Flat Leisure and Van Batteries in Storage

Joined
Mar 13, 2013
Posts
38
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Location
Stourbridge
Funster No
25,092
MH
Autosleeper Worceste
Exp
Since 2013
Advice and views please from those who probably know more than me.

Put my Autosleeper Worcester/Winchcombe into our no mains hook up storage after 3 weeks in Normandy, both batteries in tip top condition.
After another 3 weeks in storage, went to retrieve for a few days watery break and everything is dead, both batteries show around 5 volts across terminals on my multi-meter.

Extracted and charged up vehicle battery and it was just under 13 volts in 24 hours or so, started vehicle checked alternator charge, all OK at 14+volts and back to home drive. Leisure battery had benefited also by the short journey and was at 7.5 volts now.
So much head scratching at what could have led to both batteries severally discharging after just 3 weeks.

But when I switched on my Sargent EC400 control panel and selected water tap on, the pump kicked into life and wouldn't shut off even though the taps were all shut. Adjusted the Whale pressure switch and all is now OK, off and on as it should.

So I am hoping this is the source of my battery discharge, I must have left the control panel tap switch on and the pump activated, although I am usually careful about not doing that.

So my query is (if you are still with me) if the pump kicked in yes it would flatten the leisure battery, but is there a link to the van battery so it flattened that as well?

Or is there something else that could have caused the discharge?
 
Advice and views please from those who probably know more than me.

Put my Autosleeper Worcester/Winchcombe into our no mains hook up storage after 3 weeks in Normandy, both batteries in tip top condition.
After another 3 weeks in storage, went to retrieve for a few days watery break and everything is dead, both batteries show around 5 volts across terminals on my multi-meter.

Extracted and charged up vehicle battery and it was just under 13 volts in 24 hours or so, started vehicle checked alternator charge, all OK at 14+volts and back to home drive. Leisure battery had benefited also by the short journey and was at 7.5 volts now.
So much head scratching at what could have led to both batteries severally discharging after just 3 weeks.

But when I switched on my Sargent EC400 control panel and selected water tap on, the pump kicked into life and wouldn't shut off even though the taps were all shut. Adjusted the Whale pressure switch and all is now OK, off and on as it should.

So I am hoping this is the source of my battery discharge, I must have left the control panel tap switch on and the pump activated, although I am usually careful about not doing that.

So my query is (if you are still with me) if the pump kicked in yes it would flatten the leisure battery, but is there a link to the van battery so it flattened that as well?

Or is there something else that could have caused the discharge?
No idea what caused your drain but if the batteries have been down to 5v although their voltage has risen their capacity (amps) is probably greatly reduced.
They need to be tested properly, drop test on the starter battery and capacity test on the leisure battery.
At the voltages you've posted my guess is that they will both need replacing.
 
I am just about to replace the leisure battery anyway with two new matched wired in parallel. Agree I will have to keep an eye on the van battery, so will test as suggested.
 
So my query is (if you are still with me) if the pump kicked in yes it would flatten the leisure battery, but is there a link to the van battery so it flattened that as well?
Yes, the pump would flatten the leisure batteries, but unlikely to be linked to the starter battery......................however, is the MH alarmed? If yes, and with very little solar power, the starter battery can be easily flattened within the 3 x weeks. Been there and done that many years ago, but the resolve of fitting a CBE Battery Manager, was quite a cheap fix to prevent it happening again.

HTH,

Jock. :)
 
I must have left the control panel tap switch on and the pump activated,
.......and it was running continuously for the 3 weeks until the battery died? :unsure:

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.......and it was running continuously for the 3 weeks until the battery died? :unsure:
Yes that's the theory. A voltage drop may also kick in the pump apparently which is why it should always be off when you are not in the van.
 
Yes that's the theory. A voltage drop may also kick in the pump apparently which is why it should always be off when you are not in the van.
Hmm, fortunately my pump has never run unless a tap is opened.
 
Yes, the pump would flatten the leisure batteries, but unlikely to be linked to the starter battery......................however, is the MH alarmed? If yes, and with very little solar power, the starter battery can be easily flattened within the 3 x weeks. Been there and done that many years ago, but the resolve of fitting a CBE Battery Manager, was quite a cheap fix to prevent it happening again.

HTH,

Jock.
Thanks Jock. Yes it has an alarm, and solar panels contribute to maintenance and have left it longer than 3 weeks and all has been well before, certainly not down to 5 volts.
 

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