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BMV-712 Battery monitor showing current draw when master shutoff switch turned off.

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  • #16
    Originally posted by steve&renee View Post

    I get it. If the inverter/charger is indeed a battery load when it is switched off, your configuration allows one to eliminate battery drain when you turn the relocated "master" switch off -- mine doesn't. I'll measure the switched-off load, and if there's any load, I'll probably make your configuration change.

    -Steve
    howson Guest

    Hey you guys,

    I measured with my "real" multimeter. When I switch my inverter/charger off, there is 0 load on the battery. Checked on both scales -- 20A and milliamp. Zero. And because I used the "calibrate to 0" function on the BMV-712, I now know it's giving me an accurate current indication. That's the good news.

    The bad news: I was blown away by the load with the inverter switched on. When I'm inverting to feed the "parasitic" 110 volt loads, the draw is 1.5 - 1.6 amps. Since I wired the inverter to a dedicated sub-panel, I can get a fair idea of where the drains are by opening all breakers, then switching them each back on while looking at current flow.

    It looks like the inverter is drawing 1.2 - 1.3 amps. The spec-sheet says 1.125 (.67 in power-saver mode). Not sure why I'm not seeing that. Could be the meter is just not accurate?

    I've got separate circuits for 1) TV and powered recliners 2) Microwave 3) bedroom 4) GFCI. The first 3 all draw about .1 amps each. I still need to discover the particular devices that are resulting in these unexpected loads. The only load I expected was the Microwave's LED display, but .1 amps seems high for that -- to me.

    Long story short, the way I wired it up, I now know that I *must* turn the inverter off before leaving the trailer unattended for any length of time.

    -Steve
    2018 Solitude 310GK, disc brakes
    Morryde SRE4000/XFactor with heavy duty shackles, V-Brackets in spring hangers
    2012 Ram 3500 SRW 6.7 Diesel, air bags
    18k B&W Companion, non-slider
    640 watts solar, 400 amp-hour Lion Safari UT 1300 battery bank
    Aims 1500 watt inverter/charger with ATS
    Somerset, WI

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    • #17
      steve&renee
      Hi Steve,

      Good research on the parasitic draw through the inverter. Something that lots of folks fail to consider. I am not surprised at the 1.3A load for the inverter in "idle" mode. I see the same thing from the 3000W inverter on my boat. (Also monitored with a "zeroed" Victron meter.)

      Rob
      Cate & Rob
      (with Border Collies Molly & Angel + Kitties Hazel & Elsie)
      2015 Reflection 303RLS
      2022 F350 Diesel CC SB SRW Lariat
      Bayham, Ontario, Canada

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      • #18
        Steve,

        X2 on Robs statement. You have to locate the switch between the battery and all other components in order to get around the parasitic draw. The switch in your diagram....is this the factory switch in the passthrough?

        Jim

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        • #19
          Originally posted by MidwestCamper View Post
          Steve,

          The switch in your diagram....is this the factory switch in the passthrough?

          Jim
          No. I left the factory switch alone. Don't use it at all.

          In my old setup, I did have the switch between the battery and all loads. When I rewired with the Lithium's, I wanted to beef-up the wire gauge between the inverter/charger and the battery bank -- so I by-passed the old "master" switch and ran 2/0 wire from the inverter/charger straight to the battery bank. I didn't want 2/0 all over the place.

          Now that I've measured the loads with the inverter/charger off and verified that the current draw is 0, I know that I have a straight forward way to isolate the battery bank from all loads: I turn the inverter/charger *and* the switch to feeds the DC loads off. In that configuration, there is no load on the battery bank.

          Doesn't bother me that I have to flip two switches.

          -Steve
          2018 Solitude 310GK, disc brakes
          Morryde SRE4000/XFactor with heavy duty shackles, V-Brackets in spring hangers
          2012 Ram 3500 SRW 6.7 Diesel, air bags
          18k B&W Companion, non-slider
          640 watts solar, 400 amp-hour Lion Safari UT 1300 battery bank
          Aims 1500 watt inverter/charger with ATS
          Somerset, WI

          Comment


          • #20
            Steve,

            Nice that you have this all worked out. I have my wiring planned and am still having materials delivered.

            Once I get my rig back I will begin wiring it. Looks like our reservations in PA for a week long trip may be a reality where I heard talk about federal land opening up soon. With primitive camping, the lithium battery will be a pleasure over listening to the generator run for hours each day.

            Jim

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