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oldjohnt

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    Indiana
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    RV Travel, Antique Tractor Shows, Bluegrass Festivals, Snowbirding

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  1. UPDATE somehow this oldddddddddd topic has resurfaced lol so I will add to my previous comments. Sure as well all know, and I often practice, plain old water and plenty of it suffices quite well, but to add to Clydro's post on occasion when I have chosen to use a chemical as far as the best breakdown of solids and paper and best odor control are concerned UNIQUE DIGEST IT is the best product I've ever used !!!! I think I may give a new comer called LIQUIFIED a trial run if I should ever so choose in the future as it gets great reviews. John T Live in the RV free dry camped in the Zephyrhills Florida Moose Club after a great steak dinner last night
  2. lappir, I have successfully rebuilt a few pumps over many years of RVing no problems (Amazon and E Bay etc can be your friend) HOWEVER if the unit has some age on it,,, and comparing the cost difference plus labor,,,and IFFFFFFFFFFFF I wanted a bit more CFM and/or Pressure,,,or noise level was a concern,, I often just opted for a new unit .................... PS any leaks on the Suction/Input side are crucial, check for that,,,,,,,,,,,,,Any leaks on the output can damage the RV floor grrrrrrrrrrrrr,,,,,,,,,,,,Check any filters and for any restrictions,,,,,,,,,,,Rebuild or new ONLY you can decide... John T Live in the RV from Avon Park Florida
  3. EXACTLY I certainly agree with Kirk on that.......If yours is as you report working with the gas valve opening,,,,,,,Ignitor Tip and circuit control board functioning firing an HV spark igniting the flame,,,,,,,,,,But the gas valve closes and flame goes out THE SAIL SWITCH ISNT THE PROBLEM (if its bad it never lights in the first place as Kirk noted) but as we agree above more likely an Ignitor Tip (air gap, corrosion, crack, carbon trace, wiring, failure) or the control circuit board or a bad ground or connection. The Ignitor Tip is an easy replacement while the board is a bit more difficult but so often Ive had success merely cleaning the tip or adjusting the air gap and checking grounds and connections versus the more expensive board. PS as far as sail switches are concerned, Ive had more problems with them being dirty or stuck instead of an electrical failure. Other causes when they don't close are the air flow isn't sufficient or even low voltage. Good luck let us know what you find John T Live in the RV at the Florida Flywheelers in Fort Meade Florida
  4. DITTO and X2 Any loose, resistive, rusted or corroded connection, ground or otherwise, can cause a voltage drop and the flame sense circuitry operates on very low voltages to start with CHECK ALL WIRES CONNECTIONS AND GROUNDS !!!! John T
  5. I agree with the fine gents above, here's my take: In over 50 years using RV furnaces Ive had more Ignitor Tip/Flame Sensor Circuit problems than circuit control boards going bad. When the t stat calls for heat the blower runs and IFFFFFFFFFF theres adequate air flow a good working sail switch closes,,, the gas valve opens,,, HV is sent to the Ignitor Tip,,,,,,,,and an adequate spark ignites the flame.......After that so long as Flame Sensor (Ignitor tip and circuit board) circuit senses flame the gas valve remains open HOWEVER IF NO FLAME IS SENSED (tip or circuit) the gas valve closes. I would remove clean and inspect the ignitor tip and its air gap, look for carbon traces deposits or hairline cracks, check all connections and grounds in the ignitor wire and circuit plus the control board etc. NOTE The fact that it at least first ignites means the HV spark is adequate making it less likely its a SERIOUS problem allowing an INITIAL SPARK (could still be a control circuit board issue) however as the flame sense voltage signal from tip to control board is so small it could still be an Ignitor Tip issue instead of the board. The ignitor tip is much cheaper than a new board so look at it and connections and grounds FIRST PS I just remembered a couple minor easy to fix issues some years back that gave me trouble. One was the air gap between the ignitor tip and burner was incorrect and another was corrosion right on the tip EASY PEASEY perhaps ??? John T Live in the RV in Wauchula Florida
  6. Like Chalkie posted see if your RV Power Cord has 3 pins (30 Amp, like many Class C) or 4 pins (50 Amp) ?? There are all sorts of dogbone style adapters out there that can be used given proper limitations.......I doubt your home has EITHER a 120 Volt 30 Amp NEMA TT-30R RV Receptacle OR a 120/240 Volt 50 Amp like an RV park, just be aware if you use an adapter you will most likely be plugged into a standard household receptacle that's ONLY rated for 15 or 20 Amps and drawing more will trip a circuit breaker. ALSO if up to code external household receptacles will be GFCI protected and some RV's are prone to trip a GFCI receptacle... John T
  7. Sitting for 10 years !!!!!!! Like others said check the tranny fluid ?? While in general Im NOT a fan of snake oils, I have used Lucas Tranny Fluid additive and to my pleasant surprise it actually worked !!!!!!!!!! and may help lube or soften up some seals ??? See what any transmission experts have to say, that's NOT me................. John T
  8. Even if your fridge and freezer were drawing say 120 total Watts AND THEY DONT RUN CONTINUOUS you know, if your Renogy was supplying 20 Amps at 12 Volts continuous or 240 Watts, you should be fine, again subject to the lithiums SOC when starting. That 56 Watts seems small ???? John T
  9. Denny FWIW here’s my response, I’m no expert see what Chad and the others have to say: 1) A 20 Amp Renogy DC to DC charger (assuming suitable and set for your lithiums) will likely NOT (subject to your alternator) over tax your alternator. You may be able to use a 30 or 40 Amp IF NEEDED, which you may not require (depends on fridge and freezer draw) … 2) As far as a 20 Amp Renogy DC to DC adequately maintaining your house batteries THAT DEPENDS on 1) The SOC of your house batteries when you start driving 2) The load your fridge freezer and other components draw when driving. The Renogy can deliver 20 Amp Hours of energy for every hour of drive time (20 Amp Hours per Hour of energy) so what is your load and your batteries SOC when starting out ????? 3) One change I made to my 40 Amp Renogy was NOT to use the auto activation when I started up BUT INSTEAD I installed a manual rocker activation switch BECAUSE I wanted time for my engine to warm up and time to allow my alternator to FIRST charge my engine battery BEFORE drawing alternator current to charge my lithiums. HOWEVER, with an only 20 Amp unit which might draw guessing 24 alternator amps is probably of no concern to allow it to start charging as soon as you start the engine… 4) A properly sized and protected 30 Amp circuit should suffice for your 20 Amp Renogy as it may draw again guessing 24 Amps INPUT to pump 20 Amps into your lithiums One concern may be line voltage drop on the way back which could necessitate larger wire plus quality 30 Amp or more rated connectors. John T
  10. I agree with Chads good advice and add the following: FIRST consult the battery manufacturer regarding their maximum charging amp recommendation, while some like my SOK actually list such right on the battery. If unknown, I likewise would not exceed 0.5C.. As an example, if you used two 50 Amp max charge rate batteries connected in parallel and all was balanced a 100 Amp (suitable for your battery chemistry) would suffice. DC TO DC CHARGER: While the above still applies and any combination/addition of Solar and DC and Charger SHOULD STILL NOT exceed the max charge rate, when selecting the DC to DC USE CAUTION TO NOT EXCEED THE ALTERNATORS RATING. IE just because a 100 Amp charger may be in order DOES NOT necessarily mean a 100 Amp DC to DC should be used IFFFFFFFFF it could over tax the alternator.. Also a diesels alternator is likely higher rated than a gas which may allow use of a bigger DC to DC, DONT CROWD THE ALTERNATOR WHEN SELECTING A DC TO DC CHARGER and it does NOT necessarily need to be as big as the charger.. John T
  11. GOOD INFO Jim, thanks for posting. Many of the modern quality so called Smart Regulated Chargers IF THEY HAVE THE EXTRA 4TH EQUALIZATION STAGE perform Equalization on Flooded Lead Acid batteries on a regular scheduled basis. The more common 3 STAGE only have Bulk, Absorption and Float stages. When I used Flooded Lead Acid batteries my Progressive Dynamics Smart 4 Stage Charger had the 4th Equalization Phase. I did NOT use Equalization chargers when I ran AGM batteries. The Amazon link I posted above has modern Smart Regulated Chargers compatible for use with Flooded Lead Acid Batteries in the 30,40,45, MANY 55, some even higher current ranges, they (40,50,60 or more amps) are NOT hard to find, but with his only 1000 Watt Generator, the size of his Charger is somewhat limited. I agree Solar or Shore Power have their advantages for keeping house batteries more properly and fully charged, but his question concerned Generator power, so I offered the best in that limited situation IE a BIGGER charger lol regardless if powered by EITHER utility or his generator....... Amazon.com : rv converter charger (Tons of chargers over 50 or more Amps) PS Even if one has a high current rated charger that does NOT mean a battery(s) (especially lead acid) will necessarily consume that many charging amps for X time. In GENERAL charge time will be less if you're pumping more amps into the battery (reason for bigger charger) HOWEVER you shouldn't exceed however many amps the battery is capable of accepting so as not to cause harm. Thats where Smart regulated 3 stage chargers shine !!!! The OP mentioned TWO batteries which could justify using a bigger charger as if balanced charging current is 1/2 in each battery. Best wishes Jim, I enjoyed sparky chatting with you John T
  12. Thanks for that input. Strictly for the OP's info, a 60 Amp Converter/Charger iffffff charging the full 60 Amps (seldom max 60, and not long subject to battery and specs) at 14.6 Volts = 876 Watts. As I posted above, a 45 Amp Charger at 14.6 Volts = 657 Watts so the OP's 1000 Watt Generator should (no warranty consult company) handle it allowing plenty for losses and inefficiency. You already know this but again for the OP if he replaces his old charger with a new one (be it 40 or 45 or 50 etc) I advise to do as I did and remove/disconnect the old, install the new fed by 120 VAC (from EITHER shore or Generator power) and wire its output to his batteries SAME AS OLD ONE WAS... Piece of Cake !!!!!!!!! You got that right Kirk, might it be said great minds think alike lol.. Thats how I did it and advised he do the same IE "remove/disconnect the old, install the new fed by 120 VAC from EITHER shore or Generator power". The EITHER (source of 120 VAC) depends on his transfer arrangement that selects if his RV is being fed by genset orrrrrrrrr shore power. Many, especially older RV's, did NOT use any Transfer Switch, but instead the RV power cord was plugged into EITHER shore power orrrrrrrrrr directly to a Generator (to get the necessary 120 VAC) !!!!!!!! IT DEPENDS ON HIS WIRING CONFIGURATION and I suspect he has a portable generator in which case he (after rewire as above) simply plug the RV power cord direct into the generator (one of the EITHER sources of 120 VAC) same as he would plug it into the Utility if available.... OP NOTE HOWEVER CAUTION you ONLY have a 1000 Watt Generator, so if you plug the RV power cord into your genset (and wired as I described) TURN OFF MOST OTHER 120 VAC LOADS so ONLY the new converter/charger is being powered !!!!!!!!!!!! You may get by powering a few SMALL 120 VAC loads other than your converter/charger when plugged to Generator,,, but use caution and carefully select what other small loads might be available Have a great Sunday everyone, best wishes God Bless John T
  13. FYI Here's several more RV Converter/Chargers (for flooded lead acid, AGM, or lithium) in the 30,45,55,60,65,80 Amps I found on Amazon. Brands such as Progressive Dynamics (what I use), WFCO, Powermax, Go Power, etc. etc. Amazon.com : rv converter charger HOWEVER with only a 1000 Watt GENERATOR (theoretically can deliver 8.33 amps at 120 VAC to power a charger) you are limited as to what size CHARGER you can use ????? As far as the Chargers DC output Power, i you operate at 14.6 charging volts, a 45 Amp Charger would be producing 45 x 14.6 Volts = 657 Watts Output. Here's a typical 45 Amp charger that might work for your lead acid batteries provided your generator is big enough to power it, which it may well (but cant guarantee absent specs and data, consult manufacturer). Progressive Dynamics 45 Amp Charger: Amazon.com: Progressive Dynamics PD4645V Inteli-Power 4600 Series Converter/Charger with Charge Wizard - 45 Amp : Automotive Do your homework, check out these and other chargers and reviews, see if the manufacturer can tell you what current the charger actually draws from the 120 VAC source. IMPORTANT YOU NEED TO KNOW THAT !!!!! If your generator can only provide 8.33 Amps, the charger obviously can't require more WELL DUH lol MAKE SURE ITS SMART 3/4 STAGE REGULATED TECHNOLOGY (to NOT overcharge or damage your batteries),,,, SUITABLE FOR YOUR BATTERY CHEMISTRY,,,, AND DOES NOT REQUIRE OVER 8 AMPS TO OPERATE. Disable/remove old charger, plug new unit into 120 VAC (Genset or shore), insure proper protection and wire its output to your batteries EASY PEASEY You got this !!!!!!!!!! PS consider a shunt based battery monitor which will accurately show your batteries State of Charge SOC PS When you look at chargers many size models, even low amperage, will use a 15 Amp rated power source (like a standard household 15 Amp Receptacle) and a 15 Amp Cord and Plug HOWEVER that does NOT mean they draw 15 Amps to operate !!! Of course, the more DC Output charging Amps they deliver to the batteries the more 120 VAC Input current they need. Questions ?? John T
  14. In that case as long as your generator has adequate capacity ?? YOU NEED A QUALITY HIGHER RATED CONVERTER/CHARGER suitable for your batteries. Take a look at a so called Smart 3 Stage Regulated Charger maybe even a 40 to 50 or so Amp ?? (cant require more power than your generator can deliver).. It sounds like your house batteries are flooded lead acid and a Smart 3 Stage Charger (to replace existing) will have Bulk, Absorption and Float charge levels which given time and battery condition can bring you back to near 100% SOC.. I think you got it !!! If you have a 20 year old 15 Amp charger now, that's NOT very high rated plus it may not be any modern Smart type. A new Smart 3 Stage Regulated charger isnt all that expensive and easy peasey to wire up. If you go that route remove/disconnect the old unit.. John T
  15. SHORT ANSWER: If alls well ??? it probably will given enough time !! LONG ANSWER: IT DEPENDS on the following: 1) What type of charger are you using (Smart regulated multi stage orrrrrrrrrrrr a basic less sophisticated more like a constant voltage perhaps 13.5 or so volt charger) 2) What type of batteries (Flooded Lead Acid,, AGM,, or Lithium) they have different charge parameters. 3) State of Charge of the batteries, how low have they been ran down, 10% 20% 50% ?? Has 15 Amp Hours of energy been depleted or 30 or 100 Amp Hours or ???? 4) How long the charger is operated. If it pumps a constant 15 Amps into the battery and it was 15 Amp Hours down it would (in theory actually different due to losses) take ONE HOUR 5) What other loads might the batteries be supplying at the same time. WHY IT DEPENDS: The time it takes to charge depends on the batteries state of charge. Is it slightly discharged or is it near fully depleted ??? EXAMPLE A 15 amp charger can only supply a maximum of 15 amps so after one hour the most ENERGY (Volts x Amps x Time) it could deliver to the battery would be 15 Amp Hours per hour. The answer can be computed if you consider the charger can supply a full constant 15 Amps (but that depends on battery) and if you know how much energy it takes to put the battery back to full charge,,, Simply divide Amp Hours of depleted battery energy by 15 Amps to get how many hours it would take. A few wild guesses and pure speculation not knowing anything about your batteries but to give you the picture: An RV might have lets use a 200 Amp Hour rated battery and lets say it was 50% (100 Amp Hours) depleted THEREFORE if you pumped 15 charging amps into it would take 100/15 = 6.66 Hours to fully charge it HOWEVER there are losses and especially lead acid may not accept x current for x time SO IT COULD TAKE 8 OR MORE HOURS ??? A 15 Amp Charger is small in comparison to maybe a 30 or 50 or 75 or more Amp typical RV unit and a typical RV may have at least 100 to 200 Amp Hours or more battery capacity which may be heavy discharged, SO A 15 AMP CHARGER MAY TAKE A LONGGGGGGGGGG TIME .......... ITS IMPOSSIBLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION BUT THIS MAY HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHY. The above is NOT accurate ONLY approximations and examples trying my very best to help you see why your question cant be answered.. John T
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