Vampires and multimeters

The LPGD is definitely getting power, even when the WP switch is on, because the green light will blink indicating "warm up" mode, regardless of the switch position. (It blinks for several minutes every time I disconnect and reconnect the battery cutoff.) But if it is solid green, it goes off if I turn on the WP switch.

I wanted to see how long it would stay at 6A+ and what would happen if I left the pump switch on with no demand (all faucets closed.)

After just 45 minutes the water pump was too hot to touch. I turned on a faucet and the LPGD beeped once and then the green power light came on. Draw at batteries 0.31 (baseline) BUT (of course) the pump would not run. I suspect if overheated and tripped and when it did the LPGD came back online.

I'll let it cool and see if it comes back or if it is fried.

How do I check it at the pump? As you noticed, if you are very specific I can do it, but vague instructions like "check it at the pump" are lost on me. Sorry.

It stabilized at 0.31 which, if you look at my original post is very close to the parasitic loads I already identified, so I'm not surprised. Here is my log from today:

Baseline 0.31 stable

+ fridge 0.86

- fridge + ALL interior LED lights 1.45 (When camping, I rarely use more than 1 for more than half hour)

- lights + furnace 3.29. (I couldn't get it to come on for long, hot today)

Now the INTERESTING thing: The water pump. First, switch on but no demand 0.31 (the baseline.) Then with demand 3.45. BUT after I turned off the faucet with the switch still on it jumped to 6.45 and stayed there. When camping, I try to remember to turn off the switch when not in use, but if I forget that could really add up. The pump is cool to the touch, even with demand.

But even MORE INTERESTING is that I noticed that when the water pump switch is on, the green light power indicator on the LP Gas detector goes out. On/off. Off/on. They are connected?!?

Without knowing exactly what is connected to the battery (including any loads you don't know about), I can't comment on whether a variable load of 300-800 mA is normal or not.  Off the top of my head, I don't think so.  But I don't know how your LPGD works.... it might be heating a small sensor element.  

Were you by chance connected to shore power?  Any chance the charge controller was providing a float charge?  It is also remotely possible that if you were connected to shore power, there was some AC leakage into the battery circuit that was confusing your ammeter.  Switch your meter from DC to to AC amps and see if you see anything.... should be zero.  If it is non-zero, that could explain the fluctuation.  

Paul

Perhaps because there is none to find?  It looks to me like your voltages imply (note that I said "imply") a fairly slow discharge after you burned off the surface charge.  According to the discharge table I have, 12.65V is 100% charge.  Assuming your meter is correctly calibrated, your batteries spent several days ABOVE that voltage.  That would not be the case if there was any appreciable discharge current.  And your voltages certainly do not show a full discharge overnight like I thought you initially were describing????  

ONE MORE TIME..... merely measuring battery voltage DOES NOT help diagnose rapid battery discharge since we have no idea how healthy your batteries are.  Too many variables in the equation.  If you want to figure out what (if anything) is discharging your batteries MEASURE THE BATTERY CURRENT.  At the batteries, and preferably between them, to eliminate any unexpected connections.  Without that, all we can do is speculate.  And speculation is not definitive.  

Paul