Home Hookup - Can you leave it plugged in all the time ? Forums

androidGB

Just wondered how others used their home hookups. During this cold snap I've got mine plugged in all the time, with an electric heater with a frost 'stat.

Is there any harm in leaving it plugged in all the time, I presume the battery charger just kicks in when necessary.

Andrew

DABurleigh

Andrew,

You are probably OK, but it depends on the charger. What one is it, and can it not be switched off?

Dave

jessy

Good question Andrew.
Ours is a Hymer and we were wondering if it might cook the battery too.
Up until now I have just pluged in when there is a risk of frost.

androidGB

Mine is a Benimar Europe Top, I've no idea who makes the battery charger, in fact I can't even find it!

I presume it's behind the control panel, there are some circuit breakers, but no obvious way of isolating the charger.

Probably an email to the dealer might be the best bet

Andrew

GeorgeTelford

Hi

I have left mine plugeed in for weeks at a time with no adverse effects at the 13.8 put out by the Average ZIG type unit its no problem. this is because at the end of the day its more of a power supply than a real charger. If you leave it plugged in for a month it will not overcharge a battery.

With a Proper 3 stage charger again no probs afterfully charging it will revert to 13.8 v

Only problem will be if you are using a bench charger in the van these require intervention after a certain amount of time to stop Boiling and battery death.

George

Anonymous

We leave ours plugged in all the time too and have not noticed any adverse effects. We have an oil filled rad in the van that we have set up on one of those plug controllers to keep the chill/damp out

Chris

HelenB · Moderator

Got mine plugged in to and she has just had her annual habitation check and batterys all ok so cannot be doing much damage. I have a greenhouse heater plugged in that has a frost stat setting, all the blinds down, curtains closed and silver screen on in the coldest nights.

carol

We have had ours plugged in whenever we are home for the last couple of years, and never noticed any problems.

But there again, if you were living in it full-time, you could be on hook up permanently, so I would have assumed there wouldn't be a problem.

See being a woman I don't look for problems, I just hope I never get any...

Carol

Very Happy

siegfried

Has no one else ever cooked a battery? Last winter I left our Pilote hooked up with an oil-filled radiator & killed the battery. The van stayed dry & free of frost, though. This winter I switch the charger on overnight occasionally. I have toyed with the idea of replacing the charger with one of the sophisticated ones that Road Pro sells, which monitor the state of the battery & charge (& discharge) as required. However, there are so many wires going in or coming out of the charger (how do you know which is which?) that I've chickened out of the replacement.

Siegfried

GeorgeTelford

Hi Siedfried

More detail required on your fried battery, but under normal use this should not happen, because if its a dumb charger these only ever run at 13.8v , a better multi stage charger will revert to 13.8 when the battery is full.

Generally a charger only as a few wires in and out three in for the mains and 2 out for the battery (occassionally more for temp sensors)

You could wire the Ctek in seperately, they come with a good set of instructions. Alternatively get the full wirining diagram for the unit you use.

BTW the reference to oil filled radiator is slightly baffling what had this to do with the battery? Unless its quoted only to give a reason for being hooked up.

George