Battery replacement= Converter clicking on/off

[iplumb]

Hi I replaced my battery today with a newer one I had that must be a little low. My converter is clicking what sounds like on and off every 10 sec. I think it just topping it off? Does this sound right? Does yours do this? I'm just checking to make sure this is normal? I don't want to hurt me converter...

[cpaharley2008]

Maybe it is your converter that is not working and not your battery? Disconnect your battery and see if the converter operates your 12v system and continues it's "clicking". Mine does not click, it just hums when the fan comes on, otherwise it is silent.

[Bill K]

My best guess on the clicking is that you have a fan relay to turn on the converter's fan and the fan is not working so relay clicks on some sensor over heats and relay clicks off.

Not knowing your converter, this is just a guess.

Bill K

[Darwin Maring]

Both of the guys above have great suggestions.

I once had the fan in the converter get all gummed up with lint and stopped working. This allowed the converter to overheat. I cleaned the lint out, oiled the motor and all was well. I did not have the clicking problem.

Watch your fan to make sure it works and while doing that do what Bill suggested and listen to hear if a relay clicks when the fan starts/stops.

[iplumb]

It was a bad battery! Thanks

[blugene]

My WFCO converter also clicks on & off, every 20-30 seconds; a loud "click" and the converter fan goes on; another "click" and the fan goes off. This happens when my trailer is connected to 120v AC. Turn off the DC switch, and the clicking stops.

Batteries are quite low. Something I did wrong, I presume. I left the campsite at end of our new Escape's maiden voyage. But I forgot to turn off the hot water heater (I did turn off propane) and I intentionally left the fridge on, DC powered, figuring my truck's alternator would charge it while driving.
Forgetting that I left it on, we stopped for lunch, etc. for an hour. When I remembered, I checked the battery, it was on "L" (low?). Turned off hot water heater and DC entirely, drove 2 hrs, battery charge went up to "F", not great but better? Turned DC/Fridge back on and drove another 25 min. home, got there & it was back on "L".
Used a home trickle-charger on the dual 6v deep cycle batteries, didn't help. Hooked up to AC power and turned on the DC switch to charger the batteries, which is when the "clicking" and fan noise started, alternating on & off. I turn off DC switch and the clicking stops, AC power works fine but I cannot get those batteries charged.
I know I forgot the hot water heater switch, but what about the fridge? Must I turn off DC entirely when I drive? Can anyone provide some information here?
Thanks

[cpaharley2008]

Not sure there is any connection of the batteries and the hot water switch, your hot water is propane or a/c, there is no dc current for your hot water other than perhaps an ignitor. Your refer on dc though is a big draw, what is the model and specs for the refer? This is a new Escape 19 so the batteries should recharge themselves hooked up to your converter.
Do you have solar? Depending on the dc draw of the refer you should be able to operate off it enroute with your 2x6 volts batteries. Do not expect your car to recharge them though unless you installed a heavy duty wire from your engine back to the trailer, the factory car wiring is not set up for large dc currents.
Once home and plugged in to a/c and with the switch on under the dinette, your converter should stop clicking on/off once the batteries are charged. If not the converter maybe an issue.

[blugene]

Thanks Jim.
Fridge is a Dometic RM 8551. Don't have solar. You'd think I should be able to run a fridge on DC while I'm towing, via my (Tacoma 6 cyl) truck alternator, but maybe it was that one-hour stop that did it.
I'm very interested in your comment that my "converter shuld stoop clicking on/off once the batteries are charged". That implies that the clicking & fan on & off is something to be expected when it's charging the batteries. If so, then the converter was doing its job and I needn't have been concerned about the clicking. Correct?

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by blugene

Thanks Jim.
Fridge is a Dometic RM 8551. Don't have solar. You'd think I should be able to run a fridge on DC while I'm towing, via my (Tacoma 6 cyl) truck alternator,

From my own experience and testing not all tow vehicles are created equally.
My first tow was a 1998 Chevy Blazer, 4.3l v-6, no tow package. I couldn't run the fridge while towing without running the battery down. There simply wasn't enough current supplied to the trailer to keep up.
My current tow is a 2005 Dakota 4.7l with full tow package. This one has no trouble keeping up.

It was pretty easy to test. Here's what I did.
With battery down to about 12.2 to 12.4 I removed the fuse at the battery connected a current meter in place of the fuse. Connected the tow, left the engine running and turned the fridge to DC. Observed the current to or from the battery.
The Blazer was 1 to 3 amps coming from the battery (I don't remember exact the number). The Dakota was a bit over 2 amps going into the battery.

As stated, all tow vehicles are NOT created equally.

[cpaharley2008]

By now it should have stopped clicking, I know some chargers make strange noises when the batteries are really discharged vs routine charging. Let us know what the condition is now. The converter will come off and on intermittently and I believe it is a 3 stage charger so after awhile it will quiet down. The fan is thermostatically controlled and has it's own schedule.

[Glenn Baglo]

I considered getting a 3-way fridge in my 17B.
Reace advised me ( since I was getting hitch and wiring for my RAV4 ) that I would need a #10 ground enable enough power to reach the fridge while towing. He also advised that if I ran the fridge on DC while towing, no power would be left over for the battery.
I got the #10 ground installed for $25 extra since the installer had to buy the wire ( heavier than he would normally install ). And, then I ordered the 5 cu. ft. AC / propane instead of the 3-way.
Did you happen to check the condition of the batteries prior to heading for home? Might provide a clue if you did.

[cpaharley2008]

I'm going to run a test on mine the next time the sun shows itself and turn on the refer the day before on 120v to chill down. Then I'll operate mine off 12v and watch the draw vs the solar charge replenishing. I'd rather use 12v while towing.