Use / Store Switch

[Islandsmith]

Not sure where to put this one. My Use/Store switch seems to toggle on and off no matter if I click it up of down. If I push the top of the switch under "Use" more than once it just cycles on and off. I can hear the solenoid switching and the power to the coach is definitely being turned on and off - but is the switch supposed to work this way?

[Land Cruisin]

I read a while ago that:

"store" will allow the battery to take a charge but not discharge power. E.g. Connected to shore power or in storage.

"Use" is just that, the battery can take a charge but will also discharge as necessary to power the RV.

People with more experience will be able to expand on that.

Hope this helps.

[Judge]

The Use / Store switch is not DPDT switch. It is a temporary switch that enables or disables a latching relay.

In the Store mode, the house batteries are disconnected from the coach. When in the Use mode, the house batteries are connected to the coach to power your 12 appliances and accessories and to allow the Converter / Charger to charge the house batteries when plugged into shore power.

Some have a red light built into the switch. When the red light is on (when not on shore power), it lets you know you are in the Use mode. However, if on Shore Power, the red light can be on even when in Store mode.

[Islandsmith]

Originally Posted by Judge

(snip)...In the Store mode, the house batteries are disconnected from the coach. When in the Use mode, the house batteries are connected to the coach to power your 12 appliances and accessories and to allow the Converter / Charger to charge the house batteries when plugged into shore power.

I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out. I can switch between Store and Use mode by just pressing the switch twice. Doesn't matter if I press it up or down.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Land Cruisin

I read a while ago that:

"store" will allow the battery to take a charge but not discharge power. E.g. Connected to shore power or in storage.

"Use" is just that, the battery can take a charge but will also discharge as necessary to power the RV.

People with more experience will be able to expand on that.

Hope this helps.

Not correct!! STORE disconnects the battery from the DC buss - no current into or out of the battery except in some coaches the CO/Propane detector may still be powered from the battery.

[16ACE27]

Originally Posted by Islandsmith

I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out. I can switch between Store and Use mode by just pressing the switch twice. Doesn't matter if I press it up or down.

That behavior is incorrect. Your latching relay may have a problem or it may have been replaced with the wrong part.

[Land Cruisin]

You are correct. I double checked, the batteries will not charge in store mode.

[Land Cruisin]

I found this video from Thor regarding the switch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leAff5xpB2k

[cavie]

Originally Posted by Land Cruisin

I read a while ago that:

"store" will allow the battery to take a charge but not discharge power. E.g. Connected to shore power or in storage.

"Use" is just that, the battery can take a charge but will also discharge as necessary to power the RV.

People with more experience will be able to expand on that.

Hope this helps.

In storage Battery will not take charge because it is a "Disconnect Switch". Battery is out of the loop except for CO, LP detectors and radio memory.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by Islandsmith

I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out. I can switch between Store and Use mode by just pressing the switch twice. Doesn't matter if I press it up or down.

It does matter if you press up or down. One is ON and one is OFF.

[Bob Denman]

One thing seems certain: something is going on with that switch...
At least the O.P. is getting it to work...

[blw2]

I'm pretty sure mine makes a 'clunk' sound the second time it's pushed...as you've described... but it's a softer 'clunk'
I think what you might be hearing is the solenoid actuator
so when in store mode
press USE the first time, the solenoid actuates the contacts to close the circuit. You hear the clunk of the solenoid actuator + the clunk of the contacts

press USE the second time, the actuator does its thing again in the same direction to close the contacts, but the contacts are already closed. You hear the clunk of the actuator, but you don't hear the contacts closing....so it sounds a bit different.

press store, and you'll hear the actuator go the other direction + you'll hear the contacts opening.

I could have that wrong...it's been a long time since I paid any attention to it... but I'm pretty sure that's what I hear with mine....

[TurnerFam]

it actually sounds as if your LATCHING RELAY is not 'holding' to it's position when you press the switch.

The reason that the switch is not a 'fixed' position switch, like most others, is because this switch is providing only an 'instant' 12v charge to the latching relay, which is all it requires to then 'latch' into that 'Use', or 'Store' position. It does not need 'constant' 12v power, like a light or fan would.

Now, if you are experiencing nuisance issues and the switch does not seem to allow the latching Relay to 'take hold' and maintain it's position that you are switching it to, then more-than-likely it's actually NOT the switch, but the Latching Relay.

One thought is that you really have to have 'GOOD' 12v battery power for the latching relay to maintain it's 'hold' in it's position. Are your house battery(s) Levels looking good? What voltage do you measure them at with a DC Voltmeter?

If they are registering 'good', probably 11amps or higher, the relay should be latching and staying latched in it's position. If that's the case, then you 'might' be looking at the switch as the culprit, though that's probably a rather easy check, and replacement, if so. It could even be something simple, like a loose wire at the switch.

The latching Relay, when you find it, is also a fairly easy replacement.

If you had to, you could find a temporary go-around solution by hardwiring the relay in the 'USE' position while camping, or otherwise while you have some sort of power, even if only a household outlet, or a solar panel wired to the batteries.

[TurnerFam]

Originally Posted by Land Cruisin

I found this video from Thor regarding the switch.

hmmmm...he states that this 'STORE' switch position WILL disengage the Propane Detector, which I've always seemed to believe did NOT, as the detector is a safety/llfe feature that 'always' has power, like the Co2 detector, or a Smoke detector.

[Islandsmith]

Originally Posted by blw2

(snip)...press USE the first time, the solenoid actuates the contacts to close the circuit. You hear the clunk of the solenoid actuator + the clunk of the contacts

press USE the second time, the actuator does its thing again in the same direction to close the contacts, but the contacts are already closed. You hear the clunk of the actuator, but you don't hear the contacts closing....so it sounds a bit different....

That's the thing, if I press "Use" I hear the solenoid and all the 12V systems work. If I press "Use" again I hear the solenoid and nothing works. It's like the switch doesn't care if you are pressing it up or down (Use or Store), it just keeps changing from activated to deactivated.

[cavie]

Originally Posted by Islandsmith

That's the thing, if I press "Use" I hear the solenoid and all the 12V systems work. If I press "Use" again I hear the solenoid and nothing works. It's like the switch doesn't care if you are pressing it up or down (Use or Store), it just keeps changing from activated to deactivated.

as long as it connects and disconnects no problem on how you do it.

[Judge]

Originally Posted by Islandsmith

That's the thing, if I press "Use" I hear the solenoid and all the 12V systems work. If I press "Use" again I hear the solenoid and nothing works. It's like the switch doesn't care if you are pressing it up or down (Use or Store), it just keeps changing from activated to deactivated.

That is the way it is supposed to work! It is a momentary switch.... not a toggle switch.

You press it once and it sends voltage to engage the relay so you have 12V in the coach and so your Converter / Charger can charge the house batteries.

You press it again and it disconnects the house batteries so they can not be drained from something while the coach is in storage.

If you look at your Step and Stepwell Light switch.... you can see they are toggle switches where one way it is "On" and the other way it is "Off" but the Use / Store switch is a momentary switch (even though they have Use on one end of the switch and store on the other end of the switch).

[lwmcguire]

Originally Posted by Judge

That is the way it is supposed to work! It is a momentary switch.... not a toggle switch.



You press it once and it sends voltage to engage the relay so you have 12V in the coach and so your Converter / Charger can charge the house batteries.



You press it again and it disconnects the house batteries so they can not be drained from something while the coach is in storage.

Exactly how mine works

[JamieGeek]

Originally Posted by Judge

That is the way it is supposed to work! It is a momentary switch.... not a toggle switch.

You press it once and it sends voltage to engage the relay so you have 12V in the coach and so your Converter / Charger can charge the house batteries.

You press it again and it disconnects the house batteries so they can not be drained from something while the coach is in storage.

Actually there are two forms:

Thor's old form was a black switch like the picture at the beginning of the thread. That one operates as follows:

• Presssing the top for "Use" (when in store) you hear a click, a 2nd press of "Use" you won't hear a click as its already in "Use"
• Pressing the bottom for "Store" (when in use) you hear a click, a 2nd press of "Store" you won't hear a click as its already in "Store"

In this case it is a double switch. (Our 2014 Axis operates in this manner.)

The new form has a light with a single action:

• Press once "Use" (the light lights up)
• Press again "Store" (the light goes out)

(In this case, however, the light may light up when in "Store" and plugged in as the converter will be supplying 12V to the system which is kind of a false positive.)

From the description given it sounds like Thor installed the old switch (or someone did) on the new mechanism.

[Bob Denman]

Jamie,
Do you know when they changed that?