How to Recharge an RV Heat Pump

rv image by Greg Pickens from <a href='http://www.fotolia.com'>Fotolia.com</a>

When your RV's heat pump seems to be on the fritz, you'll need to charge the batteries that power it. An RV heat pump makes up a part of the vehicle's heater and cooling unit. These devices draw their power from the deep cycle batteries in the RV. These are not the batteries from which the engine draws, however; the RV uses these separate batteries when not connected to electric hookups. To recharge your heat pump, you'll need to recharge the deep cycle batteries.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Deep cycle RV battery(s)
Battery charger
Jumper cables

Step 1

Turn off all electric connection to the RV, and disconnect the wires from the battery terminals. If your vehicle has a ground wire (typically not the case, as the black/negative cable acts as the ground, but some older models have ground wires) disconnect it as well.

Step 2

Plug in the battery charger (use an extension cord if needed), and bring the charger to the RV deep cycle battery. Attach the black/negative cable to the deep cycle battery black terminal. Make a point to connect the black cable first: Connecting the red cable first can short out the electric system.

Step 3

Attach the red cable to the deep cycle RV battery's red terminal. Attach the other end of the red cable to the battery charger's red terminal. Check to ensure that you have firmly attached all cables.

Step 4

Press the power button to turn on the battery charger. Look at the charge gauge on the battery charger to determine the level of the deep cycle battery. Look at the charger's gauge to determine how long the battery needs to charge. Leave the charger on for the recommended time.

Step 5

Turn the charger off after the recommended charge time, and after you check the gauge to ensure that the deep cycle battery has received a full charge. Connect the red and black RV wiring back onto the RV deep cycle battery after you remove the cables from the battery. Connect the electricity and turn on the heater to ensure that the heat pump is working properly.

Article Written By Eric Cedric

A former Alaskan of 20 years, Eric Cedric now resides in California. He's published in "Outside" and "Backpacker" and has written a book on life in small-town Alaska, "North by Southeast." Cedric was a professional mountain guide and backcountry expedition leader for 18 years. He worked in Russia, Iceland, Greece, Turkey and Belize. Cedric attended Syracuse University and is a private pilot.

Editor's Pick

5 Top North American Wildflower Hikes

Springtime brings a sense of new beginnings and new life as flowers begin to bloom and fill the air with their sweet and pleasant fragrance. Luckily we can see wildflowers all summer long, since spring hits at different times throughout North America. See flowering cactu...
More National Parks...
Popular Article

National Park Substitutes: Great Spots Without the Crowds

Coping with crowds at national parks can get tiresome, especially during the peak tourist season. If you want to escape from the herd, or just take a breather from the bustle of bigger attractions, the United States has plenty of less-visited but still worthwhile spots t...
More National Parks...
Featured Destination

Prevent Yourself from Getting Lost While Hiking

When you're hiking you're going to want to make sure you stay found. What I mean by that is that you've put an itinerary in the car, you know the area that you're hiking to, you know the route and the trail you plan on being on, you know what the trail markers are going ...
More Camping Basics...