Odd Battery Behavior

Topic: Odd Battery Behavior (Read 2145 times) previous topic - next topic

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #25 – December 08, 2018, 05:07:55 pm

Chris, thanks.

Will do, and get the installation worked over during warmer weather. I ran into an impediment today; didn't have enough extension cord to reach the batteries, so will go out tomorrow morning and hook up the charger to the engine side. I'm assuming by "separate" you mean disconnect che chassis battery bank from the cross-tie to the house bank?

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #26 – December 08, 2018, 05:38:21 pm

Brett,

Once I succeed in getting te charger hooked up, I will charge at a low rate. It is a smart charger.

Thanks.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #27 – December 08, 2018, 05:50:36 pm

And here's another wrinkle in my battery power restoration plan: Due to the narrow width of my storage unit, I cannot raise basement hatches and therefore cannot remove batteries.

Is there any harm in leaving batteries in place, and connecting the charger to one battery? The batteries are connected to each other, or could be disconnected from each other, if necessary.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #28 – December 08, 2018, 06:28:44 pm

No problem leaving them in place. Best to put the positive and ground connections on the same ones going to the coach (positive to positive to coach/ negative to ground to coach).

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #29 – December 10, 2018, 01:19:42 am

Chassis batteries removed now and brought in for charging. Charging @ 1.25a, initially went from 40% to 60% after one hour, and now are at steady 50% after eight hours. My assumption is that the charge will gradually increase now up until circa 24 hours, to full capacity. Am I right in this assumption?

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #30 – December 10, 2018, 02:39:16 am

I doubt that they will come back. Dead is dead. Unless they are flooded cell and can be equalized or lifeline agm's for the same reason.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #31 – December 10, 2018, 08:49:30 am

You would have a higher chance of success by charging at a higher rate. And, if wet cells, to equalize which drives them to even higher voltage.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #32 – December 10, 2018, 12:06:08 pm

Isn't 1.25 amps basically just a trickle charge?
I think they need 15 to 20 amps.
What is each battery's voltage?

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #33 – December 10, 2018, 12:44:06 pm

OK, I will increase the charge rate. I understood tge earlier posts to suggest charging at the lowest rate.

Thanks!

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #34 – December 10, 2018, 12:49:47 pm

Quote from: RandallBrink – December 10, 2018, 12:44:06 pm

OK, I will increase the charge rate. I understood tge earlier posts to suggest charging at the lowest rate.

Thanks!

No, the mention of lowering charge rate is for a LARGE converter or inverter/charger so you don't exceed 15 amps of 120 VAC (your shore power outlet rating).

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #35 – December 10, 2018, 01:50:42 pm

Got it Brett, thanks.

I have discovered that the only charger I have at this location is fixed-rate @ 1.25A. I'll go and see if any of my other charges allow adjusting the charge rate. Failing that, off to Interstate Battery and have them check and/or replace if defective.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #36 – December 10, 2018, 02:01:16 pm

Be aware that batteries can not be tested in deeply discharged. You will need to charge them up to get accurate readings.

What is the status of your on-board 75 amp converter-- that should be able to get the house bank up and once up, with boost switch on the chassis batteries as well?

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #37 – December 10, 2018, 02:53:12 pm

That's a good question, whether they will be sufficient for start. OR plug in, BUT I have only 15A wall socket service in storage.

One thing I don't understand about these batteries is that they showed 40 when removed. However from your message, I'm thinking that the pre-charge reading was inaccurate.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #38 – December 10, 2018, 03:09:43 pm

15 amp of 120 VAC will easily power your 75 amp converter.

Basic equation is amount of energy in WATTS less, say 10% for inefficiency in converter:

15 amps X 120 volts= 1,800 watts of available power from shore power outlet

Your charger: 75 amps X 13.5 volts= 1,013 watts plus 10% inefficiency= 1,114 watts needed to power converter at max charge rate.

As you can see, that 15 amp outlet will well more than power your 75 amp converter.

Not sure what "showed 40" means.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #39 – December 10, 2018, 03:13:07 pm

Connected it may have shown lower voltage than the resting 4.0?

The in coach charger may not come on if the house batteries are too low.

You may have to jump charge them for a while to get them up enough for the built in charger to accept the load. More than 10 volts

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #40 – December 10, 2018, 03:13:24 pm

I store my coach plugged into a regular 110v socket. I have a battery minder for the engine batteries mounted in the engine compartment. When I plug my coach in all the batteries are maintained. I like to keep things simple and this works for me.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #41 – December 10, 2018, 03:38:50 pm

Thanks. I will plug into 15 amp power.

As to "showed 40" I meant that the digital charger indicated that the battery was at 40 percent at the point where I began charging. I do not know if that is an accurate reading given the discharged state of the battery.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #42 – December 10, 2018, 03:40:10 pm

Jeff, from here on, I'm keeping the battery tender on the engine batteries; I should have known to do that when initially entering storage...

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #43 – December 10, 2018, 05:34:03 pm

I retrieved the 15a charger and put that on— will see if that results in a better charge. If not, they're off to Interstate Battery depot in the morning.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #44 – December 10, 2018, 06:09:27 pm

One thing not mentioned here is, it's a 15 amp wall plug, but it is a GFI.
Throws another gremlin into the mix. Sensitive little buggers
Chris

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #45 – December 10, 2018, 06:20:17 pm

Agree with Chris. But, the good news is that you will absolutely KNOW if there is/is not a problem. GFI trips= zero power.

I will ask AGAIN, is there a problem with your built-in 75 amp converter?

? It will do a very good job overnight of fully charging the house battery bank and with the boost switch on of charging both battery banks.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #46 – December 10, 2018, 07:01:03 pm

(Note: the "Quote" function is not working through my browser)

The 75 amp converter is working fine. Had I known to do so, I would have plugged into the 15a wall power and done just as you suggest, but instead, removed the engine batteries and brought them in for charging. If the current charging effort is successful, I will re-install the engine batteries tomorrow, and also plug into the 15a AC. Will also henceforth leave 1.25a battery tender plugged in and connected to engine batteries.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #47 – December 10, 2018, 09:17:43 pm

The 15a charger whirred away all afternoon, gradually reducing charge, until it went to Float, so I am assuming—and hopeful— that the batt got a full and complete charge. I've switched the fast charger over to the other battery, and will await results, but planning to reinstall tomorrow.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #48 – December 11, 2018, 12:30:30 am

Quote from: RandallBrink – December 10, 2018, 09:17:43 pm

The 15a charger whirred away all afternoon, gradually reducing charge, until it went to Float, so I am assuming—and hopeful— that the batt got a full and complete charge. I've switched the fast charger over to the other battery, and will await results, but planning to reinstall tomorrow.

Good luck, and good luck finding out what drained them in the 1st place.

Re: Odd Battery Behavior

Reply #49 – December 11, 2018, 01:39:24 pm

If leaving coach for a while, why not put a high-amp disconnect switch on battery. After putting switches on both banks of our coach, and several months of sitting both banks are still 12.6 volts.

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