Flooded Batteries on Float

The statement was actually meant to show how many kWh of charge activity (to cover charge loss) is needed to prevent the batteries from sulfating. Mechanically speaking electrical activity sulphates plates then desulfates plates. In desulfating the plates is going to shed.

If a person can substantially reduce (unneeded) activity battery life is increased. With a costly battery bank this can amount to a serious chunk of change (and eliminate unneeded battery replacement).

Now as far as testing a system with a milliammeter...

Batteries must be fully charged for a period of no less than 24 hours, but not experiencing effects of equalization.

Remove the negative wire to LOADS off the battery bank but do not disconnect the negative from the charger maintenance source.

Remove the positive lead from the charging source, panels, charger, inverter, whatever is maintaining your batteries.

Use a HAND HELD DMM which has it's own built-in power source. Switch to read a resolution of 1-100 milliamperes.

Positive lead to disconnected lead from charge source, negative lead to the disconnected wire's normal connection point on the battery.

Now what do you read? In milliamps?

"... multiply float milliamps times oh, say, five years and what do you get ..."

Mex ... now we're getting somewhere with your statement above!!!!

Are you saying that as batteries age, the steady state milliamps they draw when fully charged and on float gradually increase??

If so, and getting back to earlier in this thread: My 8 year old batteries still show no increase in the float milliamps they draw (zero) within the resolution range (+ - 100 milliamps) of my permanently wired in shunt-voltmeter combination. Does this mean that they have about the same total capacity as they had right out of the chute?

Perhaps I won't have to replace them prior to our big Alaska trip, after all -> in order to use both the furnace and CPAP plus everything else two-three nights straight between 50%-90% recharges.

:) and :C

Learning is a process of becoming involved if only mentally.

Learning is a device that when properly utilized. the earned knowledge allows a lot more to be done with a lot less effort.

I devote about an hour per month maintaining my 3,600 amp hour bank. I would get upset if I was forced to devote 2, but I would flip if I got lazy and destroyed it by not spending an hour a month.

99% of battery management time is common sense. Learning when how and why to care for them.

For an unfortunate few they confuse the learning process with drastically reduced battery management personal energy expenditures. More knowledge = less time. I guarantee it.

mena661 wrote:
My L16's are Trojans not US Battery BTW. People think I spend a lot of time on my batteries. I really don't. There is the odd geeky experiment here and there but they just sit on float most of the time. My crappy Iota converter has made me visit them more often lately but since I got the power supply, that will change back to what it was before. I filled them with water a couple weeks or so ago. Last time I messed with them was back in February after an off grid trip. Honestly, once I have a good SG in the bag, I don't need to mess with them at all. I only need to make sure the converter (now power supply) is still working. When I first got them I was out at the RV a lot but once I figured out how they work (charging, hydrometer checking etc), time spent is drastically reduced. About all I do know is make sure the charging source is still working.

And, for those that are 100%er's, or who care, maybe they're anal, this is the goal. Hang around here, listen to the charger engineer, the battery failure engineer consultant, throw in a few handfuls of Solar Panel designers that are finally satisfied with their solar systems with a bit of fine tuning... this should be the goal... Figuring out, by trial and error, what works for YOU.

Salvo wrote:
Why is the Iota crappy?

I'm extremely happy with my Iota.

mena661 wrote:
My crappy Iota converter has made me visit them more often lately

Iota's cut out at 104F temp or higher... No Go... Mena lives in a location where the No Go cut off switch works all too frequently for good health of his L-16s. Like late spring through late fall... although, I think the Iota would work nights for him, even in the hot desert. To each his own, his batteries, his power supply, his Iota, as long as he's happy, which at this point, I think he is.

Mena you are looking at a reasonable expectation of 10-13 years service with the Trojans (a better battery). Fun math - kWh

multiply float milliamps times oh, say, five years and what do you get? This is when things are touchy not with an -el-cheapo- wastebasket car jar battery.

Why is the Iota crappy?

I'm extremely happy with my Iota.

mena661 wrote:
My crappy Iota converter has made me visit them more often lately

" but once I figured out how they work (charging, hydrometer checking etc), time spent is drastically reduced. "

"Time spent in reconnaissance is never wasted." :) IE, that time spent learning how they work.

My L16's are Trojans not US Battery BTW. People think I spend a lot of time on my batteries. I really don't. There is the odd geeky experiment here and there but they just sit on float most of the time. My crappy Iota converter has made me visit them more often lately but since I got the power supply, that will change back to what it was before. I filled them with water a couple weeks or so ago. Last time I messed with them was back in February after an off grid trip. Honestly, once I have a good SG in the bag, I don't need to mess with them at all. I only need to make sure the converter (now power supply) is still working. When I first got them I was out at the RV a lot but once I figured out how they work (charging, hydrometer checking etc), time spent is drastically reduced. About all I do know is make sure the charging source is still working.

"To Each His Own - It's All Unknown..."

"Some's Gonna Win - Some's Gonna Lose - Goodtime Charlie's Got The Blues..."

It's been put to music.

Life would be dull if we were not individuals...

In the USSR they could get their battery at Wounded Comrade Patriot Battery Plant No 291..................or not.