Ammonia versus Compressor Fridge...
After all the talk about Danfoss compressor fridges and how much better they were than the old school Ammonia Units, I decided to 'fiddle with mine and do a long term test using a remote digital recor...
Forum Discussion
Hi,
Flooded batteries slow their rate of charge once 85% SOC has been reached. It works out to about 12.5 amps per 100 amp-hours of storage. It may only be 6 amps per 100 at 90%. AGM's do a little better.
For maximum charging rate, voltage should be just below the gassing point. That means using a sophisticated charger that has a battery temperature sensor, and adjustable voltage set points.
Attempting to recharge to 100% using a generator is expensive. Most folks stop at the 85% mark. In your case, that means only packing in about 105 amp-hours. Call it three hours of generator time, IF you have an Iota converter, or PD with wizard. If you have a WFCO it may be best to upgrade to something better.
Today it is the second overcast day in a row. My bank is low and I don't have access to a generator. I may move to where I can shore power charge for a couple of hours later today. That would be a good time to make some supper, too.
Flooded batteries slow their rate of charge once 85% SOC has been reached. It works out to about 12.5 amps per 100 amp-hours of storage. It may only be 6 amps per 100 at 90%. AGM's do a little better.
For maximum charging rate, voltage should be just below the gassing point. That means using a sophisticated charger that has a battery temperature sensor, and adjustable voltage set points.
Attempting to recharge to 100% using a generator is expensive. Most folks stop at the 85% mark. In your case, that means only packing in about 105 amp-hours. Call it three hours of generator time, IF you have an Iota converter, or PD with wizard. If you have a WFCO it may be best to upgrade to something better.
Today it is the second overcast day in a row. My bank is low and I don't have access to a generator. I may move to where I can shore power charge for a couple of hours later today. That would be a good time to make some supper, too.
JimK-NY wrote:
On cloudy days or when camped in the woods I can only got two days before my 300 AH batteries are half depleted. If I need to run the generator, it takes forever to regain the charge. In theory my built in charger puts out 40 amps so I should be recharged in about 4 hours. That does not happen. It seems that the charging rate slows quickly and it takes probably closer to 6 hours to recharge. Whenever I am in this situation, I wish I had a refrigerator that ran on propane.
