Leisure battery set up

[Waybut]

Hi I have recently bought a van and not sure how the leisure battery set up works? I have a battery charger , leisure battery and an inverter before it goes into the back where the 12v usb and sockets are. The battery is charging from the main battery via tge charger but when using the 230v/240v sockets the inverter alarms and have no power any help would be appreciated thanks

 

[Phill D]

Hi welcome.

Is this a self build conversion.

 

[Raul]

Can you re phrase please?
Battery is charging from main battery witch battery?
The leisure battery should feed/ power the inverter. If alarm beeps on inverter, the feed is weak, or knackered battery.

 

[Waybut]

Leisure battery is charging from main battery and holding its charge as if the leisure battery drops below 8v the battery charger cuts out and the digital display doesn't work so battery is OK just don't know why when I plug something into the 230v socket the inverter alarms ?

 

[Tombola]

Leisure battery is charging from main battery and holding its charge as if the leisure battery drops below 8v the battery charger cuts out and the digital display doesn't work so battery is OK just don't know why when I plug something into the 230v socket the inverter alarms ?

any battery at 8v is knackered.
when you say leisure is charging from main battery what do you mean, charging from the cab battery when running (alternator) via b2b or split charge relay ?

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[Raul]

If it drops to 8v that’s a boat anchor, unless you try a to big load on it to dive that bad.

 

[Jamesh]

8v battery knackered.
12v battery 50% discharged.
12.5v?? Inverter cuts out.
12.8 battery full
14.7 battery charging when engine running or ehu attached.

Are you driving enough to allow the battery to recharge? Otherwise you need to hookup to ehu or get solar.

 

[autorouter]

don't know why when I plug something into the 230v socket the inverter alarms ?

To find out if the problem is in the battery or inverter you need to do a few tests. It might be that the leisure battery has very little charge in it, so is it possible to connect a mains charger for maybe 24 hours, to make sure the battery is up to 100%?

You don't say what device you are plugging into the inverter. I suggest you start with a very low power device like a phone charger, and see if it works with that. And there are some devices, like a standard high-power electric kettle, that will be simply too much for a single battery, so the battery voltage drops - it might only drop to about 10V, low enough to set off the inverter alarm but not low enough to turn off the panel.

 

[PaulOH]

8v battery knackered.
12v battery 50% discharged.
12.5v?? Inverter cuts out.
12.8 battery full
14.7 battery charging when engine running or ehu attached.

Are you driving enough to allow the battery to recharge? Otherwise you need to hookup to ehu or get solar.

Hear hear!
A ready reckoner!
I have been doing a voltmeter measurement;
Car battery that had to be pulled out cos it wouldn't start the car = 7.5V.
Battery that cranked the MH a few times but gave up = 11.5V
Battery that cranked successfully = 12.7V

I have never measured the battery on charge but imagine it would be 14-15V or so having watched the ammeter in my friends (old) car as we drive at speed and that's what it's displaying

The 12.7 volts was achieved after the 11.5 was charged directly from the mains using a charger for about 10 hours at a medium temperature. Cold weather affected the battery - it discharged faster.

Now that the weather is better, the battery lasts longer