{"id":2480,"date":"2019-10-01T22:36:43","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T05:36:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/?p=2480"},"modified":"2021-03-16T13:55:56","modified_gmt":"2021-03-16T20:55:56","slug":"how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Fix an Overheating RV Battery"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Let\u2019s figure out how to keep our cool\nwhen it comes to overheating RV batteries. Whether you are a\npart-timer or are part of the full-time RV crowd, you\u2019ve probably\nhad to fix something on your own. Don&#8217;t be afraid to troubleshoot\nthis problem yourself, before taking it over to the RV mechanic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>RV batteries can overheat due to a bad battery or connection. First check your battery has the proper amount of distilled water and all connections are tight and clean. Then run a voltage check to see if the battery needs to be replaced.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unless you are a professional, messing\nabout with batteries, wires and electricity can be intimidating. This\nguide contains need to know tips and tricks to assure the safety of\nyou and your rig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/hot-battery-1024x512.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/hot-battery.png 1024w, https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/hot-battery-300x150.png 300w, https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/hot-battery-768x384.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><strong>File ID<\/strong> 91835072 | \u00a9 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamstime.com\/warlok79_info\" target=\"_blank\">Albert Karimov<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamstime.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dreamstime.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-661655353ce9a\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #5d7772;color:#5d7772\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #5d7772;color:#5d7772\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-661655353ce9a\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery\/#How_Do_You_Know_If_You_Have_an_Overheating_Battery_on_Your_hands\" title=\"How Do You Know If You Have an Overheating Battery on Your hands? \">How Do You Know If You Have an Overheating Battery on Your hands? <\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery\/#Why_is_My_RV_Battery_Overheating\" title=\"Why is My RV\nBattery Overheating? \n\">Why is My RV\nBattery Overheating? \n<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery\/#Are_You_Charging_Too_Much_or_Too_Little\" title=\"Are You Charging Too Much or Too\nLittle?\">Are You Charging Too Much or Too\nLittle?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery\/#A_Road_Trip_to_the_Mechanic\" title=\"A Road Trip to the Mechanic\">A Road Trip to the Mechanic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery\/#Proper_ventilation\" title=\"Proper ventilation\">Proper ventilation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery\/#Draining_the_Life_Out_of_Your_Battery\" title=\"Draining the Life Out of Your Battery\">Draining the Life Out of Your Battery<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/how-to-fix-an-overheating-rv-battery\/#Safe_Storage\" title=\"Safe Storage\">Safe Storage<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_You_Know_If_You_Have_an_Overheating_Battery_on_Your_hands\"><\/span>How Do You Know If You Have an Overheating Battery on Your hands? <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p> These are the signs that you should look for if you suspect your battery is overheating. Get all of your senses ready:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Have you smelled a strong\n\tsulfur-like odor coming from them<\/strong>? If it smells like rotting\n\teggs in your RV, it may be a sign of overheating batteries. As a\n\tbattery wears down, the acid may evaporate and emit an unpleasant\n\todor.\n\t<\/li><li><strong>Heard a boiling sound?<\/strong>\n\tObviously, a boiling battery could be a bad sign. When the acid in\n\tyour battery evaporates it may cause your battery to overheat or\n\teven boil!\n\t<\/li><li><strong>See them swelling?<\/strong> A bad\n\tbattery may begin to swell. Overcharging batteries can accelerate\n\tthe reaction within the battery and cause the release of heat and\n\tgasses, which cause the battery to swell.\n\t<\/li><li><strong>Notice steam coming out?<\/strong>\n\tAnother signal of an overheating battery can be steam or smoke\n\tcoming from your battery. Overcharged batteries can result in dead\n\tcells &amp; release of gas. Use extreme caution when dealing with\n\tany type of steam or smoke, as it may be hazardous and flammable. \n\t\n<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>*<strong>Always wear protective gloves &amp;\nglasses when performing maintenance on your batteries! <\/strong>Face masks\nare also recommended for instances where your battery is emitting\nhazardous gasses. And, of course, no smoking or open flames<strong>!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_My_RV_Battery_Overheating\"><\/span>Why is My RV\nBattery Overheating? \n<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ok, so we know our battery is\noverheating. But what we don&#8217;t know is <strong>why<\/strong>. Several things can\ncause your batteries to overheat. Let\u2019s go through a step by step\ndiagnostic check to see if we can assess the issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol><li><strong>The very first step in this process should be done monthly as routine maintenance. <\/strong>Checking the electrolyte and water levels of your batteries, to make sure you don\u2019t need to add distilled water. Never use tap water, as this may cause calcium sulfation. Leaving your vent caps on while charging, prevents water loss and boiling. <\/li><li><strong>Then it\u2019s time to check connections. Check every wire and appliance<\/strong> connected to the batteries, looking to make sure all of the wires are in top condition. Frayed wires or loose connections can cause you major problems now &amp; later on down the road. (A little RV humor for you!) It is highly recommended to keep these properly maintained. <\/li><li><strong>Check your charge controllers<\/strong>. Charge controllers often have a digital screen with temperatures and setting options. Whether you have a factory-installed unit, or an aftermarket control unit, you should still be able to get some helpful information from it.  <\/li><li><strong>Read through your manual,<\/strong> to make sure you are using the correct setting, and if possible look for a temperature reading to more accurately gauge how hot your battery is.  <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"680\" src=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/battery-1024x680.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/battery-1024x680.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/battery-300x199.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/battery-768x510.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/battery.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><strong>File ID<\/strong> 91835072 | \u00a9 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamstime.com\/warlok79_info\" target=\"_blank\">Albert Karimov<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamstime.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dreamstime.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Are_You_Charging_Too_Much_or_Too_Little\"><\/span>Are You Charging Too Much or Too\nLittle?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Continuous charging of an already fully\ncharged battery is not recommended. You have the power, use it! If\nyou are using it, and still reading a full charge, perhaps you should\ncheck your charge controller system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Undercharging RV batteries are also a\ncommon problem we face. Do you monitor your charge levels? If you do\nnot allow your battery to recharge between cycles you could be\ndraining it down too far. Which can seriously shorten the life of the\nbattery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding a healthy balance will help you\nget the most out of your purchase. A battery that is used to a 50%\nlevel every day will last longer than one that is allowed to drain\nall the way down to a dangerously low  25%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Road_Trip_to_the_Mechanic\"><\/span>A Road Trip to the Mechanic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If after a thorough run-through of the\nsteps above, you haven\u2019t been able to successfully diagnose the\ncause of your batteries overheating, perhaps it is time to let the\nprofessionals handle it. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There should be no shame in this, you\nhave done all that you can do. Taking it to a trusted RV dealership,\nor mechanic will properly address &amp; solve your problem, resulting\nin peace of mind. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While you are there, ask questions\nabout what they found, and what advice they have for preventing this\nfrom happening again. The mechanic will typically be happy to explain\nwhat went wrong. Write it down &amp; keep it in your logbook for\nfuture quick reference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/dreamstime_m_144722869-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/dreamstime_m_144722869-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/dreamstime_m_144722869-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/dreamstime_m_144722869-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/dreamstime_m_144722869.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption><strong>File ID<\/strong> 144722869 | \u00a9 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamstime.com\/psisaa_info\" target=\"_blank\">Psisaa<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dreamstime.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Dreamstime.com<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Proper_ventilation\"><\/span>Proper ventilation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Temperatures outside can have a\nnegative effect on the life and performance of your RV batteries.\nBut, temperatures inside the battery compartment can soar even higher\nwith the extra heat given off in a small enclosed space. Giving them\nproper ventilation can prolong the years of use you get out of them,\nby allowing them to breathe. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Place batteries in an area that has\nvents installed, or gives them a decent amount of space to have\ncirculating air. When possible, installing extra vents never hurts,\nbut gives you further assurance of proper ventilation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Draining_the_Life_Out_of_Your_Battery\"><\/span>Draining the Life Out of Your Battery<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>RV owners know about \u201cparasitic,\u201d\nor \u201cphantom\u201d  draining of batteries. Slowly draining the life out\nof your battery like a parasite. This is caused by appliances like\nyour refrigerator, radios, clocks, and various other\nelectricity-powered items that run constantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allowing your battery to carry a\nconstant load in addition to these parasitic drains can cause the\ncells to go bad, and result in overheating, which can be damaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Safe_Storage\"><\/span>Safe Storage<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Planning on storing your RV? Get ahead\nof the future problems causing issues by properly preparing your rig\nfor storage. As you are emptying your cabinets of food, and closing\nall the windows, add these battery tips to your to-do list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Keep batteries charged.<\/strong> While in storage for long amounts of time, the power can drain from the batteries &amp; damage the cells. Rendering them unusable when you pull the rig out for the following season. Using a battery maintainer will keep it at its healthiest level. <\/li><li><strong>Fill \u2018er up!<\/strong> Check the water levels before storing. I know you have been doing it ritually the entire season, but it is also important in the off-seasons. <\/li><li><strong>Lube.<\/strong> As always, keeping your battery terminal posts properly lubed will prevent any corrosion from happening. Don\u2019t have any battery lube on hand? A tablespoon of petroleum jelly on each post works, too! <\/li><li><strong>Stop the freeze!<\/strong> If you are storing your RV in a cold space for the winter months, you may consider removing your batteries to keep in a warmer place. The water within the battery may freeze if temperatures drop low enough. If you decide to transport it to a warmer place, be sure not to store it directly on a cement floor! Learn more in our article <a href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/store-rv-battery-winter\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4625\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How to Store an RV Battery for Winter.<\/a><\/li><li><strong>Keep the heat out!<\/strong> Will you be storing your RV through the hottest months of the year? Your batteries can really take a beating in the heat, even if they\u2019re not in use. Before storing them, check the water levels &amp; give them enough surrounding space to breathe.  <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have the opportunity to stop by\nand check on your rig while in storage, it doesn\u2019t hurt to do a\nquick walkthrough. Better to be safe than sorry. If you find any\nissues, you can stop prevent any further damage instead of waiting\ntill next season when the problem may be worse and far more\nexpensive!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are in the market for a new battery check out my <a href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/diehard-battery-review\/\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"4339\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Die Hard Battery Review.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s figure out how to keep our cool when it comes to overheating RV batteries. Whether you are a part-timer or are part of the full-time RV crowd, you\u2019ve probably<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[56,150],"tags":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"Diane Dee","author_link":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/author\/dedavies3\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/hot-battery-300x150.png","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["<a href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/category\/rvs\/rv-living\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">RV Living<\/a>","<a href=\"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/category\/rvs\/rv-maintenance\/\" class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">RV Maintenance<\/a>"],"unlinked":["<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">RV Living<\/span>","<span class=\"advgb-post-tax-term\">RV Maintenance<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":"0","relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 5 years ago","modified":"Updated 3 years ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on October 1, 2019","modified":"Updated on March 16, 2021"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on October 1, 2019 10:36 pm","modified":"Updated on March 16, 2021 1:55 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2480"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4886,"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2480\/revisions\/4886"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lifeonroute.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}