Veebyes wrote:
If you double your battery bank capacity without doing something about increasing the charge rate of the charger you are going to double your charging time, both on the bulk & absorb charge time.
The only other thing you might consider is installing a multi bank battery switch & work between the 2 banks. The net charging time for both will be the same.
Battery bank size comes with weight too. There are choices to be made.
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Extra batteries mean more weight, higher purchase cost, and more maintenance.
But when a standard single group 27 is kicking and screaming being fed 14.8 volts at 15 amperes absorbsion, four of them will be humming at 60 amperes. There is no death penalty forcing a person to discharge flooded batteries to 50%. Look at a cycle life chart and gawk at the cycle life estimate for 40% depth of discharge - 60% remaining.
I discharge my cells a mere 30% before charging unless there's a hurricane a howling.
There's nothing as sad as seeing someone forced to recharge a 50% battery every day and absolutely needing to squeeze in every last amp hour they can to last the night.
When my bank reverts to float, it then takes 14-amperes at 26.1 volts.
Yeah, right. A four thousand dollars generator consuming $2.80/gal gas to power a $250 charger to recharge a battery sucking the wattage of a 5-cell flashlight. Not very bright. Oh wait! I know what's coming! Please, oh please point me in the direction of solar panels that work in deep shade. Not everyone lives in a climate where a heatwave means 10c or more.
