DECA AGM Batteries

ford truck guy wrote:
DEKA , like stated are made by East Penn Mfg, in Lyons, PA. They are a good battery, with a good following and I don't think you can go wrong with them.

DITTO. I love my DEKA batteries. I installed two Group 31s in my truck camper back in 2015. THey are still going strong.

I'd also recommend a high quality amp hour meter. I use a Victron BMV-712

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
CAN NOT DRY OUT AGM UNLESS THEY CONSTANTLY VENT but you can damage the plates.

Actually it IS very possible to dry out AGM just like a "gelcell" can also be dried out. Just takes a lot of overcharging which leads to popping the vents and all of that moisture which is supposed to be captured and recombined goes right out the vent.

Have seen this with UPS units which were equipped with AGMs from factory, some bad enough that 2-3yrs is the best you will get from them..

AGMs like Gel cells hate being overcharged and actually AGMs are more sensitive to being overcharged than gels.

BOTH AGM and gels are far less forgiving to overcharging than FLA.

See HERE

"As with all gelled and sealed units, AGM batteries are sensitive to overcharging. A charge to 2.40V/cell (and higher) is fine; however, the float charge should be reduced to between 2.25 and 2.30V/cell (summer temperatures may require lower voltages). Automotive charging systems for flooded lead acid often have a fixed float voltage setting of 14.40V (2.40V/cell); a direct replacement with a sealed unit could overcharge the battery on a long drive."

And RV multistage converters can easily do that by staying in bulk or equalization mode instead of dropping to storage mode or staying in bulk or equalization mode too long or too often.

OP has boiled their FLAs to death, fair chance that their setup if not checked properly will do the same to the AGMs.

There are "pros" and "cons" to AGM, pick your poison.

CAN NOT DRY OUT AGM UNLESS THEY CONSTANTLY VENT but you can damage the plates.

DEKA , like stated are made by East Penn Mfg, in Lyons, PA. They are a good battery, with a good following and I don't think you can go wrong with them.

I was purchasing my 2 new AGM's I looked hard at them but in the end went with the Lifeline Group 31 XLT AGM's..

You might want to figure out WHY the batteries ran dry in one yrs time before switching to AGM or any other battery.

Sounds like your converter is way overcharging, water usage with a properly working multistage converter/charger should be minimal.

If converter is not switching to storage voltage of 13.2v it is going to be hard on any battery.. Would hate to see you dry out AGMs which is a very real possibility.

In a yr and a half, my pair of 6v GC2s only used 16 oz of water and that is with the converter plugged in and hot 24/7 while not camping (and we didn't camp this yr)..

$1400.00 total installed, with discounts. It's high but we are wore out and it is the only game around. 10 years ago I would have bought them cheaper and installed them myself. They said they would price match So if i can fidn them cheaper, I'll get a copy of it and present it.

If you lived near me I'd sell you my 4 three year old lightly used and maintained Lifeline 6V batteries for half what they are new but no way I'm shipping them. They weigh 100Lbs. each!

I plan to do this, Don, when the Trojans expire.

Hi,

At that price I'd be looking at SiO2 chemistry instead. $450 usd per 100 amp-hours. They have MANY advantages over ordinary AGM.

DECA are made by East Penn. They are TOP quality US Made batteries.