House battery draining

[eric]

After charging house battery and letting it sit indoors for a few weeks, I always find it is drained. I turn the main switch off.
I did notice the fuel gauge is still showing fuel level even with mains switch off. Could this be draining my battery?
Should the fuel gauge still function after mains are shut off?
Frustrated
Eric

 

[TonyM]

Hi Eric,
There are several power vampires on a Ranger that will drain your batteries while just sitting with no charger on.
If I store the boat in the warehouse for just a couple months I disconnect all the batteries and reconnect just before I go in the water. Any longer I remove the batteries and use a battery maintainer at home.
Additionally lead acid batteries, when not in use, will self discharge over time.

 

[pugtug613]

Eric,
The house battery should not drain in a few weeks. Check your voltage across the terminals while charging. It should read anywhere from 13.6v to 14.4v while the charger is on. Of course check the water level first. Once you reach that 14.4v level, your battery should be fully charged. (could take an overnight charge) Then turn off the main battery switch and wait about 20 minutes. Check the voltage again, it should read 12.8v. No lower then 12.6v. Turn the switch back on and turn on a bunch of stuff for 30 minutes. Then turn everything off and turn off your main switch. If your voltage is less then 12.5v, you may have a bad battery. Any auto parts store can test the battery. It needs to be tested under load to make certain.

What size boat do you have? I have your old R27 and the batteries last me several weeks w/o plugging in at the dock. I turn off the fridge and I usually do not have to plug in. I use the boat most weekends, so I rarely go 2 weeks w/o starting her up. Do you have a solar panel?

Chester

 

[Kenny Marrs]

Hello Eric,

How "drained" is the house battery when you return. As Tony said there are a few systems that are wire hot to the batteries. Are you only seeing this issue with the House battery? Could you also let me know what the voltage is on the Thruster and Engine battery before you leave the boat and when you return weeks later?

Thanks,
-Kenny

 

[Levitation]

As Kenny suspects, you may have a failing battery that is self discharging.
Also ask someone with a clamp-on current meter to see what the current leakage is with the house switches off 'and' the parallel switch off.
If your battery(s) is not self discharging. I'm suspecting your combined charger-invertor as a prime culprit for a leak.
Other parasite draws are the CO Detector, the bilge pumps, the shower pump (if miswired).

Your fuel gauge is interesting - digital or analog?
If analog, the needle probably just staying where it was when the voltage went away.
If digital is still showing then something is wired direct to a battery that likely was not intended.

Yes, batteries can discharge over time, but when in good condition that can take considerable time. I have farmer friends who simply park their equipment in the fall and jump in and start it in the spring.

edit: oh yeah, and the Blue Seas charge relays are had wired to the batteries.

 

[eric]

Thanks all. Not sure what this is. Didnt have this problem with the older 21 EC or the 27. Just this boat.
I csn get battery charged no problem. And the starting battery is not draining. Since its indoors the bilge pump is not running. Fuel gauge is analog. will keep testing one item at a time. But I did get battery cut off switch and sure that will solve problem. Unless it is a bad battery as someone mentioned.
Thanks all
Eric

 

[Andrew Custis]

Hello Eric,

Their are several hot powered devices on this boat that will cause the batteries to drain and like Tony said, you may want to consider an easier way to disconnect complete power specific to your use. This could include installing a switch that disconnects all of the grounding which would kill power completely. I know of a few that do this but you have to be careful because without the proper installation or operation, you could leave many things inactive that need to be powered.

Their are other devices that require all the time power like the radio which can take a fair amount. One thing that I don't understand is you say you have a Ranger 27 with an analog fuel gauge. The only engine we have installed in the Ranger 27 is a Yanmar or a Volvo. Both of these applications have built in fuel gauges that are operated by the key switch to the engine and viewed on the engine display. Not sure where you got an analog gauge from but perhaps someone has changed the factory installed equipment?

What kind of modifications have been done to the boat that you know of? Perhaps there are other things that someone added that are creating this issue? Also, comparing this to the 21EC is quite different because the amount of systems on the 27 versus the 21EC are significant.

Thank you,

Andrew Custis

 

[Osprey]

Could one be looking at the analog water tank gauge and thinking that the gauge is reading fuel level?

 

[Levitation]

Eric, anything found?

 

[eric]

Please understand I am talking about an EC 21. Not a 27. I have charged batteries and am leaving them sit to see what happens.
Thanks
Eric

 

[eric]

I see my profile still shows 27. Wondering why the confusion. I have sold the 27 and am back to an EC21. Although I must say I miss the 27.. heh heh

 

[eric]

Profile updated 😀

 

[Pilotnavigator]

Hi Eric,
You change boats more times!! I have just sold my Sun Cat and have a 21ec on order. I too will be addressing the battery issues so very interested in your progress. I will continue to cruise the North Channel with "Gentle Lady" in her 21ec. Our 21EC will again be called "Wanderer". I will upgrade the batteries to Optima 26's and put two additional ones in the stern to provide power at anchor for the fridge. The bigger batteries will fit on thier side in the engine box as they are AGM's. Also have several other deletions by the factory that we can talk about later. Keep me up todate on your battery solutions!