Batteries Q&A
May 11 2009
Q: When my RV is left for the day I sometimes find the battery is low or dead when we return. What is draining my battery while my RV is boon docked or vacant?
A: Assuming that your battery is in good condition (water level is up, battery posts are clean, battery is not more than 5 years old), a poor battery cannot be fully charged so it drains much quicker than a good one. Did you forget to turn off all the lights? Remember to turn off the outside porch light! It is also easy to forget a light inside a storage compartment, closet or step. Having checked all of those, check to see if the furnace has been left on.
There are also less obvious sources for power drain:
- Your refrigerator, even running on propane, has an electronic circuit board
- A DSI (direct start ignition) starting water heater also has an electronic circuit board
- LP detector draws power
- CO2 detector draws power
- The memory or clock on your radio or stereo draws power
Individually, these all have small power requirements, but added together, they can draw significant power from your battery system.
Besides getting a larger battery bank, there are a few easy ways to combat losing battery power:
- Disconnect the battery. Most motor homes and trailers have a battery disconnect switch located on a wall or inside a compartment that you can use to turn off all battery power going to the unit. If your RV does not have a disconnect switch, one can easily be installed.
- Install solar panels to compensate for power being drained from your batteries. Solar is an easy, environmentally friendly way to prevent loss of power. Bucars parts experts can set you up with, and install the perfect solar package to fit your needs.
Remember, you should check the water level in your batteries at least once per month. Check the water more often when RVing in high temperature climates like Arizona or California.
