Leisure Battery Use

JTR · Post by **JTR** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:08 pm

Hi,

I have a leisure battery fitted but I am unsure as to what draws from this or my standard battery. I have a side conversion from Manchester Campers so I'm pretty sure that the fridge, roof, interior lights, stereo etc should all draw from the leisure battery. Can I buy a device that attaches to the battery and will indicate when something is drawing from it?

Cheers,
JTR

stringman · Post by **stringman** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 4:40 pm

You would usually have a switching unit to switch input between the main battery and the leisure battery (sometimes called a ZIG unit)

These have a volt meter built in so you can see the state of charge of the battery being used

Post by **Simon Jones** » Wed Jan 23, 2008 12:28 am

Quick option would be to disconnect the leisure battery & note what items no longer work. Typically, this could include:

Conversion - water pump, ignition for hob, etc
Stereo
Interior lights
Electric blinds

The average Zig unit (e.g. CF8) only has a green LED to show voltage status of the LB, rather than anything more hi-tech. Other manufacturers have LCD displays which can show voltage, current consumption, fresh/waste water tanks levels etc. These are typically found in expensive conversions or larger motorhomes.

My next project is an LCD display showing voltage of both batteries as well as power consumption on the LB. Hopefully, will post pics when this is completed.