Mystery Power Drain - ?? Inet Box

[OwnedbyCollies]

We have a new van and are trying to get to grips with all the new bits and pieces.

In the dead of night (i.e. no solar charge), with all 12v switched off, the battery monitor is showing a draw of 0.35 amps. The only thing that appears to be 'on' is the Truma Inet Box - flashing like a Christmas tree under the bench seat, searching for a signal. Do you think that could account for the mystery drain??

In normal circumstances, the small drain is quickly sorted out with the solar charging, even on a dull day, BUT we store the van indoors and don't have regular access to EHU, so I'm worried about flattening the batteries if we don't use the van for a few weeks.

At the moment, we don't want to use the Inet box for remote management of Alde heating etc. so can I just turn it off? There is no power button on the unit but I assume I could unplug the DC lead and continue to manage the onboard systems manually on the control panels??

 

[Theonlysue]

Thete will always be a small drain.
Thermostat on fridge. Even the interior fridge lights never go off.
The display panel.the tv unless its unplugged. I dont think this is much to worry about. Mines about 0.3 amp.

 

[soreeyes]

Truma CP plus control panel has a constant 12 v supply also.

 

[OwnedbyCollies]

The fridge and TV are completely off. The Knaus panel is 'on' but unlit. The Alde panel is off.

I'm 'slightly' challenged with battery calculations but worry that a constant drain of 0.35 amp will deplete the battery at 8.4 amps per day and if we store indoors, with no top up, our battery bank (just over 200ah) will be 50% depleted in around 12 days.

On our old van, when everything was off, the only drain was the alarm and the battery master topping the cab battery up and we could go without using the van for several weeks with no problems.

I hope that I'm just useless with power calculations and someone is going to come along and correct me!

 

[Camping Gaza]

What about the drain on your starter battery have you thought about that if you store it inside with no maintenance charge?

The drain is quite significant on my camper, due to alarms and trackers and I think even the media unit fitted, it will take my starter down in a few weeks if it was not for the solar system I have on the roof.

Can you not get a solar panel, fold out - portable 100 watts outside hooked up to your bank and have that at your location without it being nicked?

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[OwnedbyCollies]

We have a battery master fitted, so it trickle charges the cab battery. We also have an alarm etc. but this drain is without them activated. The van is kept in indoor storage so we cannot add a portable solar panel - when it's outside the 200w solar keeps it full, even on dull days.

If I could turn off the Inet box (especially as we don't want to use it), I am hoping that it will bring the drain down a bit. I am trying to make sure we don't get any surprises - if we know the average draw when in storage, we can manage it! We use the van all year, but want to be able to leave it more than 2 weeks occasionally

Does anyone know if I can just unplug the DC cable on the Inet box without it affecting anything else?

 

[Theonlysue]

Even the display panel uses a small amount.
I dont think yours is anything unusual and you're worrying for nothing.

 

[thebriars]

What about the drain on your starter battery have you thought about that if you store it inside with no maintenance charge?

Why should that be an issue, it won't harm it to be left for two or three months at a time unused.

 

[thebriars]

I suspect there are a number of things all contributing to the current drain. For instance while the alarm might be inactive, it will still draw some current. Possible items, if fitted, are:
1. Tracker
2. TV signal booster
3. Truma heater standby
4. Fridge (even when switched off)
5. A car type radio, (even when switched off)
6. The motorhome control panel

Your calculations seem correct, 0.35amps equates to about 8Ah per day.

Given your circumstances the only options appear to be a small external solar panel that you can position outside, or a battery isolator switch to literally switch everything off, but then any tracker or alarm would be totally deactivated.

If you can position a small solar panel, then the inet box can be quite useful as it will also give you a very accurate reading of the habitation battery voltage.

 

[thebriars]

Even the display panel uses a small amount.
I dont think yours is anything unusual and you're worrying for nothing.

You've missed the point, even with that small discharge and no means of charging the batteries will be totally flat within 3-4 weeks.

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[hilldweller]

I'm worried about flattening the batteries if we don't use the van for a few weeks.

You should be, all modern vans with all the modern electronics and alarms seem to last less than a month when parked up.

Option ? Generator and do a top up every two week ?

 

[OwnedbyCollies]

Thanks all!

thebriars - thank you for confirming my calculations!

We could leave our Burstner for weeks on end and had no problems (similar set up with Strikeback alarm and battery master) but this van has more electronic gizmos and we don't want to get caught out.

I'm going to see if I can get the draw down a bit more with the Inet box and then we will have to monitor the batteries and take it for a run every couple of weeks (we also have a Sterling B2B ).

We will just have to go away more often!!

 

[andynkim]

Disconnect all the batteries (do you have an alarm as might not work if you disconnect chassis battery). Then no discharge.

 

[andynkim]

For your information snips from control panel and Inet manuals.

 

[Pausim]

A battery isolator switch on the leisure battery could help. On my Carthago the instruction manual says to shut down the control panels for short periods but use the fitted battery isolator switch for longer lay ups. On my previous motorhome, a Hymer, I fitted an isolator to the negative terminal of the leisure battery. The alarm and tracker would still be a drain on the engine battery but you would solve your leisure drain.

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[Theonlysue]

My car would flatten after 2 weeks. The alarm uses it.
If your insurance specifies an alarm, and you disconnect it, you may have s problem if anything happens.
I've heard of caravans being stolen off gold cassava sites.

 

[Theonlysue]

You've missed the point, even with that small discharge and no means of charging the batteries will be totally flat within 3-4 weeks.

Yes they will. If they last that long.

 

[tinks703]

Hi, why not have a portable solar panel that I have seen caravans use, have it mounted in a sunny position and plug into 12v socket in van or cab whichever wants topping up. Simples.

 

[Pausim]

Hi, why not have a portable solar panel that I have seen caravans use, have it mounted in a sunny position and plug into 12v socket in van or cab whichever wants topping up. Simples.

See posts #5 and #6 above. Probably kept in a barn or something similar.

 

[pappajohn]

I dont think this is much to worry about. Mines about 0.3 amp.

Oh yes there is! (well it is nearly panto season)
0.35a is a touch over 1amp every 3 hours
10amps every 30 hours.
50amps in 6 days
Not good if its in storage with no hookup or solar.

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[OwnedbyCollies]

UPDATE

The good news! We have disconnected the iNet box. The technical support from Alde was excellent - they talked me through the disconnection of the iNet cables on the boiler and the settings on the control panel so all the iNet flashing disco lights have stopped

The bad news! We still have a draw of around 0.3A

There is still some hope that the solar will pick up a teensy bit of sun through the roof lights in the storage shed - we will continue to monitor the situation. However, we keep going away so haven't yet left it long enough to check!!

 

[TerryL]

Well you'll just have to change your way of life and go away every two weeks!

 

[pappajohn]

Error

 

[pappajohn]

Probably the control panel itself drawing a memory current.
Just turning it off doesn't stop the current draw evidently.
Only one surefire way.... Disconnect the battery.

 

[Ingwe]

Our van is also stored indoors preventing the solar panel for topping up the batteries. We have fitted a Battery Master but we do have access to electricity in the shed where it's stored. So we connect up to the mains but with a timer so that the batteries get l.5 hours a day rather then being on hook up permanently. We've been told that you could leave it on hook up all the time as the charger won't allow overcharging but we don't trust this advice and prefer not leaving the van on hookup.
Hope you get it sorted.

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[thebriars]

My car would flatten after 2 weeks. The alarm uses it.
If your insurance specifies an alarm, and you disconnect it, you may have s problem if anything happens.
I've heard of caravans being stolen off gold cassava sites.

My car has a manufacturers fitted cat 1 alarm. Have left it for over 2 months and it still started first time. Battery fine. You need to change your car.

 

[WillH]

My van is on EHU all winter, 11 years now and has never caused any problems.