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Norcold Fridge Draining My 320S Battery on Propane

Pekoe1111Pekoe1111 Member Posts: 37
in Air Conditioning & Refrigeration
Battery was at 100% at 3p in afternoon when I disconnect my tow vehicle.  With nothing on but the fridge on propane, battery was at 42% at 7P the following day (28 hrs later).  Outside temps in the 50s-50s.  Is this normal with a one-year old battery?
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    Pekoe1111Pekoe1111 Member Posts: 37
    Correction - stereo light was on too.  
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    pthomas745pthomas745 Moderator Posts: 3,659
    Based on what measuring method? Victron app?  Was the battery "rested" or was it running the trailer when you noted the "42%".   What size and type of battery? What year trailer?
    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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    MuttonChopsMuttonChops Member Posts: 1,595
    @Pekoe1111 ;  As @pthomas745 noted additional details would be helpful.

    In general what you are reporting is abnormal.
    If a typical 320S draws 500mA (0.5 A) per hour - - - which is high compared to the real world typical.

    Your battery would have been drained some 14 Amp-Hours . . . 14% if the battery is a 100-AHr [20% if a 70-AHr dealer basic was installed]. . . not 42%

    So first reaction would be:

       == A ==  You have more 12VDC 'things' turned-on then you realize

       == B ==  How you are measuring the power loss/capacity is wrong. For example the KIB Tank Monitor
                       Battery LED Lights are worthless.
    '18 320 S,  pitched axle, 3020HE; PNW based
    TV: '17 Colorado V6 Z71 4x4, Tow Package, GM Brake Controller
    Adventures:  51   Nights:  322  Towing Miles 41,200+
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    Pekoe1111Pekoe1111 Member Posts: 37
    Battery is only two years old and I have kept it above 50% except for maybe once it drained all the way.
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    ScottGScottG Administrator Posts: 5,428
    @Pekoe1111, while I can't offer much insight into your specific issue, I can tell you that the 3-way fridge--even running on propane--does require 12V power to operate the internal electronics and circuitry. However, the amount is almost negligible and should not be causing any noticeable drain on your battery.
    Also, I assume when you say you have a "typical car battery" you really mean a deep-cycle marine/RV battery. Car batteries are designed a bit differently and will likely drain quickly if used in an RV application. If you are using a car battery, that could be part of your problem.
    2015 T@B S

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    Pekoe1111Pekoe1111 Member Posts: 37
    @ScottG - thanks for this guidance.  I’ll double check the battery.
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    Pekoe1111Pekoe1111 Member Posts: 37
    My battery is a deep cycle so I wondering what’s the best way to check for parasitic drains.  Any suggestions for an accurate battery monitor?

    Thanks!
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    pthomas745pthomas745 Moderator Posts: 3,659
    Show us a photo of the battery, or give us a description   "Most likely" it is a "stock" 80 amp hour lead acid battery, a "Group 24".  (You might see "24" as part of the model number).   It would be good to know the age of the battery.  A lead acid, if treated with tender loving care, might last 5-6 years.  If you don't have a good idea of how it might have been used in the past (was it allowed to drop to a low state of charge too many times, etc) that may also be an issue.
    All the trailers have "parasitic drains".  My 2017 parasitic drain goes about 5-6 amp hours a day.  The Jensen head unit and TV  use a bit of power.  USB ports, etc, all use a bit of power with the battery switch on.  Probably the biggest parasitic drain is the gas monitor, which is connected directly to the battery. 
    There are tools that show you what your parasitic drain may be.  One simple tool would be a "clamp meter".  YouTube tells me that making sure everything in the trailer is "off", and applying the clamp meter to the negative battery cable will show you the parasitic drain.
    This one is a clamp meter and also can be used as a multimeter.
    Another tool that will do this for you is a "shunt". A shunt basically sits on the battery negative post and measures everything that comes in and out of the battery, and will add the number of amp hours you have used.  On my Victron shunt, it shows me the "current" flowing out of my battery when everything is off and no charge coming in.  My "parasitic" draw is about .24 amps.  There are the bluetooth Victron shunts that can run 100 dollars or more, or the less than 40 dollar shunts with a simple display. Lots of owners here have this inexpensive Aili shunt installed.





    2017 Outback
    Towed by 2014 Touareg TDi
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    MuttonChopsMuttonChops Member Posts: 1,595
    edited September 2023
    @Pekoe1111 ;  Before purchasing/installing an (expensive) in-line Battery Current Monitor.
    You might consider getting a cheap clamp style Current Meter.
    Clamp it to the Battery Negative terminal wire,
    then you can measure the current with various combination of trailer 12VDC items turned-on or off.

    Here is a $30 meter

    A cheap price clamp on meter will be more than accurate enough for this project.
    '18 320 S,  pitched axle, 3020HE; PNW based
    TV: '17 Colorado V6 Z71 4x4, Tow Package, GM Brake Controller
    Adventures:  51   Nights:  322  Towing Miles 41,200+
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