For example, a 100 Ah lithium battery will power a typical 15,000 BTU RV AC unit for about 30 minutes. If you're RVing in hot weather, running your AC for 30 minutes likely won't do much to increase your comfort. However, if you had a bank of eight 100 Ah batteries, it would run for about four hours.
Since you can only run your batteries down to about 50% capacity before low voltage shutdown, that would give a ballpark figure of 2400 amp hours needed. A group 24 deep cycle battery has about 80 amp hours. So that would give us a battery bank of 30 group 24 deep cycle batteries to run the AC overnight.
A car's AC system indirectly uses fuel to operate because it requires the engine to work harder to power the AC compressor. However, the car's battery is not directly used to power the AC system. Instead, it is used to power the electrical components of the car.
Turning on the AC puts an additional load on the entire system resulting in the deficiency in the charging system further draining the battery.
You'll still have to manage your power usage, but a lithium battery can typically provide enough power for 24 hours for the 12-volt electrical system on an RV.
A battery's amp hour rating is based on a consistent load of 5 amps. What that means is that a 100 amp hour battery that has a constant load of 5 amps on it should last 20 hours.
When the RV is not plugged in, that electricity usually has to come from batteries. Under normal use conditions – lights, propane refrigerator, charging phones etc and water pump, a 12v battery will last 2-3 days.
But is it safe to leave air conditioner on all day? Running your air conditioner all day is generally safe, as in, it probably won't cause a fire or other disaster in your home.
Yes: The alternator, which is powered by the engine, is what provides energy to the air conditioner. The engine runs on fuel, meaning you are using up gas when you run the AC.
The constant running of your AC unit will reduce pressure in the evaporator, or cooling coil until it freezes over, according to Cool Today. This is why in some cases, this constant running can be dangerous. The freezing of the coil can cause liquid refrigerant to flood back into the unit's compressor and damage it.
Four 12 volt batteries is the very minimum needed to run a rooftop RV air conditioner. But then, that will only run an air conditioner for about 1 hour maximum. Of course, it depends upon the type of battery.
Short-Term Driving: Driving your car often on short trips can contribute to a short battery life and a battery failing to keep a charge. This is because the most taxing use of the battery in your vehicle is the initial engine start and you never give it enough time to get fully charged.
You cannot use the air conditioner if the engine is not running. It's as simple as that. What you're really doing is running the blower motor.
Modern air conditioning units are designed to run 24 hours a day. There is no harm in having it run to keep your home cool all day long. If you wanted to, you could have your AC unit running 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If your thermostat is set on “auto”, your AC compressor does not run 24 hours a day.
For example, a 100 Ah lithium battery will power a typical 15,000 BTU RV AC unit for about 30 minutes. If you're RVing in hot weather, running your AC for 30 minutes likely won't do much to increase your comfort. However, if you had a bank of eight 100 Ah batteries, it would run for about four hours.
This unit is the most widely purchased brand, and highest rated portable AC unit in the 5,000 BTU range. Four (4) 100 amp hour lithium phosphate batteries (also known as “LiFePo batteries”) will keep this AC unit for running about four (4) hours maximum. This is assuming these batteries are fully charged to begin with.
You can keep your car AC on while your Engine is running but your car is parked as long as you are not low on fuel. But avoid doing this when your Engine is off because it will drain all the power of your battery. After that, you need to recharge your car battery. You can do that by jumpstarting your car.
Parasitic draw.
Your car battery can drain over time from stereo components (subwoofers), phone chargers, and anything you leave plugged into vehicle outlets that continue to draw power from the battery after the car is turned off. Other power drains include interior and below-vehicle LED lights.
Does AC affect gas mileage? As a general answer, a Consumer Reports study found that, yes, running the AC does reduce gas mileage. Here are some tips to help you balance your fuel consumption with comfort. Generally, the air conditioner uses gas, so use it wisely.
Conclusion. For most homeowners who are going on vacation for a week or two, it's probably best to keep your air conditioner on. But there's no need to cool your entire home the same way you normally do—so turn your thermostat up.
The short answer is yes, it is cheaper to leave your air conditioner on all day. But this does not mean that you should leave it on full blast, keeping your home so cold that you need a sweater or jacket to be comfortable.
When you live in a tiny home on wheels, things tend to break often because you're moving around a lot from location to location. Expect to learn some basic woodworking, electrical, plumbing and mechanical skills. If this is something you're not up for, then you may want to reconsider full-time RV living.
Sulfation, parasitic loads, self-discharging, overcharging, undercharging, and lack of maintenance are the usual suspects of battery death, but they are all relatively easy to prevent with regular attention and smart battery charging.