electrical drain

The two immediate possibilities that come to mind are (1)
your older battery is somehow discharging your newer one,
despite the combiner; or (2) there is a "hidden" load
somewhere in your system.

Most likely scenario is that the battery you replaced may
have ruined its partner, which is now draining your new one.

Easiest thing to do is bring the batteries up to full charge
and then disconnect one lead from each battery, taking care
to secure the leads.

Give it as along as you can, and then monitor the voltage on
each. Put a 10 - 20 amp load on each one while you measure
the voltage if you can. If one is good and the other is not,
there's your answer. (old battery somehow draining new, but
that shouldn't happen if the combiner is working properly)

If both batteries are good, then connect them as before, but
this time, make certain your switch is in the "off"
position. Give that situation as long as you can and then
check voltages (remove one battery lead so they are not
connected via the combiner when you measure voltage.)

If both are good, then you probably have a "hidden" load. If
both batteries read low voltages, then you probably have a
bad combiner. I suppose one of the diodes could be shorted.

Good luck, and let us know what you find.

Chuck


William G. Andersen wrote:
> How do I find what's draining the power on my battery?
> I use my boat twice a week for several hours. Two weeks ago neither battery
> would start the engine. Battery 1 was low, but would hold a charge, so I had
> it charged for an hour before launching while I went out and bought a
> replacement for Battery 2 which was several years old, dead, and wouldn't
> hold a charge.
> Since then, I've used the boat several times, VM always indicates 13.5 when
> running.
> I forgot to turn off the master battery switch yesterday. When I checked it
> today it was less than 11 volts, and nothing had been left on.
> I have two batteries with a 1,2,both, none switch and combiner: that's not
> new, I added the second battery, switch and combiner two years ago.
> Before I added the second battery, I ran separate wires from Battery 2 for a
> VHF radio and radar on the passenger side of the boat, because there was no
> electrical wiring there. I've since added two utility plugs to that wire.
> I'm tempted to disconnect the two utility plugs to see if they've been
> draining power.
> But I haven't done anything electrical for several months and have had this
> problem for just the last two weeks.
> Is there a simpler way of finding the drain? Am I going to have to
> disconnect the wires for everything on the boat and add them one at a time
> until I find one that's draining power?
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: electrical drain 

The other guys have given good advice.
I notice you said your voltmeter indicated 13.5 volts while charging.
Is that the voltmeter on the dash of the boat? If so use a good
voltmeter and check the voltage at the battery terminals of each
battery. If the charge voltage is really that low then that may be
part of your problem as they will never charge fully at that voltage.
You need 14 to 14.5 volts to charge.

Also if one of the batteries is weak it may be running down the good
one as the others have said. But it shouldn't do so if you do not
parallel them with the battery switch unless you have a shorted diode
in the combiner.

With the battery switch in the off position, check the voltage on each
battery with a voltmeter. You should have no need to run the battery
switch in the both position except if you have a starting problem.
Then return the switch to one.
They should both still charge through the combiner if it is installed
correctly. That way neither battery will run the other down and a load
on one will not drain the other.

Regards
Gary


On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 15:17:05 -0800, "William G. Andersen"
<wgander.TakeThisOut@cox.net> wrote:

>How do I find what's draining the power on my battery?
>I use my boat twice a week for several hours. Two weeks ago neither battery
>would start the engine. Battery 1 was low, but would hold a charge, so I had
>it charged for an hour before launching while I went out and bought a
>replacement for Battery 2 which was several years old, dead, and wouldn't
>hold a charge.
>Since then, I've used the boat several times, VM always indicates 13.5 when
>running.
>I forgot to turn off the master battery switch yesterday. When I checked it
>today it was less than 11 volts, and nothing had been left on.
>I have two batteries with a 1,2,both, none switch and combiner: that's not
>new, I added the second battery, switch and combiner two years ago.
>Before I added the second battery, I ran separate wires from Battery 2 for a
>VHF radio and radar on the passenger side of the boat, because there was no
>electrical wiring there. I've since added two utility plugs to that wire.
>I'm tempted to disconnect the two utility plugs to see if they've been
>draining power.
>But I haven't done anything electrical for several months and have had this
>problem for just the last two weeks.
>Is there a simpler way of finding the drain? Am I going to have to
>disconnect the wires for everything on the boat and add them one at a time
>until I find one that's draining power?
>
 >> Stay informed about: electrical drain 

Thanks to each of you for the prompt replies. I hope to have time to check
it out next week.
Since I've had the batteries, switch and combiner installed for over a year
I don't put either of them high on my list of suspects. Although I did
wonder if combiners fail. I normally select only one battery, and change the
selection every couple of weeks.
As for the VM indicating 13.5 - that's on the instrument panel and I know
that those instruments aren't necessarily accurate. What's important is that
it did indicate the alternator was charging the batteries (right?)
I don't have a good VM, hopefully one of my friend does; another friend has
a battery charger, so I can borrow that, too.

"Gary Schafer" <gaschafer.RemoveThis@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:7iou41hlcloaaonj2vtibdvqu0ff3r62ps@4ax.com...
> The other guys have given good advice.
> I notice you said your voltmeter indicated 13.5 volts while charging.
> Is that the voltmeter on the dash of the boat? If so use a good
> voltmeter and check the voltage at the battery terminals of each
> battery. If the charge voltage is really that low then that may be
> part of your problem as they will never charge fully at that voltage.
> You need 14 to 14.5 volts to charge.
>
> Also if one of the batteries is weak it may be running down the good
> one as the others have said. But it shouldn't do so if you do not
> parallel them with the battery switch unless you have a shorted diode
> in the combiner.
>
> With the battery switch in the off position, check the voltage on each
> battery with a voltmeter. You should have no need to run the battery
> switch in the both position except if you have a starting problem.
> Then return the switch to one.
> They should both still charge through the combiner if it is installed
> correctly. That way neither battery will run the other down and a load
> on one will not drain the other.
>
> Regards
> Gary
>
>
> On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 15:17:05 -0800, "William G. Andersen"
> <wgander.RemoveThis@cox.net> wrote:
>
>>How do I find what's draining the power on my battery?
>>I use my boat twice a week for several hours. Two weeks ago neither
>>battery
>>would start the engine. Battery 1 was low, but would hold a charge, so I
>>had
>>it charged for an hour before launching while I went out and bought a
>>replacement for Battery 2 which was several years old, dead, and wouldn't
>>hold a charge.
>>Since then, I've used the boat several times, VM always indicates 13.5
>>when
>>running.
>>I forgot to turn off the master battery switch yesterday. When I checked
>>it
>>today it was less than 11 volts, and nothing had been left on.
>>I have two batteries with a 1,2,both, none switch and combiner: that's not
>>new, I added the second battery, switch and combiner two years ago.
>>Before I added the second battery, I ran separate wires from Battery 2 for
>>a
>>VHF radio and radar on the passenger side of the boat, because there was
>>no
>>electrical wiring there. I've since added two utility plugs to that wire.
>>I'm tempted to disconnect the two utility plugs to see if they've been
>>draining power.
>>But I haven't done anything electrical for several months and have had
>>this
>>problem for just the last two weeks.
>>Is there a simpler way of finding the drain? Am I going to have to
>>disconnect the wires for everything on the boat and add them one at a time
>>until I find one that's draining power?
>>
>
 >> Stay informed about: electrical drain 

On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 15:17:05 -0800, "William G. Andersen"
<wgander.DeleteThis@cox.net> wrote:

=>How do I find what's draining the power on my battery?

I saw the phrase "VHF Radio" in your post, and it brought to mind a
service experience of many years back.

Customer was complaining that his battery was being drained every week
(weekend user). Checked with ammeter at batt terminal, and yes, there
was a load. Small, but still a load.

Turned out to be memory for an old VHF radio he had installed. Even
when off, unit consumed power.

I think newer units are designed somewhat better.

Worth a check?


Terry--WB4FXD
Edenton, NC
 >> Stay informed about: electrical drain 

I guess it's worth checking almost anything to resolve the problem of a dead
battery: I want my boat ready to go at the first click of the key in the
ignition!

"Terry" <katamasouth DeleteThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:42502643.18781677@netnews.mchsi.com...
> On Sat, 2 Apr 2005 15:17:05 -0800, "William G. Andersen"
> <wgander DeleteThis @cox.net> wrote:
>
> =>How do I find what's draining the power on my battery?
>
> I saw the phrase "VHF Radio" in your post, and it brought to mind a
> service experience of many years back.
>
> Customer was complaining that his battery was being drained every week
> (weekend user). Checked with ammeter at batt terminal, and yes, there
> was a load. Small, but still a load.
>
> Turned out to be memory for an old VHF radio he had installed. Even
> when off, unit consumed power.
>
> I think newer units are designed somewhat better.
>
> Worth a check?
>
>
> Terry--WB4FXD
> Edenton, NC
 >> Stay informed about: electrical drain 

katamasouth.RemoveThis@hotmail.com (Terry) wrote in
news:42502643.18781677@netnews.mchsi.com:

> Turned out to be memory for an old VHF radio he had installed. Even
> when off, unit consumed power.
>

None of the VHF radios switch primary power. Their IC brick RF power amps
are continuously connected to the high current DC cables. The "power
switch" only switches off the basic walkie talkie circuit board the radios
use. I have a Standard Horizon Eclipse + in a box somewhere around here
that was in my jetboat. It draws a constant 3A at 13VDC when "off".
Seawater leaked in around the chinzy speaker sealing, ran across the main
circuit board destroying it and pooled up between the pins of the IC power
amp brick, biasing it into 3A of idle current.....which isn't enough to
blow the fuse or melt anything at 40 watts of heat for the heat sink on the
rear. It just gets hot while killing the hell out of the boat's battery so
dead you can't recover it.

Be sure to kill ALL power to ALL electronics at the primary power level
before storing your boat. A main disconnect is mandatory.
 >> Stay informed about: electrical drain