Forum Discussion
wintersun
Jul 05, 2013Explorer II
You can easily test for yourself as I have done. Fully charge the batteries and take a voltage reading. It should be 12.6 volts and definitely no less than 12.5v. Next run everything you can turn on and do so for 24 hours and then for another 24 hours and at the end of each interval do a voltage measurement.
If the batteries are healthy the voltage at 50% discharge should be 12.2 volts. At 75% discharge the voltage will be 12.0 volts. The deeper the discharge the longer it will take the batteries to get back to a full charge.
A 50% discharge is the maximum recommended for AGM type batteries. For flooded lead acid type (FLAT) the maximum recommended is 80%. Flooded also do much better with being discharged, partially recharged, and then discharged again compared to AGM and gel type batteries. This is why people tend to get very long life using "golf cart" FLAT batteries in their RV's.
A good addition that is not expensive or difficult to install is a Trimetric charge monitor. It will provide accurate information on the rate of discharge, amount of charge, and rate of charge with your current setup. Much more accurate than what the RV manufacturers install.
If the batteries are healthy the voltage at 50% discharge should be 12.2 volts. At 75% discharge the voltage will be 12.0 volts. The deeper the discharge the longer it will take the batteries to get back to a full charge.
A 50% discharge is the maximum recommended for AGM type batteries. For flooded lead acid type (FLAT) the maximum recommended is 80%. Flooded also do much better with being discharged, partially recharged, and then discharged again compared to AGM and gel type batteries. This is why people tend to get very long life using "golf cart" FLAT batteries in their RV's.
A good addition that is not expensive or difficult to install is a Trimetric charge monitor. It will provide accurate information on the rate of discharge, amount of charge, and rate of charge with your current setup. Much more accurate than what the RV manufacturers install.
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