12v circuit on hook up

[scoge]

Only just thought about this..... When we are on a hook up does the pump, lights and heat fan still run off our 12v leisure battery or are they powered by the 240 mains so no drain on the battery? Our new to us van has the TV connected semi permanently to the 12v supply, where we would normally plug into the 3 pin 240v socket on mains.

 

[Otter Spotter]

Off the 12v battery which in turn should be continued to be charged assuming you have a battery charger fitted from 240v mains hook up.

Dont forget, the bulbs and pump are 12v so pushing 240v through them would blue the bulbs if the fuses didn’t blow first. I cannot comment on TV

 

[scoge]

We do have a battery charger but we have to switch on manually to charge either leisure or van battery. If this TV is connected to 12v surely this will flatten the battery in a very shotrt time.

 

[Otter Spotter]

We do have a battery charger but we have to switch on manually to charge either leisure or van battery. If this TV is connected to 12v surely this will flatten the battery in a very shotrt time.

Yes if you have the Tv plugged into 12v unless you have the charger switched on, that will then take power from 240v hook up and charge your battery as the TV uses the 12v power. Dies your TV have the correct 240v lead with standard 3 pin plug? If so you are better running it through that bypassing your battery and working straight from 240v. Hope that helps.
I suggest (unless your instructions say otherwise) to switch your charger on when ever you are hooked up to keep your leisure battery and cab battery if you have a battery master.

 

[bigtwin]

If you have mains connected via the EHU cable, your 12V loads will be fed directly by the charger and won’t be draining your battery.

Ian

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scoge]

OK so will my charger operate automatically on hook up connection to top up the batteries or do I have to remember to turn it on? In the TV cupboard there is no 3 pin socket just the 12v connection, hence my question.

 

[Otter Spotter]

OK so will my charger operate automatically on hook up connection to top up the batteries or do I have to remember to turn it on? In the TV cupboard there is no 3 pin socket just the 12v connection, hence my question.

If there is a switch to switch charger on then you can leave it switched on all the time. whether you are hooked up or not as the charger is a 240v item, when not hooked up there will be no power going through so will effectively be off anyway.

 

[GeoffnDee]

As bigtwin has said , the charger is also a 12v power supply ( When a correct Motorhome charger / power supply unit is fitted) and the TV etc should have 12v supplied from this source when on EHU without needing to involve the leisure battery . This is normally controlled through your PSU .

 

[chaser]

The TV will be running on 12 volt, as lots of the mains ones do but with a transformer from 230

 

[The Artilleryman]

BCA make 2 versions of there PDA, 1) is a charger only and therefore on EHU will be powered from leisure battery (or charger if load is less than output), 2) is a psu and separate charger, so on EHU psu will power 12v circuits direct.

With 1) if you want to fit a decent multi stage charger ie Victron IP22 (other makes are available), it's a straight swap with 2) you need to mount the charger separately and disconnect the BCA charger output.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[scoge]

Thanks all for your comments. Picking van up Wednesday so will know more then about the charger etc.

I may be back.......!

 

[pappajohn]

We do have a battery charger but we have to switch on manually to charge either leisure or van battery. If this TV is connected to 12v surely this will flatten the battery in a very shotrt time.

Average TV draws around 2 to 3 amps on 12v.
If nothing else is switched on it will run continuously for 25 hours at 2amps or 17 hours at 3amps.

 

[pappajohn]

To complicate it slightly.
If your mains charger is rated at, for example, 20 amps it will provide up to 20amps to run 12v appliances without affecting the battery.
If you need, for example, 25amps the battery will top up the shortfall the charger can't provide.
Obviously the battery then is draining at 5amps hour and will need charging at some point when the load is reduced.