55 Amp Converter Charge Times
It it possible for a 55 amp converter (with a 14.4 volt quick-charge mode) to take a new Interstate SRM-24 series Marine/RV battery that's discharged to 11.90 volts and charge it to 90% (12.58 volts) ...
Forum Discussion
Some GREAT info here! Thanks to RoyB, mena661, and smkettner, and everyone else.
Ok, if I understand everything correctly, there's basically three charge modes: 14.4 volt bulk, 13.6 volt absorption, and 13.2 volt float. Everyone keeps telling me the converter never went into bulk mode because I never read 14.4 volts at the battery. I guess we can can reasonably assume it was in 13.6 absorption mode.
Question(s):
The 120 VOLT INPUT side of the converter was drawing 9-10 amps (maximum rated current for this converter) for almost 30 minutes when I first turned it on and started the charge cycle with the battery discharged to 11.90 volts. I'm NOT, repeat, NOT referring to 12 vdc charge current here. My question, if my converter was always in the 13.6 volt absorption mode, which supposedly takes 40 hours to charge to 90%, where in the heck was all that current (9-10 amps at 120 volts) going? That easily converts to 20-40 amps 12 vdc even assuming terrible efficiency. That's way, way more current then what's needed for the 13.6 absorption mode to charge a battery in 40 hours isn't it? Isn't that the kind of current you'd expect to see in the 14.4 bulk mode? Should I be checking for connection/cable loses in the 5 ft #4 cable that runs from my battery to the converter? FWIW, I pulled ALL the 12 vdc fuses before charging to prevent any inadvertent 12 vdc loading.
Again, thanks!
Ok, if I understand everything correctly, there's basically three charge modes: 14.4 volt bulk, 13.6 volt absorption, and 13.2 volt float. Everyone keeps telling me the converter never went into bulk mode because I never read 14.4 volts at the battery. I guess we can can reasonably assume it was in 13.6 absorption mode.
Question(s):
The 120 VOLT INPUT side of the converter was drawing 9-10 amps (maximum rated current for this converter) for almost 30 minutes when I first turned it on and started the charge cycle with the battery discharged to 11.90 volts. I'm NOT, repeat, NOT referring to 12 vdc charge current here. My question, if my converter was always in the 13.6 volt absorption mode, which supposedly takes 40 hours to charge to 90%, where in the heck was all that current (9-10 amps at 120 volts) going? That easily converts to 20-40 amps 12 vdc even assuming terrible efficiency. That's way, way more current then what's needed for the 13.6 absorption mode to charge a battery in 40 hours isn't it? Isn't that the kind of current you'd expect to see in the 14.4 bulk mode? Should I be checking for connection/cable loses in the 5 ft #4 cable that runs from my battery to the converter? FWIW, I pulled ALL the 12 vdc fuses before charging to prevent any inadvertent 12 vdc loading.
Again, thanks!
