Battery Blues and my icebox Refrigerator

[Mike G]

I have a B321 with a 12V refrigerator. I have been running the refrigerator during the week during the boating season. My problem is that my batteries usually only last a season or two because they are charged by the battery charger and discharged frequently by the refrigerator. Every weekend I do check the cells for electolyte levels. Does anyone else have this problem or any creative solutions (Battery cycling, batteries that can take the constant charge-discharge cycles etc.)? I know that I could cut off the refrigerator but it usually takes a couple of hours to recool the box which makes weekending a hassle.Thanks,

 

[BILL TRIPP]

REfrigerator

Install a battery charger or install a 115 acinto a inverter to produce 12volts, need tocheck amp draw when compressor is on.a

 

[Mike G]

battery life

Bill,I have a battery charger that came with boat. The refrigerator works fine and is wired into the boats 12V system. The deep cycle lead-water batteries discharge and charge probably more frequently than they are probably accustomed too so their life is shorten. I was looking for tips in extending the life of the batteries or suggestion on another type of battery (maybe a gel type).

 

[Randy Rohrbeck]

Battery Life

Mike,I have a 12V refrigeration unit on my F310. I leave it on during the week as well. The current set of batteries, plain old lead/acid, are going on 5 years (they do need to be replaced). The prior set lasted about the same amount of time so at least for me, charging during the week hasn't been a problem.If you don't have a 3 stage charger you might want to think about one. If you do, you might check to see if its working properly (I won't be any help there)Randys/v Magic

 

[Mike G]

Battery charger

Randy,What brand of charger do you have? I have the multistage charger that came with the boat from Beneteau.Thanks,Mike G.

 

[larry w.]

battery blues

Mike; Your batteries should not be charging/discharging when connected to the charger. If the charger is functioning correctly, the batteries shouldn't even know the fridge is on. Check your amp draw on your 12v system monitor; it should be no higher that what it takes to power up the monitor, about a tenth of an amp. If it shows six amps or so, that's the fridge draw and you have a switching problem in the charger.

 

[Mike G]

Larry

I probably did not properly describe the condition. The voltage reading on the panel in the cabin is reading as you would expect when the charger is in use (float at 13 v and will increase voltage up to 13.9 v when the charger is running with the frig on or off) and the idiot lights on the charger seem to indicate that it is operating nominally. The way that I assume this system operates is the frig runs on and off until it depletes the batteries and they drop the circuit voltage below a set point in the charger which then goes into a boost cycle that replenishes the batteries. Larry, I am not sure what you mean when you say measure the current on the 12 v monitoring system? In the charger?Thanks,