AdminBaking soda and water, but not in the battery!, just for the terminals and connections. My car has an AGM battery. Any ideas you might have would be geatly appreciated. This will ensure the isolator charges the batteries correctly and doesnt overcharge the battery. If the battery is left discharged for long periods, it is also at risk. 1st question: It can be very cold here on winter mornings, (-20 degrees and more),but then warm-up to 30 degrees on the same day, is there a battery that can handle the temperature range, and still have a reasonable life length? Reg RaynerSir, Thanks for the article. People, dont be lazy, sure this guy has a life so read ALL the FREE guides provided for you here before asking. Gel types (80AH) for this unit are super expensive. Some arms have less muscle mass and others have more. Just remember that you're messing with corrosive acid, explosive gases and hundreds of amps of electrical current. I would suggest contacting the manufacturer of the controller to determine why it would be going into float mode when the battery is not full. Could I use a smaller lets say ATV type twelve volt battery connected through a dual battery charger relay isolator so that both would charge when the motor is running but both would not drain when the motor is not running. David CuneoThank you for your article, I have a question. The boatyard said they would plug the boat in over the winter in the warehouse but did not. An example: Let's say you have "toys" such as an ATV, classic car, antique car, boat, Harley, etc. Stay on top of all the things you need to keep your battery working its best giving you years of service. here we have 10~ hours of bright sunshine. James1)There is no exact way to determine the amount of sulfation, but a hydrometer is helpful. If you are looking to substitute with a different gauge i would suggest talking with the manufacturer. AndyI purchased a used boat in 2009, it has 2 identical West Marine starter batteries 650 CCA with a Perko 3 way switch, 1, 2 both or off). VIDEO What makes a deep cycle battery different. We intend to run a 12v52 litre fridge and strips of led lights. I limped through last summer having to charge to cart every 18 holes. Email address should be formatted user@domain.com, Mobility Scooter and Wheelchair Battery Chargers, 12 Volt 230 VAC Pure Sine Wave Power Inverters, Remote Panels, Controls, Installation Kits, Battery Application: Deep Cycle vs. If you have deep cycle lead-acid batteries, make sure you get routine inspections and maintenance. Charles WehlandI have an electric 2-wheel scooter that my wife uses. Alsodoes my charger do a real 100% charge. 1)Would the battery charging circuits in each UPS somehow interfere with each other? Otherwise, you can use a single OBD-48 for all four batteries in series. This article will show you possibilities of creating different type of battery banks, and maybe the possibility of going to two 6 volts batteries for less than two 12 volts batteries would be for the same Amp/Hr capacity. Reserve Capacity is a very important battery rating. BatteryStuff TechWhat did you find that more helpful? 4)Connect both UPSs to this one battery bank. :). ZareefI had solar system, Know I want to add new set of batteries with old one for charging purpose, both pared as 24V sets. I already have a solar panel array in place that is powering a solar water pump very effectively. LarryIs it possible to have 12 volts from a battery and low or weak cca ? QuantumScapes SEC filings are available publicly on the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Most vehicles have clocks, engine management computers, alarm systems, etc. When deep cycle AGM batteries are discharged to a rate of no less than 60%, the cycle life will generally increase by 300 plus cycles. The resistance has increased with the increase in capacity, so it will take longer to charge. What happens if my solar panel puts out 24 volts instead of 15-16 volts? Meanwhile, the same battery may safely provide 36 amp hours for a period of 100 hours. Capacity generally follows the amount of lead in the battery, so the more lead the higher capacity. You could then switch the connection on the monitor to each battery individually, even though they are all hooked up together. My opinion is that if new batteries cannot be designed to compensate for the heavy parasitic drain then the manufactures need to install two parallel batteries or come up with procedures to connect an external battery trickle changer when the car is parked overnight. BatteryStuff TechI recommend using the liquid additive called BATTERY EQUALIZER and also the PP48L ON-BOARD DESULFATOR by Pulse Tech. Earthrealmlease, am a little confused. BatteryStuff TechIm glad your batteries are fine now. Wilfred KubeI have a Toyota Coaster bus which is fitted out as a motor-home. For instance, a 500 CCA battery would load test at 250 amps for 15 seconds. It wasn't long ago when trailers or motor homes had only a single 12-volt house battery. AGM and Gel cell batteries typically have a lower self-discharge rate so they can last longer when not being maintained. There are two states when it comes to batteries: They are either being charged or they are self-discharging. A 100Ah battery that will power a 5 amp appliance for 20 hours will actually last only about 1 hour when powering a 50 amp device. I was told they are just like gel cells, which I now know is only a half-truth. 12.0v on the meter is more than 50% discharge, which is more than we recommend for optimal performance. As per your explanations, I leave it plugged in because it has an integrated smart charger that is supposed to provide a safe float charge to maintain the batterys health. Should I upgrade to a Gel Battery for my trolling motor? A battery is like a piggy bank. So, the real question is what the voltage is 12 hrs after its been charged? The minutes you see are the RC measurements. So, what I have been thinking of is replacing the one 12-V with two 12-volts and wiring them to still have a 12-volt output, but have a longer output time if you understand what Im saying. They are built differently and using them in ways they were not designed for will cause damage to the battery and shorten their lifespan. OR DO I NEED TO BY A NEW ON. I know out of experience that our 10 gauge custom cable that is 8ft long only handle up to 30 amps. This means if you discharged that same 100 AH battery by a 100-amp load, it would not give you one hour of runtime. This dead battery has been leaving there for 1 year. There are 6 each, 6 volts batteries, which would you suggest? The C rating refers to how many ampere hours the battery can provide for a particular time period. Reserve capacity differs from amp-hours (Ah) in that reserve capacity is simply a measure of time, whereas amp-hours measure the number of amps, or current, that can be produced in one hour. T-ManThank you for some great info. Whether you have a reserve capacity of 150 minutes or 240 minutes is a big difference and can drastically change how you use your batteries as well as how many you may need. This means that at 25 degrees Celcius, the battery can supply 25 amps for 160 minutes before the voltage drops. Gel batteries can be discharged further without the damage it would cause an AGM. I have a YP17-12 (12V17AH) Maintenance Free Lead Acid battery in my Bushranger Power Tank (for jump starting). This is a measure of how much energy the battery can deliver each cycle, and in our battery, this fades very slowly: after 800 cycles, our battery can still deliver well more than 80% of the original amount of energy. If not using a vehicle use a battery tender that start charging at 12.6 V and stops at 14.2 14.5 V. Not hapy with comercial battery tenders, I made my own using a NE555 timer as precission comparator an more component. An example measure for reserve capacity would be RC @ 25A = 160 minutes. Thanks. Reserve Capacity (RC) refers to how long the battery can supply a steady current of 25 amps at 80F without dropping below the minimum voltage of 1.75 volts per cell required to keep your car operating. How Can You Maintain the Life of Your RV Batteries? While the date code isnt always apparent many manufacturers or dealers will indicate the month with a letter, such as the letter with "A" being January. Refer to our other technical articles about how to remove sulfation. Therefore, a battery with a short cell typically reads 10.5 volts or less. Other devices such as solar trickle chargers are a great option for battery maintenance. I was able to get a boost to start the engine and return home (10hrs). Gassing should not be an issue if the battery is healthy. can i use lead acid batterys in this hoveround to get it going to test it? Just had a question though. Cookie Preferences
Current setup: I dont know jack, but have read a little online and am trying to use a deep-cycle battery to power a projector for a public art project. This article contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws and information based on managements current expectations as of the date of this current report. Would you recommend dual batteries, a deep cycle battery, or? You do want to avoid tying them toghether unless your are in a problematic situation. So we have 2 great solar panels and no holding charge. Second, sulfation has most definitely occurred, so I would also advise putting a de-sulfator unit on the batteries as well, such as the OBD12V. The refrigerator is the major user of battery power, because it is a compressor fridge which uses the equivalent of 12 volts 8amps (i.e.96 watts) while it is running, and it runs for approximately 8 to 12 hours in each 24 hour period depending on how hot the weather is. This eliminates the need to maintain fluid levels, thus preventing a lot of premature failure caused by reflectance. If they cannot reach 12 volts, theyre no use for them. The average battery life has become shorter as energy requirements have increased. Ready to hit the road in your RV? Any advice here on ways to ensure periodic charging is occurring? Are the batteries poorly constructed or is it a charger issue? If the battery is draining rapidly in 10 hours at 1 amp, I recommend you use our online tools to calculate if thats a good size battery for that amount of draw, or if the draw time should be shortened for the sake of the battery. I was going to use one of them to connect the 6v in series, but now am unsure whether I should use ANY of these cables at all. It did not take long for the battery to reach a point where it would light lights but not turn over the electric starter. Once charge new and than Old. It has a single alternator and a separate voltage regulator. This means that is supplies 26.8 amps in the duration of 5 hours without dropping off. I filled it with the liquid two days ago but have not been able to go buy the charger which I Plan on buying at wall art tomorrow. The higher it is, the longer it can sustain voltage. Short charge/discharge periods? so i am willing to explore the possibilities to charge it using a solar panel. The connection for the battery has corroded down inside. James VilleYes, those batteries will work as they are the same dimensions as any 12 volt 22 AH SLA Battery. Reserve Capacity Calculator Reserve capacity is just a way to quantify how long a battery can keep going without being recharged, whereas amp-hours is a measure of how many amps the battery can provide for an hour. If its gell, then you wouldnt add any acid, and most cases if its AGM it would come prefilled. Deep cycle batteries have thicker plates and can survive a lot of discharge cycles. Freezing cold when it sits for 4-5 days at a time without being used, then it will be used on the weekends when I go fishing. What Are the Disadvantages of Gel Cell Batteries? BatteryStuff TechSteve, as far as if a battery discharges faster than it charges depends on the amperage being pulled from a battery and the amperage charging the battery. thanks eric roberts www.batteriesontheweb.co.uk. The car is in the street and I cant go check every 2 hours what the voltage is, so is there a charging process that is safe, guaranteed on the long term for these batteries? My battery Name Lucas AP 100 12V 100AH 21 Plate made by Rahimafrooz Bangladesh. Is it because I squeezed the bottles when adding the liquid? Like ampere hours, milliampere hours also refer to how much current a battery discharges over a period of one hour and indicate how long the battery will continue to operate before needing recharging. We did have a 2 minutes run on red light 2 weeks ago (as much as 80% discharge) and to prevent any further problem I recharged the batteries with an external charger together for 20 hours (for the first time in the last 10 years); the charger indicated 14V at the end of the charging process. A preset ampere hour rating ensures uniform plating thickness and uniformity in quality, both of which are critical requirements for precision electroplating applications, such as gold, silver and platinum. Robin BrokawHere is an article that explains the answer to your question. All cells were bubbling, and the battery was warm, about 100 F. What have I done wrong so far? You should find that very informational. James VilleIf want to size the batteries, you will need to know your load amount. in Management from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Charging regularly or keeping a trickle charger is the best solution. Any help here? Trevi might have missed this in the article but, why is it not recommended to mix battery sizes, and not to mix battery types? Connecting another battery in parallel with the drained battery is a good method of bypassing the low voltage disconnect filter of the charger. As far as the charger is concerned we recommend a power-supply / converter chargers if the battery will be in use while charging. Mar 10, 2015. This prevents you from bringing back severely discharged batteries. Can these be connected in parallel without problems? Use the built-in battery charger to charge the batteries when your RV is plugged in. If the battery was kept maintained fully charged, theres no reason not to use it as long as theres nothing physically wrong with the battery. My question is about what you say about batteries being the same size, rating and type. I have come back to find the charger stuck in this phase for over 24 hours. Ampere hours -- sometimes abbreviated as Ah or amp hours -- is the amount of energy charge in a battery that enables 1 ampere of current to flow for one hour. starter battery of 120 Amp I feel like Im running on borrowed time and want to replace these batteries with AGMs. And with the same load it gave me a Backup time of almost 2 to three hours. Different age and type of the batteries can also cause inbalance. John FetterThis is a philosophical comment. This is called sulfation. There was no indication of anything awry other than the charger itself being hot. An Amp/Hour is a rating usually found on deep cycle batteries and is a capacity rating. What Should You Know? Batteries sit too long between charges. If you don't use or operate your equipment daily, AGM batteries will hold their charge better than other types. If we did get two what is the difference between wiring in series and in parallel .is one way better than the other?? When exposed to oxygen, the sulfation will rapidly increase. Let's break them down! Markit helped me alot but googles better. I used the original batteries from the chair.212=24v.will I burn out the motors by changing to full size batteries or is 24 volts 24volts ? Can I charge a wet lead acid battery SLI in paralel whit a AGM deep cycle whit only one alternator? Luckily a few simple preventative RV checks for hot weather can go a long way to ensure your rig is ready for summer road trips. (3) Any other way out of this dilemma, such as using a maintenance-free lead acid battery with a comparable AH? You must think safety when you're working around, and with, batteries. Rick EcholsHi, I have four 6 volt house batteries for my RV. The weak cealls continue to charge and the strong start boiling. This will charge at a rate of 73 amps per hour (35% of battery capacity). For more information on how to learn about RVs the easy way, visit RV Education 101. thanks. But if you have a large marine battery, theres a good chance there will be enough CCA to turn over your engine. JeremyYou would be best off going with the larger alternator. The only real downside to this would be that if your device is one of the more accurate types, then it will be thrown off by resetting it on each battery and will cease to be as accurate. I hope this helps. What is going on? BatteryStuff TechIf one battery fails, its recommended to replace both because battery banks composed of batteries of different ages will charge and discharge unevenly. Distilled water is not available here. Information and education on camping at KOA with an electric vehicle (EV). The accepted ampere hour rating time period for solar electric batteries, deep-cycle batteries and backup power systems -- uninterruptable power supplies -- is generally a 20-hour rate. In a 48v system, it is considered 50% discharged when the voltage reaches 48.4v in an open circuit reading. Is it worth it $150 + isolator. How about treating the battery with something that stops the self discharge? But a deep cycle battery is fairly common in jumpstarts because they are also used as 12 volt power sources and some even have built in inverters for AC power. The charge time may not be quicker, but it will be more efficient. Most are designed with a long service life of 10+ years. VinceI have a cpep that uses 2.2 amp I need to run it of a deep cell and a inverter for 8 hour for camping what what size inverter and deep cell battery would I need? Remember too, that they take the battery right down to 10.5 volts, or 100% discharged. This is why at QuantumScape, we always report thedischarge energy retentionin our cycle life tests. Do regular inspection and maintenance, especially in hot weather. Anyone with any clues would be very helpful. We have around 3kw of solar panels and a 2,5 kw inverter. Not sure if theyre connected in series or parallel. Feterom AdolfoWhat are the electrodes and the electrolyte of an AGM battery???? My starter battery died and Id like to replace it with a maintanence-free option but have heard not to mix battery types. The measurement is one of the specifications of a 12-volt battery.It shows the amount of time (minutes) that a fully-charged battery can deliver 25 amps of power at 80F before falling below 10.5 volts or 1.75 . One ampere of current represents 1 coulomb of electrical charge moving past a specific point in one second. and the needed Current is about 6000Amp-hour. You can see it here: /battery-products/switches/Bi303303.html, TrevorShouldnt this battery be dead? It usually takes hours for the acid to become fully absorbed. KOA Rewards campers get access to discounts, exclusive partner offers, and other great savings! BatteryStuff TechNo. After reading your article, it seems apparent that I should not have used a deep cycle because its not appropriate for jumpstarts. Hundreds of KOA campground job opportunities for those who love the RV camping life. With the rise in resistance in one battery, charge will be directed to the other until they are both stable and full. but here they are supplying power only on alternate hours. Not all of the cells have liquid in them to the top. or am I asking for trouble.ie: a dead alternator? The difference between the EVX12200 and the EVH12240 is AH rating. A batterys capacitydoes nottell you the amount of energy it stores or the driving range it can deliver. The set-point of the regulator has to be raised to 16 volts to avoid battery drain whilst driving, and so after starting, and within about 5 minutes, as the voltage reaches 16, I switch on the headlights to load the generator down to about 14.5 volts. HaroldThanks for a very informative article. Although we use the word capacity in everyday conversation, it has a particular meaning to battery scientists, which can affect how we understand battery performance. Voltage readings with a volt meter is always helpful. While it is good to know how your battery reacts under load, knowing the recovery voltage and how to interpret the voltage in terms of capacity is also important. A hundred year old cure! Garry McdonaldRE; Can anyone please help? DonnaI need a battery for a lighting setup for artfair booth (outdoors). After many years of frustration using a flood cell deep cycle battery we just installed a AGM battery. Batteries made from virgin-lead perform better and will last longer. I have learned a lot. I have a boat with 2 cyl diesel engine and currently 2 series 27 wet batteries set as two banks. The camper van house has its own 12 volt battery, charged from solar, it performs OK. As a general rule of thumb these batteries should always be at least 70% charged. I have a 100ah agm battery in my caravan which has buckled and wont hold a charge. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with the world. Is the cell dead and cannot be revive anymore? Starting batteries are usually rated at 10 hours since they are used faster. Obviously Im new to making these calculations and a little leery of just walking into a store and having them sell me something. The 2 cables that were used to connect the 12v batteries in parallel are also of this taped-up homemade variety. the more sulfation on the plates, the less surface area. Frequent draining affects battery life. Twice over the past 3.5 years the charging system has overheated the large battery until it failed. S.My husband just added acid instead of distilled water to my motorcycle battery after it had been sitting all winter. If the liquid is not coming from the ventilation holes on the top, there must be physical damage elsewhere, possible near the base. If we upgrade to agm can we use more? The most common form of 24 volt systems involves two 12 volt batteries connected together, a wire from the positive terminal of one battery to the negative on the other. Thank you. Thanks for sharing! Should I put the chair on charge straight away the leave it alone even If I need it? SergioAgreed, if properly maintained, a wet battery will last just about as long as an AGM battery. For example, what does a 200-amp-hour battery mean? If you want the best and most versatile battery, then consideration should be given to the AGM battery type. First, you should take a voltage reading from the batteries. I use NorthStar pure lead AGM batteries. BatteryStuff TechA lot depends on where you are getting the battery. But the batteries not excepting a charge after 4 months was concerning. What is the Amp Hour Rating? None-the-less, two cells have failed on each of two of the batteries. document.getElementById("ak_js_1").setAttribute("value",(new Date()).getTime()); Thepowerall.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. You are correct. Now I was going to reinstall it back into our equipment. Bad batteries are not a result of the electrolyte being bad, but usually there is a build up of sulfation on the plates in the cells. Is there a middle ground-such as using some of your products to bring the two batteries back to service?? The reviews on this battery are excellent and I plan to use it for both starting the boat and running the trolling motor. Or should I leave well enough a lone? Did I buy an undersized battery for my causal usage? What Is A High Reserve Battery? This will not overcharge the battery? Can I add distilled water to it even if it had gel. Battery Confusion - Amp Hours vs. Reserve Capacity I bought a new 12v 200Ah battery.but there is no electrolyte.just empty. I have a question. This is the second time this has happened, the first new battery lasted about six months this one about three. Basically, there are two types of lead acid batteries (along with three sub categories). Thanks a lot for exposing your blog website. While on the charger. An interesting rule of thumb is that typically if you divide a given reserve capacity by two, you will derive the approximate amp hour capacity. Garyhave a 6 volt dry cell batt. LET ME KNOW IF YOU CAN HELP Only 30% of batteries sold today reach the 48-month mark. Comparing say a Delco 10Si with a Mitsubishi that might be used for tractor or marine purposes, what should I be careful about? Jim BiggerBut why are there no tech replies in 2014? To maintain your RV batteries, do the following: Deep cycle batteries come in all different sizes. If this is a problem you are having, check out PriorityStart! To answer, at least the best I can, I would personally hook up the tester that you are using to an 8 point switch, where each of the 8 modes were connected to one of the batteries directly. Please reply me anyone ASAP. If you can drive your RV and use home appliances, it will come with more than one kind of battery to perform both functions. These forward-looking statements are based on managements current expectations, assumptions, hopes, beliefs, intentions, and strategies regarding future events and are based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Gel Cell batteries still are being sold, but AGM batteries are replacing them in most applications. We do not build or manufacture any chargers. I was thinking about wiring in #4 ga. from the font to the rear trailer with a battery isolator so the trailer battery could receive a better charge rate., specially if being dumped every hour or two and only getting 1/2 or little more charge in between. If not, which method do you think is best. YancyIm shopping for a couple of off-grid batteries , Im curious when purchasing a new battery, what is the typical warranty length, in case you bought a dud that was sitting in the heat in storage for 12 months. The bikes take different size batteries with different amps but both 12 volts. You may get a good reading from 1 cell but have a problem with other cells in the battery. How can IT address smartphone battery drain and mobile UX? The electrolyte in a gel cell has a silica additive that causes it to set up or stiffen. Its safer to simply use a de-sulfation unit like Battery MINDer or Pulse Tech for an extended period of time. Batteries lose water when overcharged, and severe enough water loss can make them unable to operate. These batteries are marketed as being dual purpose (deep cycle and cranking). As far as which batteries to use, I suggest deep cycle batteries, not car batteries. I poured distilled water and made to charge.after two days the plates getting coated with some white sludge.so what shud i do now.help me please.