Do I have battery issue?

[BigJoe]

I have 6 x 140 amp/hr batteries in a 12 volt system, when charged fully the monitor shows around 13.2, however, when I stop the engine and anchor, the monitor drops quickly to around 12.2/4, and waits at that for approximately 12 to 18hrs, decreasing slowly.

Do I have a battery issue of am I’m I just paranoid.

Any help of advice would be great thanks.

 

[reeac]

I have 6 x 140 amp/hr batteries in a 12 volt system, when charged fully the monitor shows around 13.2, however, when I stop the engine and anchor, the monitor drops quickly to around 12.2/4, and waits at that for approximately 12 to 18hrs, decreasing slowly.

Do I have a battery issue of am I’m I just paranoid.

Any help of advice would be great thanks.

Either a battery "issue" [i.e. problem] or else something is, unbeknown to you, switched on or there's a current leakage somewhere. Try disconnecting at a point which serves all the batteries e.g. an earth immediately after charging and see if the voltage settles to ca. 12.7 or 12.8 - as it should.

 

[Stemar]

Stupid question - Is the fridge (or something similar) on? That could well drag the voltage down.

If not, is this a recent issue, or have the voltages always been low? If they've always been low and nothing's turned on, it may be poor calibration - check with a decent voltmeter across the batteries. If the voltage at the batteries an hour after charging, but off load, is around 12.7, my next step would be to clean all the contacts between batteries and monitor.

If the battery voltage is low, I'd disconnect each battery and measure the voltage across each. A low reading from one is likely to be a duff cell and that could be dragging the others down.

If they're all the same, give the whole back a good charge from a mains charger (at least overnight, but could be a couple of days with a big bank, depending on the charger). If that brings the voltage up, it's starting to sound like an alternator issue but, as with all electrical gremlins, clean all the contacts before spending money.

Good luck!

 

[BigJoe]

I did think of doing that, however, my thoughts were, why would the so called leakage stop at around 12.2’ish.

 

[sailorman]

http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/battery-basics.html

 

[BigJoe]

Stupid question - Is the fridge (or something similar) on? That could well drag the voltage down.

If not, is this a recent issue, or have the voltages always been low? If they've always been low and nothing's turned on, it may be poor calibration - check with a decent voltmeter across the batteries. If the voltage at the batteries an hour after charging, but off load, is around 12.7, my next step would be to clean all the contacts between batteries and monitor.

If the battery voltage is low, I'd disconnect each battery and measure the voltage across each. A low reading from one is likely to be a duff cell and that could be dragging the others down.

If they're all the same, give the whole back a good charge from a mains charger (at least overnight, but could be a couple of days with a big bank, depending on the charger). If that brings the voltage up, it's starting to sound like an alternator issue but, as with all electrical gremlins, clean all the contacts before spending money.

Good luck!

I do have 2 fridges, and they are on 24x7, I do have them turned down and try and not open the front opening one to often.
I do recall the bank holding for a day or two in the past.
However last winter I noticed the battery fluid low in all my bank, ad had to top up with a considerable amount of the proper fluid, would this be linked to my initial drop in volts?

 

[Stemar]

A significant drop in levels across all cells in all batteries is more likely to be excessive charging voltage than low voltage, but could be a cause.

The 12.7 resting voltage is what you should expect with everything turned off. If you're running a couple of fridges, they would bring the voltage down, especially if battery terminals are bit dirty or corroded. I think you need to charge your batteries, then let them rest with everything turned off and, if that's still low, see what you get then at the monitor and with a digital voltmeter at the battery terminals.

I don't pretend to any special expertise beyond an old A level in physics and what I've gathered over the years from getting it wrong and putting it right, but feel free to PM me if you want to carry on the conversation.

 

[GrahamM376]

I have 6 x 140 amp/hr batteries in a 12 volt system, when charged fully the monitor shows around 13.2, however, when I stop the engine and anchor, the monitor drops quickly to around 12.2/4, and waits at that for approximately 12 to 18hrs, decreasing slowly.

Do I have a battery issue of am I’m I just paranoid.

Any help of advice would be great thanks.

Have you checked your battery monitor against an accurate digital meter? Can't see why if you have a battery problem the voltage doesn't continue to drop but remains static for up to 18 hours.

 

[VicS]

I have 6 x 140 amp/hr batteries in a 12 volt system, when charged fully the monitor shows around 13.2, however, when I stop the engine and anchor, the monitor drops quickly to around 12.2/4, and waits at that for approximately 12 to 18hrs, decreasing slowly.

Do I have a battery issue of am I’m I just paranoid.

Any help of advice would be great thanks.

Are you are saying that when fully charged the monitor shows around 13.2 with the engine running? If so this is far too low. Id expect nearer 14.2.

When the engine is stopped I'd then expect the volts to drop to around 12.6, with no load, over 12 hours or so. Quickly at first then progressively more slowly.
With no load at all Id expect to still be around 12.5 or more after several days or even weeks.

It does however only take a small load to knock the reading down. A clock, a radio memory that sort of thing.

 

[BigJoe]

Sorry I didn't get back to anyone sooner but I have been out of decent 3G signal for a few days.
Correct 14.2 is what my monitor shows with a full charge from the engine.
I going to get a guy................ with a meter thingy to check everything, and hopefully learn from him so i don't feel such a fool having to ask you guys.

Thanks for the help.