Newbie needing help

Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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  • #107347
    Bricktop
    Participant

    Hi people. Stupid question time.
    On my zig unit I have 2 switches 12v & battery /car battery. When I am on electric hook up will i drain the battery by using the lights?
    Sorry for the dumb question.
    Thanks in advance

    #114755
    Boomzilla
    Participant

    I’m not familiar with zig
    I’m not familiar with zig units. I just looked up a couple youtube videos to get an idea of what you’re asking. From what the wiring looked like your lights will always be running off the batteries but the batteries should be charging when you hook up to outside power so it wouldn’t matter. I’m not positive on that though.

    Here’s the easy way to always know what’s going on with your batteries: buy yourself a cheap digital voltmeter. turn it to DC volts and put one lead on each post of the battery in question. It doesn’t matter which one and it’s almost impossible to hurt your equipment or yourself doing this. If the meter says something above 13 volts (or negative 13 volts if you have the leads backwards) then the battery is charging.. run whatever you want at this point and all that would happen is the battery would charge slower. If the battery reads less than that you can check to see if something is drawing from that battery by holding your leads on the battery and having a lovely assistant turn the thing in question on and off. If your volt reading changes with the switch flipping then its drawing power from that battery. Just not that it would be possible for something to draw so little power that it wouldn’t show up on your meter.. that would take a LONG time to drain the battery but it would happen eventually.

    #114757
    Boomzilla
    Participant

    I’m not familiar with zig
    I’m not familiar with zig units. I just looked up a couple youtube videos to get an idea of what you’re asking. From what the wiring looked like your lights will always be running off the batteries but the batteries should be charging when you hook up to outside power so it wouldn’t matter. I’m not positive on that though.

    Here’s the easy way to always know what’s going on with your batteries: buy yourself a cheap digital voltmeter. turn it to DC volts and put one lead on each post of the battery in question. It doesn’t matter which one and it’s almost impossible to hurt your equipment or yourself doing this. If the meter says something above 13 volts (or negative 13 volts if you have the leads backwards) then the battery is charging.. run whatever you want at this point and all that would happen is the battery would charge slower. If the battery reads less than that you can check to see if something is drawing from that battery by holding your leads on the battery and having a lovely assistant turn the thing in question on and off. If your volt reading changes with the switch flipping then its drawing power from that battery. Just not that it would be possible for something to draw so little power that it wouldn’t show up on your meter.. that would take a LONG time to drain the battery but it would happen eventually.

Viewing 3 posts - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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