newer one thus you are not keeping the correct charge so they will be lower than you may think.

 

[TheCaller]

The inverter is a silverline

IsBroken Link Removed If so, it should draw less than 1A when switched on but doing nothing. So decent batteries shouldn't be too bothered about it being left on overnight, although you wouldn't want to make a habit of it.

It's a modified sine wave output, so you are doing well if it runs the microwave ok. Not all microwaves are very happy on modified sine wave inverters.

 

[lou020]

That's the one,,except mine has one socket.. it does make the microwave sing a little, and i usually start the engine.
the microwave is a cheap one from morrisons, that is 5 years old now.

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[pappajohn]

The inverter is a silverline,

Not the best quality....by a long way.

I would estimate standby current (turned on but doing nothing) would be 1 to 2 amps.

As already said, use it when you MUST not just for convenience.

 

[JockandRita]

Jock,, I was reading from the onboard sargent panel. I'll disconnect the solar and check it with a digital meter on Thursday morning.
Is there a way of testing each battery with a multi meter. I have the the old fashioned big pronged drop tester.

Not so much testing with a digital meter Lou, but more of getting an accurate voltage reading.
We have 2 xx old fashion FLA traction batteries, whereupon I can remove the caps and check the electrolyte in each cell with a hydrometer. In the absence of a battery tester, this is the next best indication of cell condition and capacity. Obviously no good for sealed FLA, or Gel batteries.

Cheers,

Jock.

 

[dabhand]

Agree with others that your Leisure batteries may have had it. However, do a drop test to make sure.
If your going to replace them strongly advise you get the Banner leisure batteries as they are the dogs Bollocks.

I did a drop test on the dogs Bollocks once...... It bit me!

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[DBK]

Might be worth learning to cook and ditching the microwave!

(Said with a smile in case it isn't clear!)

 

[Hammie]

I think I might have one of those sine wave things in the underfloor hatch will have a look in the morning. Flippin expensive so thanks to the previous owners if it is.

 

[Lenny HB]

Agree with others that your Leisure batteries may have had it. However, do a drop test to make sure.
If your going to replace them strongly advise you get the Banner leisure batteries as they are the dogs Bollocks.

More like a load of bollocks I've just had both my Banner batteries fail at less than 18 months old. Do a search on the German forums and you will see what a load of rubbish they are.

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[seanoo]

I have binned 2 pairs of banner batteries over the last few years, rubbishy in my opinion. I have been using alphaline DC31 for nearly 3 years and they still have great capacity. Half the cost of banners.

 

[gus-lopez]

I agree with all the above comments but wonder why anyone uses an inverter to charge items like MiFi, phones, tablets &c. We use a 12v multi-socket adapter which includes lighter sockets and USB sockets and charge without the overhead of an inverter.

Probably because if you have a wife like mine when we are travelling she requires at least 3 x 12 v sockets just for her own use. lap top , phone , chinese ipad. 2 x 12v are permanently used for camera & sat -nav leaving 1 that I keep a voltage checker in. That leaves none for my phone & occasionally my hudl . So I usually bung the wife's laptop/ipad thing in either of the small inverters whilst travelling & /or use one of the front 12v sockets with a double usb outlet for phones.

 

[Lenny HB]

Probably because if you have a wife like mine when we are travelling she requires at least 3 x 12 v sockets just for her own use. lap top , phone , chinese ipad. 2 x 12v are permanently used for camera & sat -nav leaving 1 that I keep a voltage checker in. That leaves none for my phone & occasionally my hudl . So I usually bung the wife's laptop/ipad thing in either of the small inverters whilst travelling & /or use one of the front 12v sockets with a double usb outlet for phones.

I got fed up with loads of leads everywhere, so I fitted a dual 12v to 5v USB power supply under the dash, one output feeds the the dashcam the other has a lead into the top glove box for phone charging etc., and I fitted a double din stereo with satnav.

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[GJH]

Probably because if you have a wife like mine when we are travelling she requires at least 3 x 12 v sockets just for her own use. lap top , phone , chinese ipad. 2 x 12v are permanently used for camera & sat -nav leaving 1 that I keep a voltage checker in. That leaves none for my phone & occasionally my hudl . So I usually bung the wife's laptop/ipad thing in either of the small inverters whilst travelling & /or use one of the front 12v sockets with a double usb outlet for phones.

I got fed up with loads of leads everywhere, so I fitted a dual 12v to 5v USB power supply under the dash, one output feeds the the dashcam the other has a lead into the top glove box for phone charging etc., and I fitted a double din stereo with satnav.

I have a three socket unit mounted on the dash shelf. That allows powering of the dash cam and sat nav when driving (plus second sat nav for when I want to compare the Garmin to the Noza Tec as described in other threads).
We have no need to charge phones, tablets &c on the move because we do so before setting off, either from the mains before leaving home or as described in post #7 during a trip.