Need New House Batteries - HELP!
Hello all, I could sure use some help and guidance from the experts! I'll do my best to keep this short and really appreciate you taking the time to read about my dilemma. I have a 2005 American E...
Forum Discussion
The Hydrometer information will be really useful, and it is a great tool for determining whether or not you're actually fully charging your batteries during the day. Unfortunately, it sounds like your batteries are hard to access, so that will make it tough.
I wouldn't worry about your charge controller unless you're planning to add more panels. Assuming your batteries were somehow fully charge during the day, being under 12 volts by morning would indicate your having used over 230ah out of your 464ah battery bank. With a flooded cell it takes an amperage overcharge of around 15 percent as I recall with Interstate batteries so you'll need to provide around 265ah to the batteries to bring them back up to full charge. To supply enough current to actually get charged in a day from where you are in the morning you'd need a solar panel array 2 to 3 times the size of what you currently have assuming your panels are under 160 watts each. Of course the assumptions make this just a fun thought exercise. Until we know the actual state of charge you're reaching with your batteries, and come up with some sort of really numbers for what your daily needs are there is no way to tell what is really going on.
I wouldn't worry about your charge controller unless you're planning to add more panels. Assuming your batteries were somehow fully charge during the day, being under 12 volts by morning would indicate your having used over 230ah out of your 464ah battery bank. With a flooded cell it takes an amperage overcharge of around 15 percent as I recall with Interstate batteries so you'll need to provide around 265ah to the batteries to bring them back up to full charge. To supply enough current to actually get charged in a day from where you are in the morning you'd need a solar panel array 2 to 3 times the size of what you currently have assuming your panels are under 160 watts each. Of course the assumptions make this just a fun thought exercise. Until we know the actual state of charge you're reaching with your batteries, and come up with some sort of really numbers for what your daily needs are there is no way to tell what is really going on.
