Generator is not charging batteries

[txtinman]

Generator is not charging batteries (SOLVED)

I know there are a few threads covering this issue and I've read them and tried following the advice in them to no joy.

I've been parked at my mother's house for a little over a month. I've been running the generator occasionally to keep the batteries charged. One night after running the generator for about an hour I needed to check on something in the rig and I found both batteries dead to the point I could not start the generator. This was just an hour after running the generator. This leads me to believe a breaker may have tripped, but I haven't found it.

The next day I put a charger on the batteries and got them charged enough to start the generator. After another hour of running the batteries were charged no more than when I started.

I've checked all of the circuit breakers in the battery compartment for the reset button mentioned in a lot of the posts on this issue. None of mine have the reset button. I checked the converter plug and found it securely installed. I checked the level up monitor while the generator was running and got a 13.48v reading. All 120v and 12v items work in the rig while the generator is running. I reset all of the circuit breakers inside the rig.

I keep the battery disconnect switch off and nothing is on inside the rig. I don't know what is draining the batteries.

So, do any of you have an idea of where I can go from here?


SOLUTION:
As suggested I turned the battery shut-off switch on and the batteries are charging by the generator. I thought the batteries had died suddenly, but now realize I had not been charging them. Every time I started the generator it would use a little more juice from the batteries until they couldn't start the generator.

Thanks to all who responded.

 

[danemayer]

I keep the battery disconnect switch off and nothing is on inside the rig. I don't know what is draining the batteries.

If the battery disconnect switch is off while running the generator, no power will get to the battery to charge it.

 

[txtinman]

If the battery disconnect switch is off while running the generator, no power will get to the battery to charge it.

I thought that switch kept 12v from leaving the battery and entering the rig? It's not located between the battery and the generator.

 

[avvidclif]

Smoke alarms, CO detectors, and several other things are wired before the switch, by code, and will drain the battery even when switch is off. The charging for the battery comes from the converter which is wired to the switch. That's why lights and everything else worked. Look in the Tools forum at the top and then the HUG section. There are several wiring diagrams that will explain it.

 

[txtinman]

Smoke alarms, CO detectors, and several other things are wired before the switch, by code, and will drain the battery even when switch is off. The charging for the battery comes from the converter which is wired to the switch. That's why lights and everything else worked. Look in the Tools forum at the top and then the HUG section. There are several wiring diagrams that will explain it.

OK. I'm going out to give it a try. Looking at the residential refrigerator wiring diagram it looks as if you may be right. I'll let you know.

 

[danemayer]

When running the generator, turn the battery cutoff ON. When the trailer is just sitting in storage, turn the cutoff OFF to keep the alarms and other little devices from draining the battery.

If you have a residential refrigerator, you probably have 2 cutoffs. The one for the fridge can be left off all the time that the refrigerator is not being used.

 

[txtinman]

Smoke alarms, CO detectors, and several other things are wired before the switch, by code, and will drain the battery even when switch is off. The charging for the battery comes from the converter which is wired to the switch. That's why lights and everything else worked. Look in the Tools forum at the top and then the HUG section. There are several wiring diagrams that will explain it.

My propane alarm does not work with the switch off. Should I address this with Heartland?

 

[danemayer]

My propane alarm does not work with the switch off. Should I address this with Heartland?

My propane alarm is direct wired to 12V DC, rather than having a battery. So with the switch off, it is normal to not have any power and therefore not work. The manuals for Atwood and MITT propane dectectors both indicate that an external 12V DC power supply is required and don't mention internal batteries.

If the propane detector was wired to bypass the battery cutoff so it ran all the time, you'd run the trailer batteries down while in storage.