bclemens Shore Power question for you.

[murraym]

On my 2015 DX3 37BHHD I like to leave it plugged into 50A shore power at home to keep the batteries charged. The last two months our electric bill has almost doubled. The only thing that I can think of is the inverter that powers the residential fridge is always running. The first month I left the cab and 1st compartment battery cutoff switches on, all of the appliances, etc in the coach off. basically like leaving your home with everything turned off. The fridge still had power but was shut down in the menu. The little red vampire power wires showed available power at the TVs, and the small transformer that trickle charges my Tattletale 12v alarm base station was plugged in. So basically the only thing using 110v was the small transformer that is plugged into the receptacle under the dinette. Everything else was turned off.

The next month I disabled the coach and chassis power using the two relay switches at the side door. I heard the relays disengage. I also turned the cab and 1st compartment battery cutoff switches to off as well. But, I still hear the inverter and the transfer switch in the second compartment driver side where all of the electronics are located on and humming away sucking down power.
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This tells me that there is no way to turn this off but to unplug shore power or turn off the fridge breaker at the master panel in the bedroom. I am assuming this is the inverter to power the fridge from the house batteries. I am also assuming that if I switch off the drivers side cab and 1st compartment battery cutoff switches it prevents them from being charged via shore power? Is this correct? All I need shore power for is to keep the chassis and house batteries charged and ready to go as we use it year round for trade shows. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[FFred]

While we wait the systems answer, let me remind you that the usual lead acid batt will self discharge 1/2% per day when new , and almost 3% per day when the end is near. Less in cold weather.

You should be fine plugging in overnight once every 2 weeks if there are no batt loads and the unit is simply sitting.

I would unplug and see where the batt voltages are every 24 hours to decide how long to remain unpowered.

[bclemens]

Have you played with the settings on the inverter? I know you can set what the incoming amperage will be and dial that down. You can disable the inverter in the menu setting. Don't press and hold the red button because that puts the inverter in standby, which shuts the whole thing down. I think what you want to do is disable the inverter in the menu.

Do you have the Xantrex Freedom?

[murraym]

I apparently have the basic Xantrex not so "PRO" XM1800. This unit I believe is only powering the front TV and the 110vac outlet below it while driving so you don't need to run the generator to run the tv.
This is what is in the compartment.
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The items on the front bulkhead are fuse blocks, and the house/chassis battery disconnect relay module.
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The rear bulk head contains the Surge Guard RV Power Protection Transfer Switch box. This thing is humming and is easily heard outside of the compartment with the door closed. And in my limited experience things that hum loudly are usually sucking down some serious power.
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There are no other panels but this one that contains the obvious as well as the Xantrex 1800 control which is either on or off, thus the not so "PRO" reference.
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Last night I flipped the breaker for the major appliances in the bedroom breaker panel and the transfer switch was still humming away.

[murraym]

I could understand our power bill doubling if the coach was plugged in and the fridge, furnaces or air conditioners, as well as lights, and TVs were being used as if it were being lived in, but this thing is all shut down. Just plugged in to 50a shore on a dedicated breaker, so that the batteries stayed charged. ???

[fonzie]

For power consumption and I think it is a diesel engine, make sure the block heater is disconnected if you have one in the electrical bay.....

[murraym]

As far as the block heater it was plugged in for a short period of time. Anyone know what the average power consumption would be?

[fonzie]

Usually between 6 to 10 amps at 120 volts.....(depends on rating of wattage for your unit)

[fonzie]

It seems you have a 1,000 watts block heater which would pull 8 amps at 120 volts AC....
see specs in link below...

DX3 Class C Motorhomes by Dynamax

[bclemens]

Yes, you have a regular inverter, not the inverter charger. You can easily turn off that 1800 watt inverter since it has nothing to do with the charge line.

It also sounds like the humming is coming from the surge guard/transfer switch anyway.

[murraym]

The 1800 is always off unless we are driving and need to charge something. The sound is definitely coming from the transfer switch. Any idea how much power it is using?

[bclemens]

Its surge protection and transfer switch. Other than keeping a light lit shouldn't be much. http://www.trci.net/media/144020/bef...call-guide.pdf

Unless there is something wrong with it...that should not be using the power that you indicate you are using. Even then, I'm not sure it would draw excess power.

Was it the bill being double?...or was it actually double the kilowatts? I know my bill went up, but the kilowatts were about the same.

Resistance heat is a huge electrical draw. If the engine block heater was plugged in, that would be my first suspect.

[CedarCreekWoody]

Clamp on an amp meter to the shore power line and see how much power the rig is drawing.

[JR Smith]

Water heater off?

[murraym]

I will have to brush up on my amp meter skills.

And the water heater is indeed off and empty for cold storage.

[CedarCreekWoody]

I understand about lack of amperage meter skills but if something is causing your electric bill to double it may be worth buying a good clamp on meter and get them to give you a lesson. Not difficult to use.