Leaving the caravan with no ehu.

[McLosi]

Hey all. Why would my fridge be on when I only have the battery connected.
If I click it to Gas there is no error code. Ehu it shows this and battery it shows error 10. However I don't want it on. I turn the main switch off and the fridge fuse off but yet this stays on? So I assume it's draining my leisure battery?
Ps, this is at storage, not in use.

 

[Jcloughie]

Is the gas turned off? Can you feel any heat coming from the flu?

John

 

[McLosi]

Is the gas turned off? Can you feel any heat coming from the flu?

John

Sorry, I may have comfu6the situation. Basically I don't want the fridge on, it's in storage.
Gas off, no ehu, battery connected but main switch for all power off and fuse box switch off for fridge. But that LCD still shows that, so assume it's draining the battery.

 

[Hutch]

What caravan do you have?
On my Coachman , when I turn the master switch OFF, there is 12 volt supply to my fridge , the aerial booster, the radio and the awning light.
The CB for the fridge removes 240 volts from the fridge when on EHU.

 

[McLosi]

What caravan do you have?
On my Coachman , when I turn the master switch OFF, there is 12 volt supply to my fridge , the aerial booster, the radio and the awning light.
The CB for the fridge removes 240 volts from the fridge when on EHU.

Yes it's a coachman as well. Is there a way to isolate the fridge so it doesn't drain the battery? It's not essential to have the battery connected but I wouldn't mind the alarm being on at storage.

 

[Hutch]

Yes I used to pull the fuse for the fridge, that would isolate the fridge, also pull the fuse for the radio, taking the front off doesn't isolate it. The aerial booster has a switch. The awning light is linked to the alarm. The only real isolation is to remove one battery cable from the battery. .

 

[McLosi]

Yes I used to pull the fuse for the fridge, that would isolate the fridge, also pull the fuse for the radio, taking the front off doesn't isolate it. The aerial booster has a switch. The awning light is linked to the alarm. The only real isolation is to remove one battery cable from the battery. .

Ok, I thought I'd already done the fuse and that didn't make any difference.
Think I'll just unplug the battery and leave the alarm off.
As long as it's all ok and not odd.
Thanks for your help.

 

[Hutch]

I think the idea, was if you lose 12 volt power when off grid and using gas and it runs out the fridge alarm will activate. I think.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I can understand you wish to isolate the fridge from the 12V because as you say if its LCD display is functioning it must be using some 12V power. As Hutch has also pointed out you are likely to find similar situations with built in radios and aerial boosters. Clearly the ability to run the alarm is desirable, but you don't want the other items to be using power at the same time.

This is not a problem I have had to resolve, but I would be personally be inclined to fit separate 12V isolator switches to prevent the unwanted items from taking current but leaving the alarm connected when in storage.

You should check your insurance details to see if they require you to keep your alarm active when in storage.

 

[Jcloughie]

Sorry, I may have comfu6the situation. Basically I don't want the fridge on, it's in storage.
Gas off, no ehu, battery connected but main switch for all power off and fuse box switch off for fridge. But that LCD still shows that, so assume it's draining the battery.

What I was trying to ascertain in #2 was when you say the fridge is ‘on’, are you saying it is cooling. From your responce I assume it is just the display.

The drain from this plus the alarm and radio and TV amp is small but nevertheless less parasitic.

I have found it to be inconsequential so long as the battery is in good condition and topped up every couple of months. But a small solar panel could be enough to maintain the battery charge. A 10 watt panel does not need a regulator and can be connected directly to the battery.

John

 

[McLosi]

What I was trying to ascertain in #2 was when you say the fridge is ‘on’, are you saying it is cooling. From your responce I assume it is just the display.

The drain from this plus the alarm and radio and TV amp is small but nevertheless less parasitic.

I have found it to be inconsequential so long as the battery is in good condition and topped up every couple of months. But a small solar panel could be enough to maintain the battery charge. A 10 watt panel does not need a regulator and can be connected directly to the battery.

John

Oh sorry I understand now. I'll be honest and do not know as yesterday was the first time I noticed this. I left it on to see if it would was cooling but I suspect it isn't, will knowomday when I go back.
I do have a solar panel to keep it topped up but was worried if the fridge was actually running it would drain the battery, so hopefully it will all be ok.
Thanks again. ,

 

[McLosi]

I can understand you wish to isolate the fridge from the 12V because as you say if its LCD display is functioning it must be using some 12V power. As Hutch has also pointed out you are likely to find similar situations with built in radios and aerial boosters. Clearly the ability to run the alarm is desirable, but you don't want the other items to be using power at the same time.

This is not a problem I have had to resolve, but I would be personally be inclined to fit separate 12V isolator switches to prevent the unwanted items from taking current but leaving the alarm connected when in storage.

You should check your insurance details to see if they require you to keep your alarm active when in storage.

Good point re insurance, I'll double check this.

 

[Buckman]

Are you aware that there are two switches that need to be turned off? One is for the mains power and the other is for the 12v. The 12v supplies the fridge control panel and will drain the battery. Is the 12v switch in the off position?

 

[ProfJohnL]

...
I do have a solar panel to keep it topped up but was worried if the fridge was actually running it would drain the battery, so hopefully it will all be ok.
Thanks again. ,

It's important to understand that caravan fridges (and many car radios) actually need two 12V feeds . In the case of the fridges there is a low current feed to run the control panel which uses the caravan battery, and the second high current feed for 12V cooling which should be wired to only work when a towing vehicle is coupled and it's alternator is producing power i.e. when the engine is running.

Unless someone has tampered with the caravans wiring, it should not be possible to use the caravans battery to cool the fridge.

Many car radio's need a permanent low current 12V supply to retain the users preferences. The power to make the radio play in a car is usually sourced from supply controlled by the ignition or accesories system. But when they are used in caravans, the two 12V inputs often share a common feed, though in some more modern caravans it may be split with the memory feed coming straight from the caravan battery, and the running current controlled through a command panel.

 

[Paullus1959]

Are you aware that there are two switches that need to be turned off? One is for the mains power and the other is for the 12v. The 12v supplies the fridge control panel and will drain the battery. Is the 12v switch in the off position?

Coachman caravans are different. My Brother in Law's Swift has two switches but my Coachman only has a master switch above the door. When this is set to off there is no 12-volt supply to anything except the alarm. There is certainly no display on the fridge.
I have fitted the battery backup kit to the Alde control panel and added a fused live feed from the battery to the radio so the settings aren't lost every time the master switch is turned off for this very reason.
Other than the main isolating switch on the fuse box I have no other way of turning off the 220v mains supply to the three-pin sockets when I'm on EHU.
What I find strange too is the fact that there is a separate live 12-volt feed to the fridge because they are not intended to run solely off the leisure battery due to the high current drain.
I wonder if the wiring has been modified?

 

[Hutch]

Both of my Coachman caravans, a2010, 545, and my present one a a 2013 560, the fridge display was live with 12 volt Master switch OFF, why I am not sure. I would leave my van in storage for 7 weeks with NO solar panel as we are undercover, with a good battery no problems, but as the battery got older all those small drains the battery would go down.
The Sargent alarm has its own battery so no problems disconnecting the main battery.

 

[Raywood]

If for any reason the fridge is taking power from the battery it will flatten it within a day. If the battery is not losing significant amounts of charge the fridge is not a problem. Not sure what your model is though, but ours has an off switch so it cannot take power from an source.

 

[McLosi]

Are you aware that there are two switches that need to be turned off? One is for the mains power and the other is for the 12v. The 12v supplies the fridge control panel and will drain the battery. Is the 12v switch in the off position?

No, I'm not sure mine does as I had everything off, and the fridge stayed on. If there is I'm yet to find it. The fridge wasn't getting cold so seems it's just powering the LCD.

 

[McLosi]

It's important to understand that caravan fridges (and many car radios) actually need two 12V feeds . In the case of the fridges there is a low current feed to run the control panel which uses the caravan battery, and the second high current feed for 12V cooling which should be wired to only work when a towing vehicle is coupled and it's alternator is producing power i.e. when the engine is running.

Unless someone has tampered with the caravans wiring, it should not be possible to use the caravans battery to cool the fridge.

Many car radio's need a permanent low current 12V supply to retain the users preferences. The power to make the radio play in a car is usually sourced from supply controlled by the ignition or accesories system. But when they are used in caravans, the two 12V inputs often share a common feed, though in some more modern caravans it may be split with the memory feed coming straight from the caravan battery, and the running current controlled through a command panel.

This makes so much more sense and explains why it's showing the fault code as well. Thank you, I agree, it's just powering the LCD so not ideal but minimum power drain. Would be nice to isolate it completely though

 

[McLosi]

Coachman caravans are different. My Brother in Law's Swift has two switches but my Coachman only has a master switch above the door. When this is set to off there is no 12-volt supply to anything except the alarm. There is certainly no display on the fridge.
I have fitted the battery backup kit to the Alde control panel and added a fused live feed from the battery to the radio so the settings aren't lost every time the master switch is turned off for this very reason.
Other than the main isolating switch on the fuse box I have no other way of turning off the 220v mains supply to the three-pin sockets when I'm on EHU.
What I find strange too is the fact that there is a separate live 12-volt feed to the fridge because they are not intended to run solely off the leisure battery due to the high current drain.
I wonder if the wiring has been modified?

I don't think so, nothing looked modded at all, but then what do I know lol

 

[McLosi]

Both of my Coachman caravans, a2010, 545, and my present one a a 2013 560, the fridge display was live with 12 volt Master switch OFF, why I am not sure. I would leave my van in storage for 7 weeks with NO solar panel as we are undercover, with a good battery no problems, but as the battery got older all those small drains the battery would go down.
The Sargent alarm has its own battery so no problems disconnecting the main battery.

Ah ok, I did wonder how long it could stay on. So with the solar I should be fine.

Yes I realised the other day the alarm has it's own battery when it went off with the leisure battery in my boot!