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Old 03-22-2017, 02:41 PM   #1
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2014 Seneca Battery Disconnect

Does the battery disconnect switch truly disconnect ALL LOADS from the batteries? I just bought brand new house batteries and I am going to do all that I can to make sure they live a longer life this time.

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-scott
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Old 03-22-2017, 05:49 PM   #2
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No, there are a number of things still connected to the house batteries when the master switch is "off". The entry steps are one thing, if you still have the Dexter keypad operating the door latch, that is another.
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Old 03-23-2017, 03:45 PM   #3
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Carbon monoxide detectors should be active as well, if so equipped.
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Old 03-26-2017, 03:35 PM   #4
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Do you guys recommend putting another true disconnect inline if the Rig is going to sit for 30-60 days without charging?
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Old 03-26-2017, 04:48 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by flexdog1 View Post
Do you guys recommend putting another true disconnect inline if the Rig is going to sit for 30-60 days without charging?
I think the easier path might be to just disconnect the negative battery cables, but another sort of disconnect switch certainly could be used. Ideally you could even take the batteries out and place them on a maintenance charger while stored.

On my Seneca there are two negative cables connected to the battery bank, so one might have to tie those two negative cables together at a disconnect. Then you would have to make sure the line from the disconnect to the batteries was sufficiently sized and tied into the battery bank. The disconnect would have to be sufficiently sized to handle the amperage. And that is a big number when the inverter is operating at high loads!
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Old 03-26-2017, 05:30 PM   #6
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I would just add a small smart charger on the house battery to keep it charged up. Plug it in when you return from a trip, unplug it when you leave out.
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Old 03-26-2017, 05:41 PM   #7
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I jumped to the conclusion that there is no access to external power where they keep the unit; if there is they could just plug in the unit. The onboard converter standard in a 2014 Seneca includes a 3-stage "smart" battery charger.

If the outlet is only a 15 or 20-amp capacity one would have to make sure all other loads are shut off so you don't overload that circuit. Just the converter charging the batteries can operate successfully on a 15-amp circuit. I have done it myself!
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Old 03-26-2017, 06:52 PM   #8
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Seneca Friends,
You are right, I don't typically have access to power when I am storing it. It is at my house, just out in a field. I could fire it up every 30 days or so and bring it to the house for a 24 hour battery refresh.

I could also disconnect the negative battery cables as suggested; Mine too has the 2 negative cables coming from the rig, not counting the inverter negative line.

I was also thinking of a solar trickle charger, but would need to size that up.

I am open to thoughts or suggestions. Thanks for the ideas so far.
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Old 03-27-2017, 05:12 PM   #9
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Thanks for posting... I was assuming the "main power" disconnect switch turned everything off (but we noticed the steps did still work). In our past camper and trailer, both, sitting without running for a month was enough for the CO alarms to go off on 'low battery' warnings (which can annoy the neighbors, since it always decides to start alarming at 4am).

We might opt to put in a true disconnect switch... we do plan to get out at least once a month to get the diesel engine & genny lubricated, so if that's good enough, we might not need it. We'll see!

We're in Seattle and park in a lot under trees for storage, so don't think solar would help us out.
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