Battery Cut Off Switch & Power during Storage

[Cougguy]

My new 3120DS came with a Battery cutoff switch, located adjacent to the batteries. When I have the unit at the house, I typically keep it plugged in. Should I put the cutoff switch into the off position at these times to keep from continuously charging the batteries (and evaporating off the water in the them)?

Or, is it a bad idea to keep the unit plugged into the house when in storage? Should I just turn everything off, put the cutoff switch into off and leave it like that?

Thanks

[NWJeeper]

Originally Posted by Cougguy

My new 3120DS came with a Battery cutoff switch, located adjacent to the batteries. When I have the unit at the house, I typically keep it plugged in. Should I put the cutoff switch into the off position at these times to keep from continuously charging the batteries (and evaporating off the water in the them)?

Or, is it a bad idea to keep the unit plugged into the house when in storage? Should I just turn everything off, put the cutoff switch into off and leave it like that?

Thanks

From what I am learning about converter/chargers I would say that if you have a 2 stage charger, DO NOT leave the switch on all the time. Turn it on once a week for a whole day and then turn it off. Keep a close eye on the water levels. If you have a 3 stage charger then it's fine to leave it plugged in and the switch turned on.

Also, keep in mind that there are some loads that stay connected to the batteries even though the switch is off. One is the LPG gas detector. On coaches with power steps they are also wired directly to the battery.

[cardinal4fun]

I would not worry about it, just make sure to check the water level in the battery. I always keep my unit plugged in, look at it this way, if you were in a seasonal site you would have your unit plugged in all the time so whats the difference.

[KyDan]

And there you have it sports fans..... two opposite answers!

Me-- I know my battery switch disconnects everything because
I installed it. I leave it OFF when not in use.
I have my batteries connected to a battery tender which will
not boil off the electrolyte and will keep them fully charged which
helps with longer life.

It's not a simple question because we don't know what kind of
charger you have.

Good luck!

[slpybeartx]

And here also is a vote for making sure the battery disconnect switch truly isolates the batteries.

Depending on how long the battery sits and the weather where you live, you can isolate a battery and have a significant charge on the battery when you come back to pick it up for camping.

[TulsaSteve]

Assuming you have a two stage charger and keep it plugged year round, one option would be a household timer when your away. Set it to run for 1-2 hours a day. Keeps your electric bill down and keeps the batteries topped off without destroying them.

[TulsaSteve]

One other bit.. I installed battery cut-offs on my chassis and coach batteries. If something starts to drain them, they cut off before the battery is toast.

Also makes a handy security system. I have a little remote on my keychain that will cut off / re-engage the chassis battery.

http://www.batterybrain.com/batterybrain.pl