US Battery "finishing" charge recommendation
Please check out these USBattery manufacturer recommendations for 2 and 3 stage chargers.
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/pdf.folder/battery-folder/charging_instruction_2011_2.pdf
Quite a bit different that the Usual Bulk charge to a certain Absorption/acceptance voltage then revert to float voltage regimen that we have been accustomed to and what each converter/Charger algorithm decides for us is best for batteries and which we seem to accept and perhaps argue over a bit.
I've been disappointed with my Newish group31 USbattery performance until I rewired my Electrical system allowing my Schumacher to do its thing with no load on the battery, all loads being switched to the other battery.
Without worry of high charging voltages damaging anything in my system, I just let the Schumacher SC2500a go, and awoke to 15.84v yesterday morning and the battery taking 1.2 amps to hold that sky high voltage.
I checked water levels, fine. No indications of water loss. I took SG readings and surprisingly found them all where they should be( 1.275 or higher). Where as, in mid December, ~3 weeks after putting the battery into service and feeding it lower acceptance voltages(14.5) and a 13.1 float, all the Sg readings were in the red (1.220 to 1.240) despite not being able to force more amps into the battery at that time of dipping my Hydrometer.
Last night the battery performed admirable in terms of voltages under load, much much better than any time previously, and I drained it to ~55% in about 7 hours( intentionally being wasteful) and then removed all loads and let the Schumacher do its thing again, and again awoke to 15.8v, but only 0.6 amps to hold that voltage. NO SG readings taken today, but I suspect they would be higher and closer to each other than the day before.
I'm thinking of setting my Solar Float voltage at 15.3v as the "finishing" charge in daily cyclic usage. I'll lower that to 13.02v( recommended float voltage) If /when I stop cycling the battery.
Nothing in my system seems to not be able to handle 15.3v. I do have an AGM battery as my engine battery, but I do not need to subject that battery to these voltages if I so choose.
So lets discuss this 15.3v "finishing" charge recommendation which falls into the daily equalization category, and which I am kind of uncomfortable with.
Yet 15.8v for several hours it did allow the SG to rise where it should be, and performance to increase to what I expect from a new healthy respectable brand of Deep cycle battery.
I worry about positive plate shedding and overcharging with a daily 15.3v "finishing" charge, but lower voltages were obviously causing sulfation due to incomplete charging.
While the Schumacher is available, as is grid power, I'm hoping to reduce or perhaps eliminate needing grid power and use only to 200 watts of solar and my alternator to restore what I remove the night before, and hope to set my solar settings to best allow the battery to perform properly.
I know everything is a compromise, but what do you "battery nerds" think about this "15.3v finishing charge" recommendation?
http://www.wholesalesolar.com/pdf.folder/battery-folder/charging_instruction_2011_2.pdf
Quite a bit different that the Usual Bulk charge to a certain Absorption/acceptance voltage then revert to float voltage regimen that we have been accustomed to and what each converter/Charger algorithm decides for us is best for batteries and which we seem to accept and perhaps argue over a bit.
I've been disappointed with my Newish group31 USbattery performance until I rewired my Electrical system allowing my Schumacher to do its thing with no load on the battery, all loads being switched to the other battery.
Without worry of high charging voltages damaging anything in my system, I just let the Schumacher SC2500a go, and awoke to 15.84v yesterday morning and the battery taking 1.2 amps to hold that sky high voltage.
I checked water levels, fine. No indications of water loss. I took SG readings and surprisingly found them all where they should be( 1.275 or higher). Where as, in mid December, ~3 weeks after putting the battery into service and feeding it lower acceptance voltages(14.5) and a 13.1 float, all the Sg readings were in the red (1.220 to 1.240) despite not being able to force more amps into the battery at that time of dipping my Hydrometer.
Last night the battery performed admirable in terms of voltages under load, much much better than any time previously, and I drained it to ~55% in about 7 hours( intentionally being wasteful) and then removed all loads and let the Schumacher do its thing again, and again awoke to 15.8v, but only 0.6 amps to hold that voltage. NO SG readings taken today, but I suspect they would be higher and closer to each other than the day before.
I'm thinking of setting my Solar Float voltage at 15.3v as the "finishing" charge in daily cyclic usage. I'll lower that to 13.02v( recommended float voltage) If /when I stop cycling the battery.
Nothing in my system seems to not be able to handle 15.3v. I do have an AGM battery as my engine battery, but I do not need to subject that battery to these voltages if I so choose.
So lets discuss this 15.3v "finishing" charge recommendation which falls into the daily equalization category, and which I am kind of uncomfortable with.
Yet 15.8v for several hours it did allow the SG to rise where it should be, and performance to increase to what I expect from a new healthy respectable brand of Deep cycle battery.
I worry about positive plate shedding and overcharging with a daily 15.3v "finishing" charge, but lower voltages were obviously causing sulfation due to incomplete charging.
While the Schumacher is available, as is grid power, I'm hoping to reduce or perhaps eliminate needing grid power and use only to 200 watts of solar and my alternator to restore what I remove the night before, and hope to set my solar settings to best allow the battery to perform properly.
I know everything is a compromise, but what do you "battery nerds" think about this "15.3v finishing charge" recommendation?
