My Screwy 31
First off let me say I am not stressing over this. It's just a battery, it is only money, it is meeting my overnight needs, but it is displaying strange behavior, and I am curious as to why. So th...
Forum Discussion
I Still have not allowed the 31 16v, and it is still performing well.
Last night I took it to ~ 50%, perhaps less, in about 6.5 hours and hooked up my 30 amp cheapowatt(megawatt clone) capable of 38.2 amps, and recharged it to somewhere near full at anywhere from 25 to 34 amps, or around 2x to 3x the rate which my solar can do at noon on June 21 with all loads turned off.
The cheapowatt was close to maxed out and still powering some loads, so the amps into the 31 were reduced by 2.5 to 6 amps depending on if the compressor fridge was running.
The solar achieved 15.3v for a bit today and then shade moved in and I cranked up the cheapowatt to 15.27 max and the battery was taking 2.7 amps.
I then Dipped the Hydrometer. 1.285 1.290, 1.290. Pretty hot day, ambients close to 90f. Battery terminal voltage was only 15.19v.
So pretty much Maxed out the SG without 16v. Seems the high recharge rate dissolved the sulfate better than the low and slow from the solar. Looking into the cells with a strong led light and there appeared to be less gray clumps on the visible portion of the plates.
One thing to note is that it is now requiring higher amperages to hold both 14.9Absv 15.3v than it did a few months ago, and the solar is struggling more to hold 14.9 ABSV, and 15.3v is lasting a lot less per day. The sun is less strong of course, but more amps are being required to achieve the same battery voltage as before.
So the battery is aging. How much capacity has been lost is unknown, but I am going to keep working the SOB, and when it goes, it goes, and I'll let you all know when it does.
The cheapowatt certainly throws a new variable into the mix. US battery 'recommended' bulk rate is 10%, and the cheapowatt can nearly triple this. Not sure how often I plan to slam it with the cheapowatt power supply
Electrolyte still crystal clear. Level is about 1cm below hanging arms.
I think I hear it doing a tarzan yell now.
Last night I took it to ~ 50%, perhaps less, in about 6.5 hours and hooked up my 30 amp cheapowatt(megawatt clone) capable of 38.2 amps, and recharged it to somewhere near full at anywhere from 25 to 34 amps, or around 2x to 3x the rate which my solar can do at noon on June 21 with all loads turned off.
The cheapowatt was close to maxed out and still powering some loads, so the amps into the 31 were reduced by 2.5 to 6 amps depending on if the compressor fridge was running.
The solar achieved 15.3v for a bit today and then shade moved in and I cranked up the cheapowatt to 15.27 max and the battery was taking 2.7 amps.
I then Dipped the Hydrometer. 1.285 1.290, 1.290. Pretty hot day, ambients close to 90f. Battery terminal voltage was only 15.19v.
So pretty much Maxed out the SG without 16v. Seems the high recharge rate dissolved the sulfate better than the low and slow from the solar. Looking into the cells with a strong led light and there appeared to be less gray clumps on the visible portion of the plates.
One thing to note is that it is now requiring higher amperages to hold both 14.9Absv 15.3v than it did a few months ago, and the solar is struggling more to hold 14.9 ABSV, and 15.3v is lasting a lot less per day. The sun is less strong of course, but more amps are being required to achieve the same battery voltage as before.
So the battery is aging. How much capacity has been lost is unknown, but I am going to keep working the SOB, and when it goes, it goes, and I'll let you all know when it does.
The cheapowatt certainly throws a new variable into the mix. US battery 'recommended' bulk rate is 10%, and the cheapowatt can nearly triple this. Not sure how often I plan to slam it with the cheapowatt power supply
Electrolyte still crystal clear. Level is about 1cm below hanging arms.
I think I hear it doing a tarzan yell now.
