Battery - Overcharging Battery with a dead cell

[pjmjunior]

If you want the batteries to last even longer, replace the converter with a better one. A 4 stage converter will not over charge your batteries and will de-sulfate them also.

What's an example of a better converter? Brand name, features to look for, etc?

[orbiker]

If you want the batteries to last even longer, replace the converter with a better one. A 4 stage converter will not over charge your batteries and will de-sulfate them also.

AGM for me. I hate the mess batteries can make. I found a good deal, be leave it or not at Battery/ Plus Bulbs.
Ask for the vet discount too. KEN

What's an example of a better converter? Brand name, features to look for, etc?

Something like this for our 374TH. Inteli-Power PD9260C, 60 amp power converter
It has a Built-in Charge Wizard.

This might be a bit big for an Imagine, unless you have multiple batteries. KEN

[manofslip]

Hello Ken , @orbiker

Thank you for the input on the converter/charger. I wanted to check to see if the Converter/Charger was actually going down to a trickle Charge. What I found out is that the converter/charger does not go into trickle mode until after 44 hours of a high power draw such as a slide or jack operation. I did find that it dropped down when I checked it. If I have any more trouble I plan to look at changing this along with a AGM battery.

[Petendoll]

I see this is an old thread but I’ll try my question here. I keep my 5th wheel Reflection plugged in all the time but I shut the battery off when I’m gone for long periods. Last weekend I went to the trailer and found the battery low when I tried to use the jacks. I forgot to turn the battery switch on. I turned it on and was able to use the jacks. I could hear the fan on the charger start up. During the night I could still hear it running and thought that odd. In the morning it was still running so I went out to check the battery. I took the cover off the battery and steam was shooting out of my new closed cell battery. Thank God for the battery box and that the battery didn’t catch fire. It was too hot to touch.

Has anyone had an experience like this? Was it the battery or the charger that caused the problem. Being the battery is new I’m wondering if the voltage regulator on the charger might be bad. How do I proceed?

[Soundsailor]

I see this is an old thread but I’ll try my question here. I keep my 5th wheel Reflection plugged in all the time but I shut the battery off when I’m gone for long periods. Last weekend I went to the trailer and found the battery low when I tried to use the jacks. I forgot to turn the battery switch on. I turned it on and was able to use the jacks. I could hear the fan on the charger start up. During the night I could still hear it running and thought that odd. In the morning it was still running so I went out to check the battery. I took the cover off the battery and steam was shooting out of my new closed cell battery. Thank God for the battery box and that the battery didn’t catch fire. It was too hot to touch.

Has anyone had an experience like this? Was it the battery or the charger that caused the problem. Being the battery is new I’m wondering if the voltage regulator on the charger might be bad. How do I proceed?

Don't know for sure, but when you said that you "shut the battery off when I’m gone for long periods," I'm pretty sure you also shut off the charger. There are, however, several things in the coach that continue what some have called a "parasitic" draw. These are things like the smoke and CO alarms that bypass the battery switch. My theory is that these draws drained your battery completely. Lead-acid batteries don't respond well to being completely drained. I'm guessing that your battery is shot and that when the charger tried to recharge it, you got the heat you described. A "smart" charger might have done better, for instance it might have tried a de-sulfurization routine first. And it almost certainly wouldn't have tried to charge a dead battery to the point of nearly starting a fire. Just my 2 cents.

[Petendoll]

After checking the charger output (13.6v). And checking the battery (7.8v). Took the battery back. They replaced it under the warranty. They even gave me a larger battery as the one I returned was out of stock. Everything looks good now.