Batteries - Again / Still
- Thread starter Pat Anderson
- Start date
tsturm,
Pats description of "clouds of gas" lead me to conclude that the batteries were overheated by the direct short and boiled.
If it was smoke, thats better.
Perhaps this is better advise:
I suggest checking the fluid level in the batteries and if it is low, then treat the area for acid. It the level is normal, then suspect smoke and look for burned wiring or melted insulation.
Pats description of "clouds of gas" lead me to conclude that the batteries were overheated by the direct short and boiled.
If it was smoke, thats better.
Perhaps this is better advise:
I suggest checking the fluid level in the batteries and if it is low, then treat the area for acid. It the level is normal, then suspect smoke and look for burned wiring or melted insulation.
Pat Anderson
New member
We had burned wire for sure...I did hose the cockpit down with water and sprinkled it with baking soda. Tomorrow I will check the electolyte level on the starting battery, there is nothing to check on the Optima house batteries. Both are showing full charge, so hoping all is OK...we are anchored up at Andrews Bay in Lake Washington for the night, nothing to do except hope the Wallas does not shut down!
Wow, I fly back from LA and all you want to know (and more) about batteries comes up on the forum!
The only other comments I might add are:
1. We consider 50% discharged at 12.20 volts (the are variations of the table and the voltage varies by manufactuer and type of battery)
2. We use AGM for batteries which will be left for peroids of time and not used, for batteries which are kept in the living spaces, or batteries which are mounted in unusual positions (for example in our 25 the two group 31's are on their sides behind the water heater)
3. We put a breaker equal to the current draw or input 7" from both the battery and the charger. For example, we have a 40 amp breaker on both ends of the #6 wire going from the charger in the Tom Cat to the batteries which are in the Lazarette.
4. When we are going on a long trip--away from resources, we will replace our batteries every 4 years. They may last longer, but we find that 4 years is a good replacement cycle. The Golf Carts in my RV are 5 years old, and still holding charges well, so we will stick with them for now, since we have a new engine/generator starting battery and the golf carts are not essential to operation.
5. Battery weight equals capacity--the more weight, the more capacity. If you have a 30 lb Optima battery, there is no way it will have the same capacity as a 60 lb lead acid battery, although the technology in the Optiima is "better".
Pat, I am glad you were not hurt--what an experience!
The only other comments I might add are:
1. We consider 50% discharged at 12.20 volts (the are variations of the table and the voltage varies by manufactuer and type of battery)
2. We use AGM for batteries which will be left for peroids of time and not used, for batteries which are kept in the living spaces, or batteries which are mounted in unusual positions (for example in our 25 the two group 31's are on their sides behind the water heater)
3. We put a breaker equal to the current draw or input 7" from both the battery and the charger. For example, we have a 40 amp breaker on both ends of the #6 wire going from the charger in the Tom Cat to the batteries which are in the Lazarette.
4. When we are going on a long trip--away from resources, we will replace our batteries every 4 years. They may last longer, but we find that 4 years is a good replacement cycle. The Golf Carts in my RV are 5 years old, and still holding charges well, so we will stick with them for now, since we have a new engine/generator starting battery and the golf carts are not essential to operation.
5. Battery weight equals capacity--the more weight, the more capacity. If you have a 30 lb Optima battery, there is no way it will have the same capacity as a 60 lb lead acid battery, although the technology in the Optiima is "better".
Pat, I am glad you were not hurt--what an experience!
Pat, was the battery replacement done before or after you tapped a new keg? :wink
Seriously though, you have more luck than a buddy of mine. He did the same thing on a car but the battery exploded out the caps as soon as he put the cable on. Had to be rushed to emergency and could not see for a at least a week. You are not alone on the crossed wires!
Seriously though, you have more luck than a buddy of mine. He did the same thing on a car but the battery exploded out the caps as soon as he put the cable on. Had to be rushed to emergency and could not see for a at least a week. You are not alone on the crossed wires!
Work Release
New member
Just bought two AGM batteries for my 04 C-Dory. My boat came new with two lead acid Interstate batteries and it was time for replacement. I reseached different options and came accross this information which made up my mind. The biggest reason I went with the AGM type was the low maintenance, no off gasing, and they have a good charging and discharge rate. The batteries do cost more than the lead acid type, payed $ 173.00 each, but I thought they were worth it since I do not like to get caught out on the water with dead batteries.
Hope this information helps out, Sorry for the long read.
There was some good info. on different types of chargers and which ones are the best for different types of battery systems. If you would like I will forward it.
Jim
MARINE BATTERIES AND CHARGERS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1:Question: What's the best way to go in a boat, AGM (absorbed glass mat), Wet lead acid, or gelled electrolyte (gell cell) for my "house" (accessory, or non-starting) batteries on board my boat
Answer: The choice is yours depending on your view of value:
We sell AGM and wet lead acid batteries in all of the sizes: 24, 27, 30H (or 29H), 4D, 8D and Golf Cart sizes.
We also have some odd sizes too, such as 2volt cells, and the N-series for the Taiwan-built batteries and their respective boxes. Most big boaters (over 25') already have the 8D or Golf Cart batteries in parallel or series for their house batteries. Here is a rambling of Pro's and Con's for each of the three types.
AGM Pro's: better cycling and depth of dischager over the wet or gell batteries. While most wet batteries are supposed to only go to about 50% depth of discharge, the AGM's are able to go to about 20% depth of discharge without harming them PROVIDED that you don't overcharge them at too high a voltage on their return. What does this mean in numbers? If you have a Golf Cart battery that is 220 amp/hours for both the wet and the AGM, then the AGM would be able to have 176 ah. of useful capacity (220 X .80) vs. the wet battery at 110 amp/hours.
When comparing price for value's sake, if the GPL-4C costs $205.29 for 176 ah, that is a value of $1.16/ah. vs the wet battery at $69.20/110ah. with a value of $.623/ah. (54%). So why would a person buy an AGM? Read on.
AGM's need no watering and will receive a charge faster than wet batteries or Gell batteries. How much faster?
Concorde, our manufacturer of the Lifeline series, says over twice as fast. Throw Peukert's law out the window: the physical compression of the plates in the cell compartment, when coupled with the better quality of materials in an AGM give it far less internal resistance than the other types. Practically speaking this means less time to recharge your batteries while underway.
AGM's can be mounted in any position, require no room for venting and therefore can be installed in living quarter sections of your boat. This can be especially important if you already have a cramped space in mind for your batteries. Under the bunk, in the lazarette, under the molded seating area, or way up in the dark part of your boat are just fine for the AGM's. Also, because of the low internal resistance of the batteries, they were tested by the Coast Guard for their potential for explosion and they passed with flying colors (excuse the pun) by not exploding when heated to 200 degrees f., then dead shorted! So these are some amazing batteries.
AGM's also are virtually maintenance free: although everyone should visually check the terminals and general condition (for swelling, corrosion, black post, or high temperature) of a battery at least every six months, or before a big trip. The charts that Lifeline has also state that they have more life cycles than Gell Cell batteries (insert chart). Will they last longer than the wet lead acid batteries? Who knows: we have an old addage in the battery stores that states that "batteries don't die, their owners kill them."
AGM Con's: Price is pretty stiff when compared with the wet lead acid batteries--generally by 2 or 3 times. This difference begins to fade if any of the above items listed are important to you: cramped space, no maintenance, difficult mounting, rapid recharge, explosion-proof and non-gassing. But if you are from Missouri, the Show-Me state, and if you don't need any of the fancy features, and you are willing to slosh a little water or acid on your jeans from time to time, then the wet lead acid battery is a tough design to beat overall. As a value of Dollars per Amp/hour or Dollars per year life expectancy, the AGM takes a back seat to the wet lead acid battery if you don't need any bells and whistles.
Gell Cell (or gelled electrolyte where the acid is suspended in silica) Pro's: According to some of the folks who really need a higher number of shallow cycles, the gell cells do better. This contradicts the Lifeline chart but the folks who use the Kangaroo Kaddy and some wheel chair folks claim that the gell cells last for a longer period of time. At our stores, we have seen both AGM and Gell Cells poop out with too much cycling. I think that the jury is still out on this "Pro." This isn't much of a "Pro" is it?
Gell Cells were the first and some of the original Prevailer batteries from Sonnenschein are still out there. Exide has bought the brand and the technology from the Germans and is selling them today. We currently do not sell Gell Cells or any other gelled electrolyte batteries where the acid is suspended in silica. Read on for more Con's.
Gell Cell Con's: Price and a convincing argument that they hold up better and longer than the AGM batteries.
Although they were the first, they are not very popular at all any more. Perhaps this is yesterday's technology that has moved on.
Gell Cells do not do well in high heat locations (over 80 degrees f.) because of the voids that develop as the gelled acid hardens with cycling. As it hardens and dries, the capacity diminishes and the battery begins to swell as if ready to hatch. The voids that develop as the hardened acid pulls away from the plates is another reason for lost capacity. Eventually, the silica suspended acid pulls away from the plate and is no longer useful in the charging or discharging process.
Wet Lead Acid Pro's: Price and reliability. The wet lead acid battery is still the standard by which all other types are measured: dollars per cold cranking amp (CCA), per ampere hour (a.h.), or per year. If you are considering an 8D-AGM vs. an 8D-1550HDP (wet, heavy duty dual purpose), then the wet battery is easier to justify to your spouse for several reasons, most of which boil down to the words GOOD VALUE. A wet battery will last just as long as an AGM (assuming that you don't kill either one with over or under charging), so the dollars per year argument is out. A wet battery generally has a higher overall ampere hour rating than its pedigreed cousin, and the wet battery is more hands on for those folks who just feel the need to look inside the battery at the plates every now and again because it's "the right thing to do." You also can use a hydometer on a wet battery. The hydrometer is still one (of several) very reliable means of testing a battery's state of charge other than voltage (which can just be a surface charge).
Wet Lead Acid Battery Con's: Slower to recharge than AGM, require maintenance more often, and don't cycle as deeply as the AGM batteries. Let's start with the rechargability of the wet: again, we go back to the Peukert's law thing about resistance: the more juice you try to put into or take out of a wet battery, the more resistance you will experience. With an AGM battery, the literature would have you believing that it is a secret sauce that is in the AGM's that they omit in the wet batteries. Not so. A couple of years ago, I read a couple of abstracts and articles in Battery Man magazine (yes, I know, it's a sexist title, but it is the ONLY credible battery trade magazine since January, 1921) about how the recharge rate of AGM batteries is better because the elements in each cell are physically pressed into the cell compartment with a good deal of physical pressure. For some reason, this creates a better condition for charging and discharging the AGM batteries than having the element "dangle" in the cell with less pressure on each of the plates. The wet cells need to have space and volume around them to allow the flow, cool and allow transfer of ions and acid back and forth in the liquid solution. You may need to grant me a little poetic license here, my formal training is from a B.A. degree in History, not chemistry. In the AGM battery, compaction is better because the electrolyte is absorbed in the fibre glass mat which is sandwiched between the positive and negative plates, rather than freely floating in the cell. The tight compaction of the element in the cell allows the dense mat to have immediate contact with the positive and negative plates. If the elements' potential for transmission of electricity is under physical pressure, then the ability for electricity to flow is better. Better flow of electricity (or voltage acceptance potential) allows us to charge the battery faster. Whew. How about that for a theory? Hey, it's better than the "secret sauce" theory that most brochures pontificate.
The other Con of the Wet Lead Acid battery: Maintenance. Yep, this is the part where, no matter how good you are at staying neat, you will always end up with acid holes in your best jeans or boating chinos because you are using a hydrometer. The acid drops and smears are indistinguishable from water. By the time you think about where you parked your bottom, near the batteries, you are in the acid clear through to your underwear. You won't know it until you wash your clothes. So don't forget to add couple of pair of pants and a shirt or two to the price of your Wet Lead Acid batteries. AGM batteries don't generally leak acid unless overcharged or broken.
The Last Con of the Wet Lead Acid battery: Depth of discharge is generally thought to allow you to discharge the battery down to 20% of its rated capacity (see description of value in paragraph 3).
So if you are still trying to justify the disadvantage of a Wet Lead Acid battery vs. the AGM,
consider that the decreased USEFUL capacity of a wet battery inhibits your enjoyment by roughly 30% for the same number of batteries. AHA! That's really something if you have a very limited space aboard your boat. If the AGM cost 100% more than a wet battery, then we need to come up with at least 71% more reason in order to justify the purchase:
add 20% you'll have something "cooler" than a regular battery: you will have the latest, greatest battery with a pedigree.
add 20% for no hassle of standing on your head to fill 'em with distilled water, sitting in or flicking acid on yourself.
add 20% for the added USEFUL ampere hour capacity without having to stow, secure and connect (wire) another battery to increase your "off the dock" time.
add 15% for faster recharge time, less engine or generator run time, safety from explosion, and more storage options.
75%!
There! You are over the top for reasons to buy the AGM batteries: they are at least a 4% better value than the Wet Lead Acid batteries.
Hope this information helps out, Sorry for the long read.
There was some good info. on different types of chargers and which ones are the best for different types of battery systems. If you would like I will forward it.
Jim
MARINE BATTERIES AND CHARGERS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#1:Question: What's the best way to go in a boat, AGM (absorbed glass mat), Wet lead acid, or gelled electrolyte (gell cell) for my "house" (accessory, or non-starting) batteries on board my boat
Answer: The choice is yours depending on your view of value:
We sell AGM and wet lead acid batteries in all of the sizes: 24, 27, 30H (or 29H), 4D, 8D and Golf Cart sizes.
We also have some odd sizes too, such as 2volt cells, and the N-series for the Taiwan-built batteries and their respective boxes. Most big boaters (over 25') already have the 8D or Golf Cart batteries in parallel or series for their house batteries. Here is a rambling of Pro's and Con's for each of the three types.
AGM Pro's: better cycling and depth of dischager over the wet or gell batteries. While most wet batteries are supposed to only go to about 50% depth of discharge, the AGM's are able to go to about 20% depth of discharge without harming them PROVIDED that you don't overcharge them at too high a voltage on their return. What does this mean in numbers? If you have a Golf Cart battery that is 220 amp/hours for both the wet and the AGM, then the AGM would be able to have 176 ah. of useful capacity (220 X .80) vs. the wet battery at 110 amp/hours.
When comparing price for value's sake, if the GPL-4C costs $205.29 for 176 ah, that is a value of $1.16/ah. vs the wet battery at $69.20/110ah. with a value of $.623/ah. (54%). So why would a person buy an AGM? Read on.
AGM's need no watering and will receive a charge faster than wet batteries or Gell batteries. How much faster?
Concorde, our manufacturer of the Lifeline series, says over twice as fast. Throw Peukert's law out the window: the physical compression of the plates in the cell compartment, when coupled with the better quality of materials in an AGM give it far less internal resistance than the other types. Practically speaking this means less time to recharge your batteries while underway.
AGM's can be mounted in any position, require no room for venting and therefore can be installed in living quarter sections of your boat. This can be especially important if you already have a cramped space in mind for your batteries. Under the bunk, in the lazarette, under the molded seating area, or way up in the dark part of your boat are just fine for the AGM's. Also, because of the low internal resistance of the batteries, they were tested by the Coast Guard for their potential for explosion and they passed with flying colors (excuse the pun) by not exploding when heated to 200 degrees f., then dead shorted! So these are some amazing batteries.
AGM's also are virtually maintenance free: although everyone should visually check the terminals and general condition (for swelling, corrosion, black post, or high temperature) of a battery at least every six months, or before a big trip. The charts that Lifeline has also state that they have more life cycles than Gell Cell batteries (insert chart). Will they last longer than the wet lead acid batteries? Who knows: we have an old addage in the battery stores that states that "batteries don't die, their owners kill them."
AGM Con's: Price is pretty stiff when compared with the wet lead acid batteries--generally by 2 or 3 times. This difference begins to fade if any of the above items listed are important to you: cramped space, no maintenance, difficult mounting, rapid recharge, explosion-proof and non-gassing. But if you are from Missouri, the Show-Me state, and if you don't need any of the fancy features, and you are willing to slosh a little water or acid on your jeans from time to time, then the wet lead acid battery is a tough design to beat overall. As a value of Dollars per Amp/hour or Dollars per year life expectancy, the AGM takes a back seat to the wet lead acid battery if you don't need any bells and whistles.
Gell Cell (or gelled electrolyte where the acid is suspended in silica) Pro's: According to some of the folks who really need a higher number of shallow cycles, the gell cells do better. This contradicts the Lifeline chart but the folks who use the Kangaroo Kaddy and some wheel chair folks claim that the gell cells last for a longer period of time. At our stores, we have seen both AGM and Gell Cells poop out with too much cycling. I think that the jury is still out on this "Pro." This isn't much of a "Pro" is it?
Gell Cells were the first and some of the original Prevailer batteries from Sonnenschein are still out there. Exide has bought the brand and the technology from the Germans and is selling them today. We currently do not sell Gell Cells or any other gelled electrolyte batteries where the acid is suspended in silica. Read on for more Con's.
Gell Cell Con's: Price and a convincing argument that they hold up better and longer than the AGM batteries.
Although they were the first, they are not very popular at all any more. Perhaps this is yesterday's technology that has moved on.
Gell Cells do not do well in high heat locations (over 80 degrees f.) because of the voids that develop as the gelled acid hardens with cycling. As it hardens and dries, the capacity diminishes and the battery begins to swell as if ready to hatch. The voids that develop as the hardened acid pulls away from the plates is another reason for lost capacity. Eventually, the silica suspended acid pulls away from the plate and is no longer useful in the charging or discharging process.
Wet Lead Acid Pro's: Price and reliability. The wet lead acid battery is still the standard by which all other types are measured: dollars per cold cranking amp (CCA), per ampere hour (a.h.), or per year. If you are considering an 8D-AGM vs. an 8D-1550HDP (wet, heavy duty dual purpose), then the wet battery is easier to justify to your spouse for several reasons, most of which boil down to the words GOOD VALUE. A wet battery will last just as long as an AGM (assuming that you don't kill either one with over or under charging), so the dollars per year argument is out. A wet battery generally has a higher overall ampere hour rating than its pedigreed cousin, and the wet battery is more hands on for those folks who just feel the need to look inside the battery at the plates every now and again because it's "the right thing to do." You also can use a hydometer on a wet battery. The hydrometer is still one (of several) very reliable means of testing a battery's state of charge other than voltage (which can just be a surface charge).
Wet Lead Acid Battery Con's: Slower to recharge than AGM, require maintenance more often, and don't cycle as deeply as the AGM batteries. Let's start with the rechargability of the wet: again, we go back to the Peukert's law thing about resistance: the more juice you try to put into or take out of a wet battery, the more resistance you will experience. With an AGM battery, the literature would have you believing that it is a secret sauce that is in the AGM's that they omit in the wet batteries. Not so. A couple of years ago, I read a couple of abstracts and articles in Battery Man magazine (yes, I know, it's a sexist title, but it is the ONLY credible battery trade magazine since January, 1921) about how the recharge rate of AGM batteries is better because the elements in each cell are physically pressed into the cell compartment with a good deal of physical pressure. For some reason, this creates a better condition for charging and discharging the AGM batteries than having the element "dangle" in the cell with less pressure on each of the plates. The wet cells need to have space and volume around them to allow the flow, cool and allow transfer of ions and acid back and forth in the liquid solution. You may need to grant me a little poetic license here, my formal training is from a B.A. degree in History, not chemistry. In the AGM battery, compaction is better because the electrolyte is absorbed in the fibre glass mat which is sandwiched between the positive and negative plates, rather than freely floating in the cell. The tight compaction of the element in the cell allows the dense mat to have immediate contact with the positive and negative plates. If the elements' potential for transmission of electricity is under physical pressure, then the ability for electricity to flow is better. Better flow of electricity (or voltage acceptance potential) allows us to charge the battery faster. Whew. How about that for a theory? Hey, it's better than the "secret sauce" theory that most brochures pontificate.
The other Con of the Wet Lead Acid battery: Maintenance. Yep, this is the part where, no matter how good you are at staying neat, you will always end up with acid holes in your best jeans or boating chinos because you are using a hydrometer. The acid drops and smears are indistinguishable from water. By the time you think about where you parked your bottom, near the batteries, you are in the acid clear through to your underwear. You won't know it until you wash your clothes. So don't forget to add couple of pair of pants and a shirt or two to the price of your Wet Lead Acid batteries. AGM batteries don't generally leak acid unless overcharged or broken.
The Last Con of the Wet Lead Acid battery: Depth of discharge is generally thought to allow you to discharge the battery down to 20% of its rated capacity (see description of value in paragraph 3).
So if you are still trying to justify the disadvantage of a Wet Lead Acid battery vs. the AGM,
consider that the decreased USEFUL capacity of a wet battery inhibits your enjoyment by roughly 30% for the same number of batteries. AHA! That's really something if you have a very limited space aboard your boat. If the AGM cost 100% more than a wet battery, then we need to come up with at least 71% more reason in order to justify the purchase:
add 20% you'll have something "cooler" than a regular battery: you will have the latest, greatest battery with a pedigree.
add 20% for no hassle of standing on your head to fill 'em with distilled water, sitting in or flicking acid on yourself.
add 20% for the added USEFUL ampere hour capacity without having to stow, secure and connect (wire) another battery to increase your "off the dock" time.
add 15% for faster recharge time, less engine or generator run time, safety from explosion, and more storage options.
75%!
There! You are over the top for reasons to buy the AGM batteries: they are at least a 4% better value than the Wet Lead Acid batteries.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Now I understand why they have stopped electrical executions in California! No telling what will happen. Zelpha, A professional EE from StANFORD.
Pat Anderson
New member
Yes, I feel pretty lucky not to have gotten injured in the circumstances...no, beer was not involved! Post script...the Optima Blue Top house batteries are NOT okay, and will be replaced with the big honking 125 amp hour Walmart Maxx...they went from fully charged to 11.7 volts (about 30% charged) overnight, running just some lights and the Wallas. It didn't shut down, but watching the volt meter on the Navman was instructive. I will pay closer attention changing this one out!
Captains Cat
New member
Hey Pat, glad you weren't hurt or more damage done!
Bet you could hook it up to your lug nut and blow it off!! :disgust
Go 'Skins! :thup
(I wondered if you were gonna bring that up first!
)
Happy New Year..
Charlie
Bet you could hook it up to your lug nut and blow it off!! :disgust
Go 'Skins! :thup
(I wondered if you were gonna bring that up first!
)Happy New Year..
Charlie
Captains Cat
New member
dotnmarty":2xgyuvo8 said:
Marty, technically, a C-Hawk is a boat. A Seahawk is a Seattle football player.... Go 'skins...
Charlie
Pat Anderson
New member
Well, I didn't...and I am not making any wagers this year, either - this Seahawk team is NOT the team of 2005...I won't be shocked, surprised or dismayed if the 'Skins do thump the Hawks...will be cheering for the Hawks but expectations are considerably lower this season... and if they do thump the Hawks, well, I will then become a 'Skins fan I suppose!
Captains Cat":1amfdf49 said:Go 'Skins! :thup
(I wondered if you were gonna bring that up first!
Charlie
Pat Anderson
New member
OK, yesterday I swapped out the two 55 AH Optima Blue Top house batteries for a single big honking Walmart Marine Maxx - 125 AH...it does not look like there is room for two of them in there, it is the little platform under the motorwell in the bilge area on the port side. I need to figure that part out I guess. But a kind of strange thing, I assumed the Blue Tops were bad because their voltage went down so fast on our last overnighter. But I stuck the digital voltmeter on them, they each were reading 13.08 volts. So I guess I will go get them load tested at Les Schwab - if they are still good, it would cause me to have to search for another reason why they drained so fast on our last outing. And if they are still good, is there any reason I couldn't wire them in parallel with the Maxx? Or is there some reason not to wire the Optimas in parallel with a conventional wet lead acid battery? Or batteries of different ages? I think they could fit nicely in the hanging locker. I think the Optimas would be OK in there, wouldn't they? I assume I shouldn't put a wet lead acid battery in there though. I really want to go ala Seawolf Joe and eventually have all the batteries wired in parallel, so they all get charged at the same time from the alternator and that 30 amp charger I am going to buy! Since I have the big jump start unit, I won't worry too much about starting the outboard no matter what...
journey on
New member
If you're going to charge all the batteries in parallel, that's not "perfect" but it'll work. I've done it, and as long as the alternator (or battery charger) can keep the voltage up, you're OK. Experts may disagree, but as long as we're talking lead acid batteries, there's no problem.
The problem comes when you want to DISCHARGE them in parallel. I'm again that. Each battery has different characteristics, and eventually one battery will discharge into another. Then you're SOL. Just hook up the extra batteries through a battery switch and use one at a time. Battery switches are cheap.
Boris
The problem comes when you want to DISCHARGE them in parallel. I'm again that. Each battery has different characteristics, and eventually one battery will discharge into another. Then you're SOL. Just hook up the extra batteries through a battery switch and use one at a time. Battery switches are cheap.
Boris
I agree with Boris. You may want to consider a Voltage Sensitative Relay, which will combine the batteries when charging from the engine. Then you can use the batteries separately. There are some instances where it may not be desirable to combine AGM's and flooded lead acide, but I have also combined the lead acid and AGMS for charging--separated for use.
Also there is room for several batteries behind the water heater on the CD 25. This is space which is under/utalized (we made a barrier to protect the switches and AC pannel.
Also there is room for several batteries behind the water heater on the CD 25. This is space which is under/utalized (we made a barrier to protect the switches and AC pannel.
Pat Anderson
New member
OK, back up to the top! Had Les Schwab load test the Optima Blue Tops from the house battery side - both tested good...so the problem is not with the batteries but something in the wiring that is making them discharge too fast, a short of some kind probably. I am going to replace all the wiring that I can see, but there is a lot of wiring coming off the batteries that simply disappears out of sight. Where does it go? How do I tell if it is part of the problem?
Pat Anderson":2awd9pd3 said:
Pat,
Get your self a meter so you can measure voltage and current. Put the meter in a mode to read current (amps). In this mode the meter will read current that flows through it when it is placed in a circuit in series. Remove each lead one at a time and put the meter between the battery and the lead. If you have something that is shorted or leaking current, it will read on the meter.