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
It was a good learning process, this screwy 31. It took me a bit to figure out the charging voltage sweetspots, and it was chronically undercharged its first three months of duty which certainly affected ultimate lifespan.
Yet the setpoints required to bring it up near 100% each cycle were abusive too.
I wish I had more hard data instead of estimated number and depth of the cycles. When the cycles were deeper the average discharge was over the 6.5 amps for which it was rated at 20 hours, if that rating can be believed.
Either way, this screwy 31 has given me more cycles per dollar than all previous house batteries. Not really much of a factor when spread out over a year and a couple months.
It seems to be a balancing act. While I have 3 charging sources available, the Solar replenishes by and far the most, and I feel deliberately lowering over capacity to better match the solar's maximum output contributed to that lower $ per cycle.
Carrying around 64 less Lbs of battery capacity has to affect MPG to some degree as well, as it is just a DIY camper van with a 318 engine. Hardly a powerful engine at 185HP.
Anyway If i want more capacity, then the house bank needs to go underfloor again, where SG cannot be observed easily, and watering might not happen in time. I much prefer my AGM underfloor there.
So a group 31 is my maximum, and it will be depleted as much as my usages dictate, without worrying about it.
In the 16 months I've owned the screwy 31, I never needed more capacity that it was able to deliver.
And, It ain't dead yet. The warning signs are all there, but I'm going to take an ostrich approach to it at this point. I know where a maroon group31 can be bought, and funds have been set aside for it.
Only an unplanned roadtrip will have me replace it before absolutely required.
Yet the setpoints required to bring it up near 100% each cycle were abusive too.
I wish I had more hard data instead of estimated number and depth of the cycles. When the cycles were deeper the average discharge was over the 6.5 amps for which it was rated at 20 hours, if that rating can be believed.
Either way, this screwy 31 has given me more cycles per dollar than all previous house batteries. Not really much of a factor when spread out over a year and a couple months.
It seems to be a balancing act. While I have 3 charging sources available, the Solar replenishes by and far the most, and I feel deliberately lowering over capacity to better match the solar's maximum output contributed to that lower $ per cycle.
Carrying around 64 less Lbs of battery capacity has to affect MPG to some degree as well, as it is just a DIY camper van with a 318 engine. Hardly a powerful engine at 185HP.
Anyway If i want more capacity, then the house bank needs to go underfloor again, where SG cannot be observed easily, and watering might not happen in time. I much prefer my AGM underfloor there.
So a group 31 is my maximum, and it will be depleted as much as my usages dictate, without worrying about it.
In the 16 months I've owned the screwy 31, I never needed more capacity that it was able to deliver.
And, It ain't dead yet. The warning signs are all there, but I'm going to take an ostrich approach to it at this point. I know where a maroon group31 can be bought, and funds have been set aside for it.
Only an unplanned roadtrip will have me replace it before absolutely required.
