Walmart Battery Comparison
Roughly 5 years ago I installed three 12V Marine batteries that I purchased from Walmart. I can fit a maximum of 3 batteries on board, so I decided to go with 3 12V batteries instead of 2 6V batteries...
Forum Discussion
Battery acid tends to stratify - a little - During heavy recharging but that does not have any negative consequences to either the battery or the recharge. The total time of the battery being stratified is limited to a half an hour or hour or so. Big deal. for a long time on this forum I have been harping about charging the batteries until slight bubbling in the cells is noted this is for a reason. The bubbling is an indicator that the electrolyte is mixed and is stopping and reversing any stratification that may have formed.
creating a charging profile that allows the electrolyte to bubble before stopping the absorbtion charge is desirable. In fact it is mandatory for optimum battery life. Most battery smart chargers have inflexible charge profiles. This point is precisely why I am so adamant about performing periodic Top Charging cycles. Letting a smart charger undercharge a battery to the point of unequal specific gravity readings between cells is a sorry way to maintain a battery. You will pay the price.
And please keep in mind a battery that is deeply cycled many times is a different animal from a battery that is infrequently cycled to 60 or 70 percent level of charge.
I have come across many wacky suggestions for charge profiles in various forums columns articles and websites. Most of them feed the ego of the author and ignore the reality of proper electro-chemical battery management.
The day that a plug n play battery charger has arrived is the same day somone will announce they have figured out a plug and play automatic algorithm for raising a child.
Spending 10-minutes per month managing a bank of batteries is a patherically small amount of time to ask for. Sort of like asking a driver to please periodically divert his eyes from texting to watching the road.
creating a charging profile that allows the electrolyte to bubble before stopping the absorbtion charge is desirable. In fact it is mandatory for optimum battery life. Most battery smart chargers have inflexible charge profiles. This point is precisely why I am so adamant about performing periodic Top Charging cycles. Letting a smart charger undercharge a battery to the point of unequal specific gravity readings between cells is a sorry way to maintain a battery. You will pay the price.
And please keep in mind a battery that is deeply cycled many times is a different animal from a battery that is infrequently cycled to 60 or 70 percent level of charge.
I have come across many wacky suggestions for charge profiles in various forums columns articles and websites. Most of them feed the ego of the author and ignore the reality of proper electro-chemical battery management.
The day that a plug n play battery charger has arrived is the same day somone will announce they have figured out a plug and play automatic algorithm for raising a child.
Spending 10-minutes per month managing a bank of batteries is a patherically small amount of time to ask for. Sort of like asking a driver to please periodically divert his eyes from texting to watching the road.
