werni9 wrote:
I recently had a surge that took out the charging side of my Freedom 15 inverter/charger. Purchased a Xantrex 458 inverter/charger as the replacement for the Freedom 15 (no longer made.) Question is: Hooked up the new box and directions came to SETTING BATTERY TYPES. Choice of WET, GEL, AGM types for charging. So what do I find by trusting a RV dealer to install 5 new batteries? He put in 2 deep cycle WET Start batteries. Then I find he put in 3 deep cycle AGM House batteries. I have been told the WET batteries need a fast charge. I also was told the AGM 's need a slower charge. Now, I have been told that I need to set the battery type to AGM. Setting it to WET will cook the AGM batteries because of the fast charge. Putting it on AGM will charge the WET slow and the AGM slow. No damage to the WET and perfect for AGM's. Anyone agree to set type at AGM ? Thanks for your time.
wernie9,
Well Sir, let me ask you something. Are you POSITIVIELY SURE that your old or, new, Inverter/Charger charged or, charges the CHASSIS BATTERIES? The reason I ask this is because there are many, many coaches out there that came from the factory WITHOUT provisions to charge the chassis batteries while being plugged into shore power or, on generator power.
Now, if you're dead sure, that your new Inverter/Charger DOES charge both sets of batteries, your charging side of that unit will be set for AGM batteries and, that will work flawlessly for the wet chassis batteries too. Wet batteries have been charged slowly for decades and, without any damage.
Yes, many newer style charging systems will launch a ton of amperage into them at first (if they're really low) and then, start to taper things off as the batteries begin to level off. Besides, unless you run both sets of batteries, chassis and coach, down to ZERO volts EVERY TIME YOU USE THE COACH, you'll only be topping both sets off, on a periodic basis anyways.
May I also ask, if your Inverter/Charger DOES charge the chassis batteries, what links them to it?
Scott
