Battery maintenance

[Jim Shirley]

When performing cleaning and service on batteries should the coach be disconnected from shore power???
Cables to be disconnected cleaned and sprayed. I seem to remember that there is a certain sequence in disconnecting
And reconnecting the cables.  

Jim

[Gerald Farris]

Jim,
Yes the coach should be disconnected from shore power, and everything inside should be turned off including the inverter. When disconnecting the cables remove the negative cable first and reconnect it last.

Gerald

[Jim Shirley]

Thanks Gerald, had not thought about the inverter. Will shut everything down.

Jim

[Joel Weiss]

Jim,
 everything inside should be turned off including the inverter.

Gerald--

Would you define what you mean by turning off the inverter? At the remote panel?  At the inverter box itself?  The breakers on the front of the inverter?

Joel

[Edward Buker]

Joel,

In case Gerald is not available and you need the info....turn the inverter/charger off at its own panel and then on your AC breaker panel turn off the inverter breaker. (This is redundant to disconnecting shore power but a good idea. This breaker removes the AC 120V feed so that it cannot be in charge mode when you are disconnecting or disconnected) There is another small breaker box in the bay that is on the output side of the inverter that you should turn off just to be sure that if any strange inverter output was generated when you were disconnecting or reconecting the batteries it would not be distributed to the coach. The battery terminals should always be re-connected and tight before any AC 120V breaker for the input or output side of the inverter/charger is switched back on.

Later Ed

[Bill Brown]

Ed/Gerald,

I have one other question regarding the disconnect/reconnect process, when cleaning the batteries.  What should a person do regarding the input lines that provide power from the solar panels?  I have not seen any way for disconnecting their input, except for when the batteries them selves get disconnected.  In a previous coach, I actually had a fuse block at the batteries, I could pull the fuse on.  I find/see none in my 06 Monterey.  Mostly curious, as I have not encountered any problems by just unhooking the negative terminals first.
Bill Brown
06 Monterey, Laguna IV  

[Gerald Farris]

Bill,

I do not know where the solar panels tie into your system, however the current from the solar panels is not enough to cause a dangerous spark in a well ventilated battery compartment normally, although there is some risk.  If you want to easily remove the risk of a spark from the solar panels, just throw a thick blanket over them when you are working on the batteries.

Gerald

[Edward Buker]

The blanket is a good idea and beats having to work at night :-)  If there is no disconnect point for the solar panels just place a zip lock sandwich bag and a wire tie (or another suitable insuator) over the plus wire terminal end that is involved with the solar panels, once you have disconnected it from the battery. You just do not want that panel output shorted to ground while you do the work on the battery terminals.

Later Ed

[Bill Brown]

Ed/Gerald,
Thanks for the quick replys.
Bill

[Joel Weiss]

Joel,

In case Gerald is not available and you need the info....turn the inverter/charger off at its own panel and then on your AC breaker panel turn off the inverter breaker. (This is redundant to disconnecting shore power but a good idea. This breaker removes the AC 120V feed so that it cannot be in charge mode when you are disconnecting or disconnected) There is another small breaker box in the bay that is on the output side of the inverter that you should turn off just to be sure that if any strange inverter output was generated when you were disconnecting or reconecting the batteries it would not be distributed to the coach. The battery terminals should always be re-connected and tight before any AC 120V breaker for the input or output side of the inverter/charger is switched back on.

Later Ed

Thank you

[LarryNCarolynShirk]

Joel,

While you have the solar wire off, you may want to add an in line fuse for the next time.

Larry