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Why Is My RV Battery Boiling? (Reasons & How to fix)

    Updated December 12, 2022

    Have you forgotten anything? This is frequently the case when living in an RV on fun-filled days. If the equipment is not maintenance-free, many owners often neglect to check the battery levels. If you do this, it could lead to major issues for you. If you neglect to check your batteries on a regular basis, the effect will be a foul stench and boiling.

    There are a number of valid explanations for why a battery could boil. You overcharging it is one of those causes. The cause of this condition could be a dead cell inside. You neglected to add water to the battery cells, which is another explanation.

    Just keep reading our post to find out more information about this crucial subject. It is jam-packed with the knowledge you need to be aware of in order to prevent a boiling battery. Spend a few minutes considering how this knowledge will help you preserve and prolong the life of your battery.

    Why is My RV Battery Boiling?

    Your battery may be boiling for four legitimate reasons. These 4 factors are as follows:

    1. Water is necessary for cooling battery cells; you did not refill the battery with it. When they run out of water, they could become excessively hot and begin to boil the water. The battery cells risk self-burning due to the extra heat if they are not cooled.

    2. Overcharging: Any battery can become overcharged by receiving too much electricity. You give those cells an excessive amount of heat when you overcharge them. The additional heat may result in boiling and harm to your battery. A malfunctioning regulator might cause your battery to overheat, which can result in the water in your battery boiling.

    3. Heat – Your batteries may suffer damage and boil over if your RV is left in the sun for an extended period of time. The battery area is now over 220 degrees F due to a series of circumstances.

    4. Overuse occurs when one battery is used to power several systems with just one. In this case, the discharge results in an overheated battery that has the potential to start boiling water.

    When two batteries are mixed up in a bank, one may overcharge while the other may severely discharge. Before starting your RV, the latter would need to be recharged.

    How Do You Keep An RV Battery From Overcharging?

    It’s crucial to ensure that your RV’s battery is always fully charged, however many RV owners find that they frequently overcharge their batteries. You can try to keep your battery on a charger constantly since you don’t want it to run out of power in the middle of your journey. Although it might seem like a smart idea, doing this will overheat the battery and cause the moisture to evaporate, which will permanently harm your battery. Taking your battery off the charger as soon as it is fully charged is the best approach to prevent it from overcharging.

    Once you are aware that the battery in our RV has been fully charged, you should NEVER leave it on the charger. Once you know roughly how long a battery needs to charge, you should set up an alarm system to remind you to check the batteries and remove them from the charge when it’s complete. This can assist you from accidentally damaging them by leaving them on the charger for an excessive amount of time.

    You might be possible to set up a great battery charger for your RV’s batteries, like a smart charger, to stop charging when the battery is fully charged. Some other chargers will even start beeping when the battery is fully charged or after an electric shock that could have potentially damaged the battery. Although taking these steps may seem like a pain, they could end up saving you a lot of time and money if your batteries turn out to be defective.

    What Causes A RV Battery To Get Hot?

    If not properly maintained, RV batteries can very easily become hot and overheat. One of the main causes of your battery being heated is that it has been overcharged or plugged into a charger for an excessively lengthy period of time. You should be aware of this when charging them because they should NEVER be left on a charger for an extended amount of time after being fully charged. The environment it is in or a lack of water within are two more frequent causes of why something may be getting hot.

    There is a water level inside RV batteries. Batteries require a certain level of moisture to function properly since the liquid keeps everything cool, even in some of your camper’s warmest spots. This water level will evaporate over time and need to be replenished. However, you risk having an overheated battery that isn’t functioning properly if you let the water run out or go too low before refilling. This can lead to fried batteries that need to be replaced, which can be a very expensive issue.

    When protecting your batteries from overheating, where you store and charge them is equally crucial. Some RV owners have a space inside their vehicle or in their garage where they charge their batteries. No matter where you decide to put them, it’s best to make sure they’re in a place that’s cold, dry, and ideally climate-controlled. When your RV’s batteries aren’t in use, the greatest places for charging stations are garages, basements, and places like. However, you should take precautions to keep them out of direct sunlight and away from extremely hot or cold conditions when you are charging them inside your RV.

    What To Do If The RV Battery is Boiling?

    There are as many ways to boil water in your batteries as there are sources for them. Before beginning to recharge the battery to solve the final issue from the previous part, you must first verify the battery’s voltage. Add water next. Simply make the area around the batteries larger to allow for more airflow if there is no ventilation source. Or make the current space more ventilated.

    Remove various systems and appliances to save your battery if it is being used improperly or has too many appliances linked to it. Before the voltage becomes too low, recharge it. You must allow your batteries to cool down before recharging them if the source of the problem is heat. The area and batteries must be kept at or below 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, check your charger with a multimeter and turn it off if it is overcharging your battery.