Charging AGM batteries
I have never owned an AGM battery, but the new trailer I am getting will have 2 of them. I replaced the converter/charger in my previous RV with a PD4655V, and am thinking of installing the same i...
Forum Discussion
Hayyyyyy Zeus!
Get wrapped up enough in trying to meet idealistic manufacturer perfection and you'll end up in a rubber room.
As far as I know Concorde Lifeline is the only AGM with a 14.4 charge limit. Others say 14.8 is I-D-E-A-L
But the 30% charge minimum is for batteries that regularly get discharged to less than 50% state of charge. Keep discharges above 50% state of charge and forget the minimum charge amperage needed.
Not one SINGLE bite at my challenge so I will spit it out plain and clear.
Raise charging voltage ONE FULL VOLT above manufacturer's specs and guess how this will affect battery life. Go ahead and make my day...
Wanna know the answer...?
Feel confident enough to bet? I do. I'll take a (lollipop) bet any day.
And I can post a link to an AGM manufacturer's printed proof. Proof by testing not by hyperbole.
Wuuwee. Forget 14.4 volts Raise that sucker to FIFTEEN POINT FOUR VOLTS.
What kind of percentage cut will it make in AGM battery life.
And you know that "---- ----" walks.
Let's hear it!
LESS THAN TWENTY THREE PERCENT REDUCTION IN CYCLE LIFE which is a hell of a lot different than a reduction in overall battery life.
And the volts per lessened life as usual with chemistry is NOT LINEAR. It's logarithmic. Think of the top edge of a giant circle angling to the right. The higher the voltage the greater the DEGREE of cycle life degradation.
It is quite similar to depth of discharge versus cycle life. Raise that voltage ONE HALF VOLT and the cycle life reduction sure as hell isn't going to be <11.5% it will be A QUARTER OF THAT. Get the picture?
The argument makes as much sense as fretting over if house paint will flake in a 9.0+ earthquake.
BATTERY TEMPERATURE is 100 times more important, than fretting over .3 volt float. When the Lifelines go to Michoacán they get placed in the direct blast of an air conditioner. 95+F versus air exit 70F temp. And THAT will increase battery lifespan 150% for standby UPS duty.
IN MY MOST HUMBLE OPINION, select a converter that most closely resembles the battery OEM recommendation then quit worrying. Charging the battery to .5 amps for every 100 amperes hours capacity IS SOMETHING AUTHENTIC to deal with. And guess what? A charger rated slightly too high of charge rate WILL MAKE DOING THAT EASIER.
Gibben a book und they eat the gotterdam pages :)
Get wrapped up enough in trying to meet idealistic manufacturer perfection and you'll end up in a rubber room.
As far as I know Concorde Lifeline is the only AGM with a 14.4 charge limit. Others say 14.8 is I-D-E-A-L
But the 30% charge minimum is for batteries that regularly get discharged to less than 50% state of charge. Keep discharges above 50% state of charge and forget the minimum charge amperage needed.
Not one SINGLE bite at my challenge so I will spit it out plain and clear.
Raise charging voltage ONE FULL VOLT above manufacturer's specs and guess how this will affect battery life. Go ahead and make my day...
Wanna know the answer...?
Feel confident enough to bet? I do. I'll take a (lollipop) bet any day.
And I can post a link to an AGM manufacturer's printed proof. Proof by testing not by hyperbole.
Wuuwee. Forget 14.4 volts Raise that sucker to FIFTEEN POINT FOUR VOLTS.
What kind of percentage cut will it make in AGM battery life.
And you know that "---- ----" walks.
Let's hear it!
LESS THAN TWENTY THREE PERCENT REDUCTION IN CYCLE LIFE which is a hell of a lot different than a reduction in overall battery life.
And the volts per lessened life as usual with chemistry is NOT LINEAR. It's logarithmic. Think of the top edge of a giant circle angling to the right. The higher the voltage the greater the DEGREE of cycle life degradation.
It is quite similar to depth of discharge versus cycle life. Raise that voltage ONE HALF VOLT and the cycle life reduction sure as hell isn't going to be <11.5% it will be A QUARTER OF THAT. Get the picture?
The argument makes as much sense as fretting over if house paint will flake in a 9.0+ earthquake.
BATTERY TEMPERATURE is 100 times more important, than fretting over .3 volt float. When the Lifelines go to Michoacán they get placed in the direct blast of an air conditioner. 95+F versus air exit 70F temp. And THAT will increase battery lifespan 150% for standby UPS duty.
IN MY MOST HUMBLE OPINION, select a converter that most closely resembles the battery OEM recommendation then quit worrying. Charging the battery to .5 amps for every 100 amperes hours capacity IS SOMETHING AUTHENTIC to deal with. And guess what? A charger rated slightly too high of charge rate WILL MAKE DOING THAT EASIER.
Gibben a book und they eat the gotterdam pages :)
