i like learning from you because of how humble you are. I appreciate no sarcasm and not patronizing us. You're not an arrogant know it all, and that is a lovely quality in a teacher. TY again!
Paul always like your videos and all your knowledge. You being a car guy really helps. Also you are very good at explaining things. I did not know what the minus sign in front of the numbers meant. Now I do. Thanks for explaining that. As the saying goes you learn something everyday. So to me this was a positive day and you were the reason. Thanks again and looks like you are doing well which makes me happy. Take care and be good.
T-shirt weather, how nice. Here in Edmonton Alberta, it's a little FRIGID. A T-shirt is just the base, then the layers. Winter started very early this year. Have fun in Arizona. Cheers to you.
I had a rude wakening this week, I've been under the weather for the past month and my truck AGM went flat, in fact down to 3 volts. My so called smart charger thought it was a 6V battery. I had to find my old charger and run that for a few hours to get it to 8V before the smart charger would get smart. Good video, thanks.
Paul, your learning curve on Videography is expanding in leaps and bounds... I hope to soon fumble my way on my channel in the near future as elegantly as you do.
@@paulontheroad I've uploaded some sample videos just practicing how to get them on here. I'll let you know when we upload our first official video. Thank for the encouragement 🙏 ☺️ 😜
Glad you got it figured out, Paul! With the amount of current that those disconnect switches handle, I decided to go with quality disconnects from Blue Sea Systems for my LiFePO4 battery system. I had those exact Amazon disconnects with my old single lead acid setup but I just didn’t feel comfortable pumping 200+ amps through them, even when they were rated for it on their paper.
Good video Paul, very methodical approach to the issue. I'd make sure and followup on why that switch melted, just to be safe. I'm sure you already know but make sure any component between your battery bank and inverter is rated for the maximum short duration current draw. I like to add an additional 25% just as a safety factor. Stay safe and happy travels.
Thanks, Mike! Yes, I've been monitoring it daily with a voltage drop test and so far have not seen any rise. My belief is that the switch was the problem. Excessive clearance > High resistance > ultimately ending with a melted switch.
I’m guessing the inverter was powered because you were plugged into a 110 source? And it is suppose to keep the batteries charged if the panels do not?
So great to see you again. Consider asking Liz to include a link to your channel in the video description when you left. I think the one where she said things didn't work out was October 14. Anyway I've subscribed and look forward to your continued content.
Hey Paul another informative and easy to understand video, thanks for the upload, and I agree with Mark, you look well today, keep it up and until the next one stay safe, stay awesome out there Paul 😊👋
Great Video, I learned something I didn’t realize about lithium battery’s. I didn’t know that you could recover them like that :)). Thanks for explaining that.
i guess for me the biggest part that was missing was; what led you to take the cap off of the disconnect to check it for ???, and what was the cause of the power surge to blow it??? thanks for the video and hope you are enjoying the warmth out west 🤠
Hey Devil Dog, I was looking for the reason the batteries weren't getting charged and as soon as I saw the excessive voltage drop at that switch I knew it had to be melted internally. Sadly that part of the diagnostics was lost due to an SD card malfunction in the camera. Semper Fi 🇺🇸👍
Sorry to hear your Thanksgiving got off to a challenging start. It surely comes across you have a good brain and have the ability to be patient!! I have enjoyed all your videos and look forward to another food one. You strike me as a man that could make a nice Italian meal?!?
Wow, your subscribers have multiplied like bunny rabbits! That's wonderful. You woke up to a different kind of turkey, but it surely has helped a lot of people with your tutorial, and you got a happy ending. You do have a wonderful manner about you with your explanations and with helping people. I hope you did get some edible turkey on Thanksgiving as well. I cannot be helped with it as I have only a car and it goes to the mechanic when something happens...another way of saying I have no knowledge in this area and will never have a van. i do enjoy the videos of those who travel the van life! Best wishes!
Another great video Paul, I love your videos. You are an excellent communicator. I'm not smart like you, so I use a portable bluetti system for my teardrop trailer. As always, looking forward to your next video...........safe travels.
Interesting Thanksgiving! You are very knowledgeable and I am learning from you all the time. Thank you for that! Keep on truckin Paul! (I think I just aged myself!)
Nice video and so much more useful information than sitting there holding the old hags hand agreeing with her and forcing yourself to smile. I have an old Simpson Electric meter and the thing is nuts on accurate with the needle and the glass viewing window. I have used it many times through the years!
Appreciate the video Paul! I'm also a DIY'er and this looks to be faulty equipment - from the video is looked beefy enough to handle the load (of course I don't know the details of your power system). I guess this goes to show that you shouldn't take anything for granted and to inspect your equipment often. Thanks again.
I think it was just a bad switch. Excessive clearance >. High resistance > heat > melt. I'm monitoring it daily with the voltage drop test just to make sure it's not happening again. I'm also looking for a Better switch because I don't trust this one anymore. Thank you, LateBrake 👍
@Paul On The Road Do you have a router involved? I installed the Super Circuits system and at home at least I can see the cameras on Guard Live. Not sure it will work once we shove off
@@cmcavoy100 That's the app I use and it depends on how good the WiFi is when traveling. We only had one place where it wasn't fast enough to see the cameras remotely. And whether you can look at them or not, they're always recording on the interface.
@@paulontheroad Do you have a router used in conjunction with the dvr? I had to use the WPS button at home to marry my eternity adapter, which isn't a router.
Hi Paul. I watched this yesterday but didn't comment. I don't recall you mentioning that you were able to diagnose why your batteries were totally drained? Did I miss something?
They weren't getting charged by the Inverter/Charger so they just slowly got drained to where the BMS (battery management system) inside the battery went into an open state causing 0 output.
Hey Paul, I have a 2014 GMC Acadia with 76500 miles, I say to myself everyday I need a new battery and serpentine belt! Thanks for the video! Take care buddy
My mom has Alzheimer's, it makes the simplest things very hard. We went together for an oil change/ tire rotation and it wasn't easy! I will be getting the battery, your video was a great eye opener. When your car doesn't start, it's the worst! Thanks again for your videos. Stay safe
@@edwardcleveringa6842 Yep, even I get a little stressed when this stuff happens. 👍 And my condolences for your mom, I had a few people in my family with Alzheimer's and it's a horrible disease. 🙏❤️
Hi, great job! My dishwasher's motherboard will not operate, and I have been YouTubing it all morning. I wish I had your patience and know-how right now. But I will get it done!
The switch is rated for 275 amps so it should be able to handle the load but I've ordered a switch with a higher rating and will be installing it as soon as I get it.
Hi Paul, The switch is the results of what failed. Try hooking up the DVM in series with the Positive line so you can read the current. I think you had a current spike which could have fried the switch. Watch the meter under a max load and see if there is too much current for the switch. Use a safety margin of 20%. Best of luck.
My understanding is they work in concert with each other, however if I'm dry camping w/ no 120v input then just the solar panels are providing the charge. Great question, Thank you Steven 👍
I just purchased a Black Friday deal on a Lithium Iron Phosphate 100 amp hour battery, and a lithium charger, it should be here in a few days. I’m going to get some solar panels and the other components after January. Could you do a video explaining the components of your solar system and battery bank? That’d be awesome. Thank you.
Hi Paul, Great video! You mentioned the Lithium batteries went down to 0v so I would assume your batteries do not include a BMS internally? A built in BMS would of had a Low Voltage Disconnect to protect the batteries.
No, I think the BMS Is why they showed 0 volts. They popped right up to 10.5 as soon as I applied an auxiliary 12 volt source. I didn't think about that while I was doing the troubleshooting. Thank you, Justin 👍
@@paulontheroad Yes, that is correct on why they would show 0v. That's what my lithium's do also. I was just double checking with you. I just started using some smaller lithium batteries so I'm new to using them. Were all here to learn from each other. Thanks for the reply.
Hi Paul. Do you know why the switch was generating so much heat? What is preventing it from failing again in the future. It looks like that is the same switch I am using in my little dual battery Popup camper. Is the switch rated for the amperage you are using? Your rig is by far bigger than mine. Don
Hi Don, the switch is rated for 275 amps but I have lost faith in it and am looking for a better one to replace it with. It may have just been a defective switch so in the meantime I'm monitoring the voltage drop on a daily basis. 👍
After buying a lot of those harbor freight voltmeters, I would get them again. The leads on them are really thin, and often break. Get a $20 voltmeter from Amazon or Lowe's or anywhere else. Get one that had a buzz for continuity, and possibly backlit.
Thank you, Andrew. You're right about the small wire gauge on that cheap HF multimeter. But I used to give those away to the techs when I would visit a dealership for some easily diagnosed electrical problem. Often I would find the Fluke in their toolbox to be inoperable for various reasons and I would leave one of the $6 DVOMs with them and tell them, 'until you get yours fixed or replaced, use this'.
I saw that lithium setup and was completely surprised, because you don't see failure of that degree with lithium batteries. The switch should never have failed in that fashion. The amount of energy going through it should never have been that high. Thanks for the video, fascinating, I have seen a bunch of this kind of set up and it is very interesting.
You might want to look at the Blue Sea switches rated for several hundred amps DC if you have the problem again. Thanks for the info. Did you install your own solar (I should probably go back to your older videos to find out ;)?
Thank you for the recommendation Mark. The switch I have is supposedly rated for 275 amps but obviously it can't carry anywhere near that and I will definitely be checking out Blue Sea! And yes I did the solar install and I can't remember if we ever did a video about it on the other channel.
@@paulontheroad the switch I use is rated at 350amps continuous, 2000amps for 10 seconds and 1000amps for 1 minute. It is very beefy. Amazon sells them (Blue Sea Systems Battery switch On/Off AFD, with 3/8” lugs, ip66 water rating - it is $38.17 right now with Prime). I installed my system as well. Those LiFePO4 batteries can supply several hundred amps through that switch to your inverter. If your inverter is on and acts as a backup power source or boost power source to your plug in power, running a coffee maker or a brief power loss outside of the camper would energize the inverter and potentially pull full power for a brief amount of time. That would likely be more than 275amps if you have a 3K inverter, thus causing injury to your prior switch. The Blue Sea switch (and a good T-fuse) can handle this with ease.
The switch is rated for 275 Amps and there's no way the inverter could be passing more than 80 Amps, (probably less) so I'm looking for an alternative switch. Thank you, Corey 👍
The voltage drop method only works if current is passing through the device (switch in this case). Higher current results in higher voltage drop. If there is little or no current flow, then there will be little or no voltage drop. Measuring resistance is a better test for a degraded switch. Remember - NEVER connect a meter set to measure resistance (ohms) in a live circuit. The meter sources a DC voltage when the resistance function is selected. You will not get a proper resistance reading and you may damage your meter if connected to a live circuit. So, disconnect the switch from the circuit, measure the voltage to verify there is no power at the switch, then measure the resistance. While measuring the resistance, cycle the switch from on to off a few times. The restance for switch OFF should be "OL". The resistance for switch "ON" should be very low, much less than 1 ohm. EDIT - if the "ON" resistance changes, especially if it goes down, after a few cycles of the switch, then the switch should be replaced. OBTW - I (Dave) have used the voltage drop method as part of my job (calibration lab technician). Hope this helps.
Thanks Dave. Yes I explained that the circuit needs to be under load for the test to be valid. I also talked about only using the Ohm test with the switch disconnected but then proceeded to do it with the switch in the circuit, albeit unloaded. Thanks for the critique, I really appreciate it. 👍
@@paulontheroad I intend it as constructive feedback. I simply wanted to add emphasis and clarifying information to your points. IMHO there are technical aspects of electrical troubleshooting that are easy to miss for novices. OBTW - glad to hear that you are getting help from the VA. My dad had great help from them for several years before he passed away recently at 89.
i like learning from you because of how humble you are. I appreciate no sarcasm and not patronizing us. You're not an arrogant know it all, and that is a lovely quality in a teacher. TY again!
Thank you, Jenny ❤️ I just try to remember that no one is born knowing this stuff, or pretty much Any Stuff for that matter.
I cannot say how valuable your repair and maintenance videos are…Especially going through your diagnostics!! Thank you, Paul!
Thank you, Melissa ❤️
Hope you’re doing well, Paul. Looking forward to the next video and update. 👍
Thank you Paul. We like the way you explain things.
That you, Marilyn ❤️
I can fix things, but I get lost at diagnostics. So keep them coming Paul.
Thank you, Mat
Paul always like your videos and all your knowledge. You being a car guy really helps. Also you are very good at explaining things. I did not know what the minus sign in front of the numbers meant. Now I do. Thanks for explaining that. As the saying goes you learn something everyday. So to me this was a positive day and you were the reason. Thanks again and looks like you are doing well which makes me happy. Take care and be good.
Thank you, Jim 👍
T-shirt weather, how nice. Here in Edmonton Alberta, it's a little FRIGID. A T-shirt is just the base, then the layers. Winter started very early this year. Have fun in Arizona. Cheers to you.
Had to look up your weather -7 to 29⁰ Yikes, that is definitely FRIGID 🥶
Stay warm, Laurie
Great and educational video Paul, you are a down to earth guy with a lot of educational knowledge. Thanks 👍
Thank you, Mark 👍
I had a rude wakening this week, I've been under the weather for the past month and my truck AGM went flat, in fact down to 3 volts. My so called smart charger thought it was a 6V battery. I had to find my old charger and run that for a few hours to get it to 8V before the smart charger would get smart. Good video, thanks.
Glad you were able to recover the battery Steven! and I hope you're feeling better 👍
Hey Paul 👋 and thanks for the information! Glad your up and running and hope your doing well Sir! Keep on rolling! ✌🏼❤️🙏🏼
Thank you, Mark ❤️
You are one patient guy...and brilliant!
Thank you, Betsy ❤️
*Very very informative* . Thank you very much. *..Plus your humble attitude naturally.* All is greatly appreciated.
Love it. All the attitude is gone and the real Paul shines through!!!
You are most definitely the most technically qualified RV You Tuber I watch. Awesome and thx.
Thanks Paul! This was a very helpful tutorial and reminded me of why I need to relearn how to use a multimeter properly.
Thank you, Tim 👍
Great you're up and running again Paul and thanks for the diagnostic tutorial!!
You're welcome, and thank you! Brian 👍
Paul, your learning curve on Videography is expanding in leaps and bounds... I hope to soon fumble my way on my channel in the near future as elegantly as you do.
If I can do it then you surely can. Thank you, The Turners ❤️
@@paulontheroad I've uploaded some sample videos just practicing how to get them on here. I'll let you know when we upload our first official video. Thank for the encouragement 🙏 ☺️ 😜
Great troubleshooting video. Thank you, Paul.
I always wanted you to teach your craft! Thanks Paul! Please keep them coming!
Glad you got it figured out, Paul! With the amount of current that those disconnect switches handle, I decided to go with quality disconnects from Blue Sea Systems for my LiFePO4 battery system. I had those exact Amazon disconnects with my old single lead acid setup but I just didn’t feel comfortable pumping 200+ amps through them, even when they were rated for it on their paper.
Good video Paul, very methodical approach to the issue. I'd make sure and followup on why that switch melted, just to be safe. I'm sure you already know but make sure any component between your battery bank and inverter is rated for the maximum short duration current draw. I like to add an additional 25% just as a safety factor. Stay safe and happy travels.
Thanks, Mike! Yes, I've been monitoring it daily with a voltage drop test and so far have not seen any rise. My belief is that the switch was the problem. Excessive clearance > High resistance > ultimately ending with a melted switch.
@@AnX8765 I'm actually looking for a different switch because I no longer trust the one I have. Thank you, Bill
Thanks
I’m guessing the inverter was powered because you were plugged into a 110 source? And it is suppose to keep the batteries charged if the panels do not?
@@bobsmith5533 Correct, the battery disconnect switch turned out to be the problem. It had internally melted.
Paul keep up the excellant work. You are appreciated. Thank you!
Thank you, Sharon ❤️
So great to see you again. Consider asking Liz to include a link to your channel in the video description when you left. I think the one where she said things didn't work out was October 14. Anyway I've subscribed and look forward to your continued content.
Hey Paul another informative and easy to understand video, thanks for the upload, and I agree with Mark, you look well today, keep it up and until the next one stay safe, stay awesome out there Paul 😊👋
Thank you, Ata Glance 👍
@@paulontheroad You are very welcome bud 🙂👋
Great Video, I learned something I didn’t realize about lithium battery’s. I didn’t know that you could recover them like that :)). Thanks for explaining that.
Thank you Paul,big hugs from MN
Thank you, Dan 👍
Paul I like how you explain things. Sorry that this happened to you but am glad you found out the issue. Thank you for another helpful video. 👍👍
Very informative video Paul. Thanks ! Keep them coming!
Thank you, Harley Grit 👍
Thank you so much Paul for teaching us. Take care!
Great information and explanation! Thank you😊
i guess for me the biggest part that was missing was; what led you to take the cap off of the disconnect to check it for ???, and what was the cause of the power surge to blow it??? thanks for the video and hope you are enjoying the warmth out west 🤠
Hey Devil Dog, I was looking for the reason the batteries weren't getting charged and as soon as I saw the excessive voltage drop at that switch I knew it had to be melted internally. Sadly that part of the diagnostics was lost due to an SD card malfunction in the camera. Semper Fi 🇺🇸👍
Wow, your right at home fixing things.
Thanks for sharing this with us. 👍🏼😁
Thank you, Rita ❤️
Sorry to hear your Thanksgiving got off to a challenging start. It surely comes across you have a good brain and have the ability to be patient!! I have enjoyed all your videos and look forward to another food one. You strike me as a man that could make a nice Italian meal?!?
Wow, your subscribers have multiplied like bunny rabbits! That's wonderful. You woke up to a different kind of turkey, but it surely has helped a lot of people with your tutorial, and you got a happy ending. You do have a wonderful manner about you with your explanations and with helping people. I hope you did get some edible turkey on Thanksgiving as well.
I cannot be helped with it as I have only a car and it goes to the mechanic when something happens...another way of saying I have no knowledge in this area and will never have a van. i do enjoy the videos of those who travel the van life! Best wishes!
Thank you, Mea Self I have been truly blessed by viewers like you ❤️
Real good video Paul, 👍 a lot of good information that can really help the novice. Keep up the great work. 👍
Another great video Paul, I love your videos. You are an excellent communicator. I'm not smart like you, so I use a portable bluetti system for my teardrop trailer. As always, looking forward to your next video...........safe travels.
Interesting Thanksgiving! You are very knowledgeable and I am learning from you all the time. Thank you for that! Keep on truckin Paul!
(I think I just aged myself!)
Thank you Paul for another great video. Hope your doing well. God bless.
You da Man Paul ! Informative and look forward to your videos! Keep ‘em coming!👍👍👍
Thank you, Dale 👍
Nice video and so much more useful information than sitting there holding the old hags hand agreeing with her and forcing yourself to smile. I have an old Simpson Electric meter and the thing is nuts on accurate with the needle and the glass viewing window. I have used it many times through the years!
We used Simpson Multimeters in the engineering lab at work. They're one of, if not The best meters out there for accuracy Thank you, Dale
If I were living and traveling in an RV I would want to follow you. Not only because you are such a nice guy but you are smart too 😉
You're Too Nice! Thank you, Sarah ❤️
Paul is THE MAN
Thanks, Holy Guacamole
Ohm my gosh Paul. A positive result from a negative problem. 'Got a charge from this! Stay grounded buddy!
Good one Brian, I can hardly wait for your response to the video on lug nuts I'm about to do 😛
@@paulontheroad Aahhaahhaa
Great video Paul. I have a question about your generators. I see you have Harbor Freight Predator generators. Are you satisfied with them?
Thanks, Paul!!! Excellent video!😊
Thank you, William 👍
Appreciate the video Paul! I'm also a DIY'er and this looks to be faulty equipment - from the video is looked beefy enough to handle the load (of course I don't know the details of your power system). I guess this goes to show that you shouldn't take anything for granted and to inspect your equipment often. Thanks again.
Ohhhh, go information for week end Rvers!!
Thank u
Thank you, Tonya 👍
Glad you're up and running again. Happy Thanksgiving Paul. Hope you're doing well.
Paul, informative and understandable. But the one question I would still have is why the switch melted in the first place?
I think it was just a bad switch. Excessive clearance >. High resistance > heat > melt.
I'm monitoring it daily with the voltage drop test just to make sure it's not happening again. I'm also looking for a Better switch because I don't trust this one anymore. Thank you, LateBrake 👍
@@paulontheroad My exact question also, Paul, Thanks for the concise, informative videos!
Great video Paul, keep up the good work.
Thank you, Tuvia 👍
Good instructional video. On a different note. How do you view your cameras when away from the rv?
Thank you! I view my cameras via an app on my phone.
@Paul On The Road Do you have a router involved? I installed the Super Circuits system and at home at least I can see the cameras on Guard Live. Not sure it will work once we shove off
@@cmcavoy100 That's the app I use and it depends on how good the WiFi is when traveling. We only had one place where it wasn't fast enough to see the cameras remotely. And whether you can look at them or not, they're always recording on the interface.
@@paulontheroad Do you have a router used in conjunction with the dvr?
I had to use the WPS button at home to marry my eternity adapter, which isn't a router.
This is way over my head, but I do watch over my sons shoulder when he helps me so basically I was hanging over your shoulder watching😂.
Good work Paul !
Thank you, T G 👍
Hi Paul. I watched this yesterday but didn't comment. I don't recall you mentioning that you were able to diagnose why your batteries were totally drained? Did I miss something?
They weren't getting charged by the Inverter/Charger so they just slowly got drained to where the BMS (battery management system) inside the battery went into an open state causing 0 output.
Great video, Paul!
Thank You, Gail
Thanks Paul for the battery testing advice hope u had a awesome thanksgiving 😊
Very good info. Just in case this happens to my camper thanks Paul 😊
Thank you, Rodney 👍
Glad you’re back.
Thank you, E Rod 👍
Thank you Paul👍
You're welcome and thank you, Cher
Thank you for sharing. Very helpful for someone like me…who nontechnical.
You're welcome, Damaris. Thank you for watching.
Happy holidays Paul.
Thank you and Happy Holidays to you Marty!
Hey Paul, I have a 2014 GMC Acadia with 76500 miles, I say to myself everyday I need a new battery and serpentine belt! Thanks for the video! Take care buddy
What are you waiting for Edward 😉👍
My mom has Alzheimer's, it makes the simplest things very hard. We went together for an oil change/ tire rotation and it wasn't easy! I will be getting the battery, your video was a great eye opener. When your car doesn't start, it's the worst! Thanks again for your videos. Stay safe
@@edwardcleveringa6842 Yep, even I get a little stressed when this stuff happens. 👍 And my condolences for your mom, I had a few people in my family with Alzheimer's and it's a horrible disease. 🙏❤️
Hi, great job! My dishwasher's motherboard will not operate, and I have been YouTubing it all morning. I wish I had your patience and know-how right now. But I will get it done!
You can do it, Catherine just be methodical about it.
So what caused the switch to fry? Presumably too much current, was the switch underrated for the system?
The switch is rated for 275 amps so it should be able to handle the load but I've ordered a switch with a higher rating and will be installing it as soon as I get it.
I Also love listening to and watching the videos. Thank you best of life going forward
Thank you, Penny ❤️
Hi Paul, The switch is the results of what failed. Try hooking up the DVM in series with the Positive line so you can read the current. I think you had a current spike which could have fried the switch. Watch the meter under a max load and see if there is too much current for the switch. Use a safety margin of 20%. Best of luck.
To trickle charge from the inverter do you have to switch off the solar or will it charge from both at the same time.
My understanding is they work in concert with each other, however if I'm dry camping w/ no 120v input then just the solar panels are providing the charge. Great question, Thank you Steven 👍
I just purchased a Black Friday deal on a Lithium Iron Phosphate 100 amp hour battery, and a lithium charger, it should be here in a few days. I’m going to get some solar panels and the other components after January. Could you do a video explaining the components of your solar system and battery bank? That’d be awesome. Thank you.
Thanks Paul! I learned some stuff.
Thank you, Phototristan!
Great information. Thanks Paul.
Thank you, Michael 👍
Thanks Paul!
You're welcome and thank you, David 👍
Hi Paul, Great video! You mentioned the Lithium batteries went down to 0v so I would assume your batteries do not include a BMS internally? A built in BMS would of had a Low Voltage Disconnect to protect the batteries.
No, I think the BMS Is why they showed 0 volts. They popped right up to 10.5 as soon as I applied an auxiliary 12 volt source. I didn't think about that while I was doing the troubleshooting. Thank you, Justin 👍
@@paulontheroad Yes, that is correct on why they would show 0v. That's what my lithium's do also. I was just double checking with you. I just started using some smaller lithium batteries so I'm new to using them. Were all here to learn from each other. Thanks for the reply.
Paul are you going to do some investigation as to why the switch melted? Power surge?
I'm monitoring it daily via a voltage drop test, and think it was just a substandard switch.
Great video. What do you set on meter on.
DC 200mv scale, except when I tested the batteries, then it was DC 20v Scale. Great question, Thank you, Julie
Hi Paul. Do you know why the switch was generating so much heat? What is preventing it from failing again in the future. It looks like that is the same switch I am using in my little dual battery Popup camper. Is the switch rated for the amperage you are using? Your rig is by far bigger than mine.
Don
Hi Don, the switch is rated for 275 amps but I have lost faith in it and am looking for a better one to replace it with. It may have just been a defective switch so in the meantime I'm monitoring the voltage drop on a daily basis. 👍
Paul,do your batteries have a BMS ? I thought the BMS is supposed to protect against over discharging.
I believe they have a BMS built into the batteries and that is probably why they showed 0 volts. I actually didn't consider that, Thanks, David!
Thanks Paul for the informative video, your looking good.
Great explanation, Thank You
Good job explaining that I glade you got it all worked out. happy travels..
Thanks Paul good video.
Good to see you Paul.👍
By the way, did you ever get the roof redone? That was a separate video a while ago and haven't seen any updates on that.
That was going to happen right around the breakup and because of that it didn't. I will get it handled soon. Thank you, Donald
Great stuff Paul, Thanks !
Thank you, Greg 👍
After buying a lot of those harbor freight voltmeters, I would get them again. The leads on them are really thin, and often break. Get a $20 voltmeter from Amazon or Lowe's or anywhere else. Get one that had a buzz for continuity, and possibly backlit.
Thank you, Andrew. You're right about the small wire gauge on that cheap HF multimeter.
But I used to give those away to the techs when I would visit a dealership for some easily diagnosed electrical problem. Often I would find the Fluke in their toolbox to be inoperable for various reasons and I would leave one of the $6 DVOMs with them and tell them, 'until you get yours fixed or replaced, use this'.
Sorry that this happened. That generator is pretty quiet.
Yes, I was shocked the first time I fired up the Gen. The 3500 I have (this one is a 2k) is just as quiet. Thanks Mark 👍
I like those predator generators in your storage
They sure come in handy! Thank you, Mark
@@paulontheroadI’m praying for you hope you’re feeling better finding some peace and some happiness and fun 🙏🏼❤️🤙🏼 safe travels
@@Markpatrickrich Thank you, Mark Life is Good 🙏❤️
Thanks Paul great Video could be what is wrong with my solar battery's.
Hope your enjoying your trip stay safe.
I saw that lithium setup and was completely surprised, because you don't see failure of that degree with lithium batteries. The switch should never have failed in that fashion. The amount of energy going through it should never have been that high. Thanks for the video, fascinating, I have seen a bunch of this kind of set up and it is very interesting.
Thanks Paul. I would be verifying the amperage rating of the switch. To fail it had to have gotten overloaded.
Yes, a very important spec that I should have mentioned; it's rated to 275A Thanks, Rick
Hello Paul from Quebec Canada. If the DC switch failed, does it means that it could not handle the amount of AMPs?
Another interesting video to watch. I think you broke my brain on this one. LOL Stay safe out there. 😀
You might want to look at the Blue Sea switches rated for several hundred amps DC if you have the problem again. Thanks for the info. Did you install your own solar (I should probably go back to your older videos to find out ;)?
Thank you for the recommendation Mark. The switch I have is supposedly rated for 275 amps but obviously it can't carry anywhere near that and I will definitely be checking out Blue Sea!
And yes I did the solar install and I can't remember if we ever did a video about it on the other channel.
@@paulontheroad the switch I use is rated at 350amps continuous, 2000amps for 10 seconds and 1000amps for 1 minute. It is very beefy. Amazon sells them (Blue Sea Systems Battery switch On/Off AFD, with 3/8” lugs, ip66 water rating - it is $38.17 right now with Prime). I installed my system as well. Those LiFePO4 batteries can supply several hundred amps through that switch to your inverter. If your inverter is on and acts as a backup power source or boost power source to your plug in power, running a coffee maker or a brief power loss outside of the camper would energize the inverter and potentially pull full power for a brief amount of time. That would likely be more than 275amps if you have a 3K inverter, thus causing injury to your prior switch. The Blue Sea switch (and a good T-fuse) can handle this with ease.
@@markhaney7332 Great info! Thanks Mark Just ordered the switch on Amazon! Thanks again!
Hi paul..good info..thanks....stay safe...J&A
Thank you, Jeanne & Alex 👍
Enjoyed the video.
Thank you, WanderingStar 👍
Go Paul Go!
Thank you, Leo 👍
Thank you! That information is valuable.appreciate you sharing this information.
Great video Paul you have probably checked the disconnect switch for maximum amp pass thru I’m not sure what it is rated for thanks 😊
The switch is rated for 275 Amps and there's no way the inverter could be passing more than 80 Amps, (probably less) so I'm looking for an alternative switch. Thank you, Corey 👍
Thanks Paul for this video !!
How could the batteries actually get down to ZERO volts? Oh, Lithium, and the disconnect switch. Shouldn’t there be a fuse somewhere in there?
Lithiums will drain to 0 and there's a 150a fuse right next to the disconnect switch. Thanks, John
Thanks for sharing Paul. Sorry this problem interrupted your Thanksgiving.
The voltage drop method only works if current is passing through the device (switch in this case). Higher current results in higher voltage drop. If there is little or no current flow, then there will be little or no voltage drop.
Measuring resistance is a better test for a degraded switch. Remember - NEVER connect a meter set to measure resistance (ohms) in a live circuit. The meter sources a DC voltage when the resistance function is selected. You will not get a proper resistance reading and you may damage your meter if connected to a live circuit. So, disconnect the switch from the circuit, measure the voltage to verify there is no power at the switch, then measure the resistance. While measuring the resistance, cycle the switch from on to off a few times. The restance for switch OFF should be "OL". The resistance for switch "ON" should be very low, much less than 1 ohm. EDIT - if the "ON" resistance changes, especially if it goes down, after a few cycles of the switch, then the switch should be replaced.
OBTW - I (Dave) have used the voltage drop method as part of my job (calibration lab technician).
Hope this helps.
Thanks Dave. Yes I explained that the circuit needs to be under load for the test to be valid. I also talked about only using the Ohm test with the switch disconnected but then proceeded to do it with the switch in the circuit, albeit unloaded. Thanks for the critique, I really appreciate it. 👍
@@paulontheroad I intend it as constructive feedback. I simply wanted to add emphasis and clarifying information to your points. IMHO there are technical aspects of electrical troubleshooting that are easy to miss for novices.
OBTW - glad to hear that you are getting help from the VA. My dad had great help from them for several years before he passed away recently at 89.
@@davelauraphillips8814 Yes you make very valid points and I truly appreciate it 👍