6 volt Batteries split at the corners
...sometime this winter. I'm not sure what the hell happened or why, but they both split on the four corners and leaked the water out. Any suggestions as to why? They were out in the weather hooked up...
Forum Discussion
I too leave my 12VDC batteries connected to my OFF-ROAD POPUP during the winter months here in Northern Neck Virginia. We normally don't have bad winters here with maybe one or two overnight freezes. This year however I had seen a couple days of water being frozen all day long.
My setup is I sometimes leave a 'ON' connection to my garage 120VAC 15A receptacle which keeps the on-board smart mode converter running keeping the batteries charged up. Other times I will charge the batteries to their 100% charge state and then do a full battery disconnect switch operation like I did this season. Usually I will make a quick check on the batteries at least once a month. My batteries setting in the battery boxes stayed right at 12.6VDC this season. I last checked two weeks ago.
When I first got my OFF-ROAD POPUP I left it connected to the garage 15AMP receptacle when at home and it boiled out my battery fluids with the non smart mode converter I was using. This placed 13.6VDC on the battery all the time and that is right at boiling out your battery fluids I find out. This battery then shorted out an internal cell and became a short circuit to the converter.
I then replaced the converter/charger to a smart mode PD9260C 60AMP Converter/charger unit which is use today five years later with the same new batteries installed in my 255AH battery bank in 2009.
My lesson learned is your have to do battery maintenance and inspections even though you keep them plugged-in to shore power all the time.
Roy Ken
My setup is I sometimes leave a 'ON' connection to my garage 120VAC 15A receptacle which keeps the on-board smart mode converter running keeping the batteries charged up. Other times I will charge the batteries to their 100% charge state and then do a full battery disconnect switch operation like I did this season. Usually I will make a quick check on the batteries at least once a month. My batteries setting in the battery boxes stayed right at 12.6VDC this season. I last checked two weeks ago.
When I first got my OFF-ROAD POPUP I left it connected to the garage 15AMP receptacle when at home and it boiled out my battery fluids with the non smart mode converter I was using. This placed 13.6VDC on the battery all the time and that is right at boiling out your battery fluids I find out. This battery then shorted out an internal cell and became a short circuit to the converter.
I then replaced the converter/charger to a smart mode PD9260C 60AMP Converter/charger unit which is use today five years later with the same new batteries installed in my 255AH battery bank in 2009.
My lesson learned is your have to do battery maintenance and inspections even though you keep them plugged-in to shore power all the time.
Roy Ken
