Batteries Overheating and Offgassing

[cl3]

We've got a 2016 Escape 21 and one of the batteries (have 2 12v deep cell) is getting hot and offgassing enough to cause the gas alarm to go off. I assume that the battery is bad. When it first did it, the water had gotten very low so I refilled it with distilled water, but it did it again. Before I buy a new battery, is it possible this is a converter/charger problem rather than a battery problem?

We bought this unit used and the original spec sheet showed two 6 volt batteries. I guess the folks we bought it from swapped for 12V. Any recommendations for 6V batteries to go back to? Thanks

[Vermilye]

It is possible that there is a bad cell in the battery that overheats. Try disconnecting it & measure the voltage. Fully charged, it should be in the neighborhood of 12.7V . If it is well below this, take it to a battery or auto store & get it tested.

A bad converter will also cause gassing & heating, but that would likely happen to both batteries.

One way to solve the propane alarm problem is to go to AGM batteries (it can happen with good 6V or 12V flooded batteries), either 12V in parallel or a pair of 6V in series. I like the Lifeline 6V AGMs, but they are more expensive than most. My solution was to switch to lithium, but that is even more expensive!
A pair of

[Ron in BC]

Well you can have two 12 volt batteries, I do, but they're not a direct swap for two 6s.

Two 6s are hooked up in series, one negative goes to the positive terminal of the other and you end up with 12 volts.

Do that with two 12s and you end up with 24 volts.

So how are these two 12s wired. Do they go to a battery switch that allows switching between them?

Ron

[cpaharley2008]

Also you have to reset the solar controller to show 2 wet cell 12v batteries. It may be overcharging the first battery hooked up in parallel.

[Vermilye]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Also you have to reset the solar controller to show 2 wet cell 12v batteries. It may be overcharging the first battery hooked up in parallel.

There is no setting that "tells" the solar controller that there are 2 12V batteries in parallel vs 2 6V batteries in series. The only choice with the GoPower controller is between flooded & AGM batteries.

[John in Santa Cruz]

if you strap two 12V batteries in parallel, ideally both are identical, from same batch of batteries. tie + to + and - to - between the two batteries using the same length of heavy gauge wire, then connect the load and charging to the + terminal of one battery, and the - terminal of the other battery. this insures the wiring resistance is identical between the two batts so they will see equal voltage and load currents throughout their lives.

[cl3]

Here is a picture of the wiring setup.

[Ron in BC]

OK, so you have two 12s in parallel to make one higher amperage battery. As others have said, that works if the batteries are in the same age and condition etc. If one is having an issue then it doesn't work so well. So definitely time to check each battery individually and see if any defects are apparent.

In my case each individually goes to a battery switch. Aside from giving me complete redundancy, if one fails I still have a fully charged battery in reserve, it also eliminates the need for the batteries to be the same type and age etc. as they're charged individually.

Ron

[Brian B-P]

While the handles get in the way of a completely clear view, and the labels on the cables are no longer correct, it does appear to be a properly configured parallel combination of identical batteries... except that the negative connecting cable is much heavier than the positive connecting cable. As John explained, the circuit path is likely a bit higher resistance for the battery on the right in the photo, making the one on the left work harder (discharges more deeply, charges more fully). If only one battery is damaged, that might be a contributing factor.

[cl3]

Ok, getting good information here. I'm an electrical novice (at best) so please bear with me. My thought is to go ahead and replace both batteries with 6V AGMs. There's a local Trojan dealer so will probably go with that. Would it be correct to wire the 6V's in series rather than the current parallel configuration so that the output is 12V since I have a 12V system?

[John in Santa Cruz]

exactly... trailer + wire to batt1+, batt1- to batt2+, batt2- to trailer -

like this,


note that GC2/T105 golf cart batts do NOT have a built in handle, you need one of these...
https://www.amazon.com/Trojan-609628.../dp/B00699WCUM

to pick them up and install them.

[padlin]

Kind of strange, pulled a pair of 6v Interstates and put in a pair of Walmart 12v'ers, in a 2016.

I had a Walmart 12v battery in my last trailer, it went through a lot of water, and didn't last long.

I'll be going AGM too when the Interstate 6's get a few more miles on them.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by cl3

Ok, getting good information here. I'm an electrical novice (at best) so please bear with me. My thought is to go ahead and replace both batteries with 6V AGMs.

Nothing wrong with that plan at all. But - a very important but - you must confirm nothing is wrong with your converter (battery charger) first - or you risk cooking the new batteries like the old ones.

Beg, borrow, or better, buy a reliable and accurate multi-meter. It will come in handy for many electrical issues.

Charge your current batteries for a half a day while keeping the loads light. A few lamps running is OK but avoid using the furnace, water pump, inverter, etc - to ensure the batteries are past the initial (bulk) charging mode. Then measure the voltage on each battery directly at the battery post with the charger running. You are looking for voltages that are around 14.4 to 14.8, and they should be virtually the same for each battery. Any voltage above 15 indicates a likely problem in the converter. And if the batteries have a voltage difference of more than 0.1 then you may have found the reason one of them cooked in the first place.

Report the voltages back to us and someone will have a diagnosis.

--
Alan

[John in Santa Cruz]

14.8 is too high. once your battery charger is past the 6-8 hour long 14.2-14.4V absorption phase, the maintenance voltage should be more like 13.2-13.6V

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by John in Santa Cruz

14.8 is too high. once your battery charger is past the 6-8 hour long 14.2-14.4V absorption phase, the maintenance voltage should be more like 13.2-13.6V

I was just thinking that possibly the converter was stuck in an equalization mode - which if I remember is over 15V. Or that the voltage control had failed completely and there was no regulation. Either of those scenarios would cook and off-gas the batteries.

[Doug2000]

I have had lead acid batteries and a AGM batteries. The AGM battery was superior in so many ways. Get 2 6V AGM batteries wired in series.

When I bought my trailer, it had a Maine starter. Either they bought the wrong battery or stuck me with it when I bought the trailer.

[cpaharley2008]

Did you mean Maine or Marine?

[cl3]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

Nothing wrong with that plan at all. But - a very important but - you must confirm nothing is wrong with your converter (battery charger) first - or you risk cooking the new batteries like the old ones.

Beg, borrow, or better, buy a reliable and accurate multi-meter. It will come in handy for many electrical issues.

Charge your current batteries for a half a day while keeping the loads light. A few lamps running is OK but avoid using the furnace, water pump, inverter, etc - to ensure the batteries are past the initial (bulk) charging mode. Then measure the voltage on each battery directly at the battery post with the charger running. You are looking for voltages that are around 14.4 to 14.8, and they should be virtually the same for each battery. Any voltage above 15 indicates a likely problem in the converter. And if the batteries have a voltage difference of more than 0.1 then you may have found the reason one of them cooked in the first place.

Report the voltages back to us and someone will have a diagnosis.

--
Alan

I will check that this morning. Here's another piece of info that might help. When I connect the batteries the converter fan instantly comes on. I thought it was only supposed to come on as it warms up. Also, so I can understand my system better, what is the black switch box above the frig labeled "Progressive Industries"? In one position it reads "Off", in the other it shows electrical load and an "E" code. There's no reference to it in the manual.

[tdf-texas]

Originally Posted by cl3

I will check that this morning. Here's another piece of info that might help. When I connect the batteries the converter fan instantly comes on. I thought it was only supposed to come on as it warms up. Also, so I can understand my system better, what is the black switch box above the frig labeled "Progressive Industries"? In one position it reads "Off", in the other it shows electrical load and an "E" code. There's no reference to it in the manual.

Disconnect the battery that is getting hot leaving the "good" one connected. If the situation goes to normal, you have a bad battery.

Using two 12v batteries in parallel is a bad choice. Both batteries have to be matched to charge correctly and as they age, will not stay matched causing the problem you are seeing. I would highly suggest either getting a battery switch that selects between the two 12v batteries or go back to two 6v in series.

The black switch box above the frig labeled "Progressive Industries" is the remote for your surge protector.

https://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems-hw30c

[cpaharley2008]

I will check that this morning. Here's another piece of info that might help. When I connect the batteries the converter fan instantly comes on. I thought it was only supposed to come on as it warms up. Also, so I can understand my system better, what is the black switch box above the frig labeled "Progressive Industries"? In one position it reads "Off", in the other it shows electrical load and an "E" code. There's no reference to it in the manual.

What that system is the Progressive Industries EMS option see here https://www.progressiveindustries.net/ems-hw30c
it protects your electrical system from shorts, surges, miswired pedestals, over/under voltage. Turn the little switch "on" for protection
Here is the manual with the error codes...https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/439d5...164c8e591e.pdf