24 Series Deep Cycle Battery Issue

BDavis · 06-26-2016, 01:57 PM

Help! I have a Sandpiper 365saqb and last night awoke to a very strong smell of "rotten eggs". After thinking maybe a sewer issue or a leaking propane line I happened by the battery compartment and found the very strong odor coming from there. Upon visual inspection one of the two batteries was extremely hot while the other was ok. The battery in question was also very low on water.

Now, here's where I may have messed up. I recently added a thrid battery that I can remove when in storage. This as I have found on several occasions that after sitting for a few months there is not enough power to run the hydraulic leveling jacks for hitching. I just added the battery and 2 cables tying directly into the battery in question. All of the batteries are only a few months old and of the same 24 series. 2 are exide and the other an interstate. All 3 are deep cycle RV. I have a residential refrigerator and the 3rd also help keep the invertor going on longer trips until I can get to shore power.

So do I just have a bad battery? Something I should be looking at?

I took it out, leaving just 2 batteries in the manner in which they were wired from the factory.

BDavis · 06-26-2016, 01:59 PM

Also, everything seems to working ok.

spaach · 06-26-2016, 04:00 PM

I bet your hot battery was one of the exides? 😉 after everything cools off you could check the specific gravity of the cells. See who is low in the bank. It is also not normally recommend to mix batteries. They don't all charge and discharge at the same rate.

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clr · 06-26-2016, 04:10 PM

You really should not mix batteries of different ages and from different manufactures in a common battery bank. It sounds like from your description that you connected the third battery pos and neg directly to the battery that failed. The load going to your RV should be across all the batteries. That is connect all three batteries pos to pos and neg to neg to create the battery bank. The load pos should connect to the first battery pos terminal. The load neg should connect to the third battery neg terminal. This forces the load to run through all three batteries.

BDavis · 06-26-2016, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clr

You really should not mix batteries of different ages and from different manufactures in a common battery bank. It sounds like from your description that you connected the third battery pos and neg directly to the battery that failed. The load going to your RV should be across all the batteries. That is connect all three batteries pos to pos and neg to neg to create the battery bank. The load pos should connect to the first battery pos terminal. The load neg should connect to the third battery neg terminal. This forces the load to run through all three batteries.

Thanks for the info. This thing is wired a little weird from the get go. I will have to post a pic. Seems like one battery is wired to a disconnect that controls the invertor for the residential fridge and then the other is "hot" to the jacks. I will post a pic.

BDavis · 06-27-2016, 08:03 AM

Exides seem to be good?? Any other recommendations?

Filterman · 06-27-2016, 07:37 PM

Our trailer came with two Interstate GP24S and we are our fifth season with no issues. Make sure you look after batteries. ..don't rum them flat if you can help. I always disconnect when it's parked and if they get too low dry camping I fire up the generator for a spell until they are back to full charge. Also mise to check the with a voltmeter because mine of us no how accurate the panels in the trailer are.

pmsherman · 06-28-2016, 10:09 AM

How low was the "extremely low electrolyte" battery? Were the plates exposed? If the plates were exposed then I'd start by assuming that the battery has been damaged. Refill it with distilled water, recharge it, then have it load tested - not with an automotive load tester but with a deep cycle tester. If you can't find a place with the tester, you can make one from a couple of auto headlights and measure/record the battery's voltage every 15 minutes over a 3-4 hour period. Knowing the current draw of the headlights, the battery voltage over time as it's discharged and a "state of charge" chart will help you determine if the battery is still usable.

When I tested the batteries in my Georgetown, I discovered that, after less than one year of service, they had only 50% of their rated capacity. FR replaced them under warranty. It's been over four years since that and it looks like they are due for replacement again. They do get a lot of hard use; we're in the rig six months a year and frequently boondock.

Phil

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