Dry camping with furnace on
I was dry camping this weekend and had to put the furnace on for the first time. I was worried that I would kill the battery if I ran the furnace overnight. I was right :(. The house battery was ...
Forum Discussion
Harvey51 wrote:
It seems it takes hours for the "surface charge" to be absorbed.
So you see, the fully charged voltage is well over 12.6 volts for the first hour or three and a 12.6 reading could mean half discharged, where damage begins.
An expert here posted that this effect varies with the type and age of the batteries.
You have some good data at hand but have gone a little off track with the conclusions you have drawn.
The surface charge will disappear within a few minutes with the application of a moderate load, like a couple of light bulbs (headlights on a vehicle).
Also I don't understand your logic in saying that a battery that reads 12.6 volts could be half charged. I don't think that's possible with a healthy battery. It may read 12.6 and not be able to give back anywhere near it's rated capacity but that does not mean that it is not fully charged.
And lastly, what do you think your "battery monitor" has to go by in estimating the state of charge except voltage ? It doesn't have a specific gravity probe into the acid does it ??
