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Mysterious 5amp drain

jenevers

By jenevers
in Boat Equipment

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Jess-- Rising Star

Jess--

Posted
Posted

is there anything connected to the inverter? phone charger, tv turned off, fridge light not turning off with door closed etc etc

 

your biggest power draw will be the inverter (even with nothing running from it) but even something small and overlooked could account for your power usage.

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Tony Brooks Veteran II

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10 minutes ago, jenevers said:

 

Checked the alternator. Stone cold....dammit!

 

But did you isolate the bilge pumps rather then have them on standby. Remember some use an electronic level sensor that will draw current - but nowhere near 5 amps. Others pulse the up every now and again to measure the current so it knows if it is pumping or just free running. If you checked as one of that sort ran up it just might give a close to 5 amp recharge. Ignore if you have float switches.

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jenevers Rising Star

jenevers

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3 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

 

But did you isolate the bilge pumps rather then have them on standby. Remember some use an electronic level sensor that will draw current - but nowhere near 5 amps. Others pulse the up every now and again to measure the current so it knows if it is pumping or just free running. If you checked as one of that sort ran up it just might give a close to 5 amp recharge. Ignore if you have float switches.

Yes they are both float switch types.

 

6 minutes ago, Jess-- said:

is there anything connected to the inverter? phone charger, tv turned off, fridge light not turning off with door closed etc etc

 

your biggest power draw will be the inverter (even with nothing running from it) but even something small and overlooked could account for your power usage.

No Everything is turned off. All pugs out of their sockets. ‘‘Tis a bloody mystery?

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jenevers Rising Star

jenevers

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8 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

In which case could you kindly explain how an electrical current can flow without a circuit, please?

 

A Nobel Prize probably awaits you if you succeed. 

 

No I can’t.?

 

8 hours ago, Billy Boy said:

Could it be a split charger relay faulty?

Ain’t got a split charger.

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MtB Veteran II

MtBDonate to Canal World

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1 hour ago, jenevers said:

No I can’t.?

 

Ain’t got a split charger.

 

 

You need to invert your thinking.

 

A 5A current drain from the batteries proves there is a circuit somewhere. Your task is to find it, not keep declaring everything is off and how puzzling it all is. 'Something' is ON .

 

All this assumes the 5A is real, and not an instrument error. How do you know for sure the 5A is real?  

 

 

 

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Tony Brooks Veteran II

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If its an ordinary ammeter and not an electronic thing what does it read with the batteries disconnected?

If its electronic can you power it from (say) a 9v battery and then disconnect the batteries.

 

That way if it still shows a discharge you will know its a meter fault and not a real discharge.

 

I have an Ebay type far eastern voltmeter that seems to read about 0.2 to 0.3 volts low so if your ammeter is one of the cheapy things recently discussed I would not be surprised if it was a meter fault.

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jenevers Rising Star

jenevers

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34 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

You need to invert your thinking.

 

A 5A current drain from the batteries proves there is a circuit somewhere. Your task is to find it, not keep declaring everything is off and how puzzling it all is. 'Something' is ON .

 

All this assumes the 5A is real, and not an instrument error. How do you know for sure the 5A is real?  

 

 

 

 

36 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

 

You need to invert your thinking.

 

A 5A current drain from the batteries proves there is a circuit somewhere. Your task is to find it, not keep declaring everything is off and how puzzling it all is. 'Something' is ON .

 

All this assumes the 5A is real, and not an instrument error. How do you know for sure the 5A is real?  

 

 

 

I know there must be a circuit somewhere but every switch and plug IS off. I need to get one of these clampmeters.

The 5A is real because the batteries are being drained.

32 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

If its an ordinary ammeter and not an electronic thing what does it read with the batteries disconnected?

If its electronic can you power it from (say) a 9v battery and then disconnect the batteries.

 

That way if it still shows a discharge you will know its a meter fault and not a real discharge.

 

I have an Ebay type far eastern voltmeter that seems to read about 0.2 to 0.3 volts low so if your ammeter is one of the cheapy things recently discussed I would not be surprised if it was a meter fault.

It’s a Mastervolt MICC so should be reliable.?

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jenevers Rising Star

jenevers

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Just now, nicknorman said:

Could you remove your 12v fuses / turn of breakers one by one until you find one that is passing the 5A. And, for the mains side, leave the inverter on but switch off the breakers in the consumer unit?

Will try that next time I go to the boat,  but that won’t be for about 10 days now.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.?

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Alan de Enfield Veteran II

Alan de Enfield

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8 minutes ago, jenevers said:

Will try that next time I go to the boat,  but that won’t be for about 10 days now.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone.?

Your batteries are not going to be in very good shape in 10 days time.

5amps, 24 hours = 120Ah.

10 days at 120Ah = 1200Ah

 

Unless you have something like a 2000Ah battery bank your batteries will be K-nackered big style.

 

Are you sure you are not missing a decimal point ? (maybe 0.5a - that's only 6 watts and could be something as simple - for example - as an led hidden away somewhere)

Edited by Alan de Enfield
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David Mack Veteran II

David MackDonate to Canal World

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36 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Could you remove your 12v fuses / turn of breakers one by one until you find one that is passing the 5A. And, for the mains side, leave the inverter on but switch off the breakers in the consumer unit?

 

35 minutes ago, Tony Brooks said:

Its time to pull the fuses/open circuit breakers one by one until the 5 Amps disappears. If that does not work start disconnecting cables.

 

 

Wouldn't it be better to pull all the fuses out first. If the current is still showing that would strongly suggest a meter zero error. If no current, then put the fuses back in one by one to work out which circuit is drawing current.

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BruceinSanity Influencer

BruceinSanityDonate to Canal World

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2 hours ago, David Mack said:

 

 

Wouldn't it be better to pull all the fuses out first. If the current is still showing that would strongly suggest a meter zero error. If no current, then put the fuses back in one by one to work out which circuit is drawing current.

Having turned them all off, it’s quicker to use the 50/50 dodge. Turn on half of them. If drain has returned, it’s in that half, so turn half of those off, and so on. If drain doesn’t return, turn off that half and turn the others on, and so on. Same tech as tracking down a dodgy app that’s freezing your computer.

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David Mack Veteran II

David MackDonate to Canal World

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1 minute ago, BruceinSanity said:

Having turned them all off, it’s quicker to use the 50/50 dodge. Turn on half of them. If drain has returned, it’s in that half, so turn half of those off, and so on. If drain doesn’t return, turn off that half and turn the others on, and so on. Same tech as tracking down a dodgy app that’s freezing your computer.

Actually in theory it's quickest if you use 67/33. I remember this being demonstrated in A Level maths. Not sure I could prove it now though!

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