Reply From Concorde Battery re Lifeline Float

Hi Niner,

Why do you need to move the bats?

mena661 wrote:
Niner, with the T105's, I doubt you'll ever need 16V for an equalize.

Thumbs up... this is really good news, almost worth paying for a new pair, versus the hand me down freebies that have come my way in the T-1275s. BTW 86 lbs for a T-1275, is a mofo handful these days to move.

Niner, with the T105's, I doubt you'll ever need 16V for an equalize.

Don't complain too loud, Mexicowanderer, when your Lifelines are free, or comped to you. If I ever get a pair of free working Trojan T-105's, I'll be sure to set float at 13.6 to 13.8 and Vabs at 14.8 for them. And Equalize at C/20 at 16.0V or until the SG stops rising. With a Freas #1, temp compensated. 1.280. Disconnected from the RV's electrical, of course so I don't fry the refrigerator electrical panel.

According to my Magnum inverter/charger setup instructions, there are two settings for AGM batteries, one for Lifeline, the other for East Penn, Deka, Discover and Trojan AGM batteries. When looking at the charge voltages for each type, the Lifelines receive 13.1V vs 13.5V on float charge and 14.3V vs 14.5V on absorption charge. You can see that Magnum actually uses a little less float voltage than Concorde recommends. I actually doubt that the voltage regulator on the Magnum can regulate it that finely. Of course it also uses a battery temperature sensor to alter the charge rate if necessary. I have found that the 13.1V have maintained my Lifelines fine.

The Magnum also has a custom setting so that you can change charge rates to anything you wish.

I suspect you are correct that the higher charge you are using from your WFCO may shorten the life a little but not drastically.

Mex,

You're using about the same float voltage(s) as I do on the two Interstate 12V "motive/wheelchair" deep cycle AGM batteries in our RV.

Except ... in my case the batteries say right on their label to float them within the 13.5 volt to 13.8 volt range ... so what I'm doing is in complete agreement with what the manufacturer (for Interstate) says to do.

Perhaps the low calcium grid alloy that Interstate's manufacturer is using is enough different from what Concorde is using so as to cause the difference in the two company recommendations regarding what float voltage to use?? Or perhaps Interstate's manufacturer designed their AGM around typical ~13.8 volt fixed voltage charger output values.

The issue is/was if, yes or no, Lifeline batteries are "different" than competitive absorbed glass mat batteries.

The answer is "NO"

It's just that Concorde is managed by engineers, and to squeeze every last nano minute of life out of a battery, float voltages need to be set so as to maintain 100% charge in the battery and no more. It is splitting, already split hairs. Read the full Concorde PDF battery maintenance file and see if your AGM maintenance protocol follows the Concorde protocol. I'll bet it doesn't.

Nevertheless, I agree with Concorde's philosophy regarding maintenance floating ANY type of lead acid battery - flooded or VRB.

I quipped earlier that I was not going to worry about the 13.71 perpetual float voltage of the WFCO charger that is maintaining my batteries. So sue me. I am forcing the battery to only a 10-year lifespan. About four or five years longer than my own.

Warranted 60-months for all intents and purposes is the same as Lifetime Warranty as far as I'm (me) concerned.

But the main points are, Concorde is being operated correctly...right to the letter and I like that.

When my Magnum inverter/charger is set for Lifeline batteries, it provides a float charge of 13.2V and it has worked well.