Floating vs Storage Voltage Question
Moved this from another thread to open the topic generally. Question was if PD converters with the 13.2 storage voltage were compatible with floating voltage specs at 13.5 and above. ---------------...
Forum Discussion
So maybe you are supposed to get the batts to true full first, and then not float them if not using them for a while (wires off), but if you have to float them for a while after reaching 14.x and staying at that for a while and then dropping to float too soon, you should float them for a while before going wires off just to get them full first. :)
But by then you will be getting ready for your next trip. What a PITA!
Meanwhile you should really stay at 14.x until at true full, so that whole thing with dropping to float early and then catching up on float does not meet the battery specs either.
So you can only do it "right" if your charger can be made to stay at 14.x till amps are down to almost zero (0.5a/100AH with AGMs), and hardly any RVers have that equipment to do that or desire to fuss that much.
It is so easy to just go on a Float between trips (not calling that "storage") except in actual storage for the winter for several months where there is no shore power. Now you have to do it "right".
There is no data on what you lose in number of cycles /lifetime by floating when you really shouldn't between trips according to the guidelines. Most of us never do as many cycles as we could with our batts, before they die from other causes, so would we even notice if they died earlier from floating when they should be wires off?
Having gone round and round on this, I think in our particular case where we have no lengthy winter storage, it is just too much bother to do it "right", so phooey on the whole thing. Sorry about that, Trojan!
It is what it is.
Each RVer has to decide what applies to his own case for what to do.
But by then you will be getting ready for your next trip. What a PITA!
Meanwhile you should really stay at 14.x until at true full, so that whole thing with dropping to float early and then catching up on float does not meet the battery specs either.
So you can only do it "right" if your charger can be made to stay at 14.x till amps are down to almost zero (0.5a/100AH with AGMs), and hardly any RVers have that equipment to do that or desire to fuss that much.
It is so easy to just go on a Float between trips (not calling that "storage") except in actual storage for the winter for several months where there is no shore power. Now you have to do it "right".
There is no data on what you lose in number of cycles /lifetime by floating when you really shouldn't between trips according to the guidelines. Most of us never do as many cycles as we could with our batts, before they die from other causes, so would we even notice if they died earlier from floating when they should be wires off?
Having gone round and round on this, I think in our particular case where we have no lengthy winter storage, it is just too much bother to do it "right", so phooey on the whole thing. Sorry about that, Trojan!
It is what it is.
Each RVer has to decide what applies to his own case for what to do.
