Batteries have quite a gurgle

[time2roll]

I have this vision of small bubbles floating to the surface as the battery creates some gas while charging. Mine seem to produce a large gurgle. It would seem a lot of gas is trapped and then makes its way to the surface. Can really hear it plain and clear as if a large bubble forms below the plates and releases when bumped or disturbed.

These are vintage 11 year old Costco GC2 batteries. I assume should be replaced.

Anyone experience this? I believe it has been going on for at least a year.

[BFL13]

Edited out my confusion--now clear that HCL is 210 and ECL is 225.

[BFL13]

time2roll wrote:
They did say 12 month warranty so maybe they are GC2-HCL and not PF-GC2.

See above--did you get Trojan T-605s for $83 ??? 🙂

[time2roll]

They did say 12 month warranty so maybe they are GC2-HCL and not PF-GC2.

[BFL13]

Seems to be a new line-up

http://interstatedealers.com/pdf/MKT1233-00_GolfSellSheet_LR.pdf

Compare with T-605 for 210 and T-105 for 225

http://www.trojanbattery.com/pdf/TRJN0111_ProdSpecGuide.pdf

Hmmmmm--does Interstate have a new source for its GC2s?

Note here on Interstate site, link to GC2 gets you a Trojan page.

http://corporate.interstatebatteries.com/msds/

[time2roll]

Just reading what the label said as a reference point. BTW $83.99

http://www.interstatebatteries.com/p/golf-car/group-number-size/group-number-size-gc2

Costco item number 850284

[BFL13]

What's an Interstate 210? They used to be 208, 232, etc.

[time2roll]

Four new Costco/Interstate GC2 210 a/h today has cured the issue. :B
Long overdue. Solar had them topped up so much faster... made a real difference.

[2oldman]

time2roll wrote:
Definite loss of capacity. .

I'm sure a couple (or 6) new batteries will be a very pleasant return to the capacity you expect.

[time2roll]

Definite loss of capacity. I think the solar has been masking the issue for some time. Yes I am concerned with potential expelling of electrolyte or worse.

Thanks again MEX for the explanation.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Fiberglass mats can clog with shedded plate. Avoiding hydrodynamic theory let me put it this way...older batteries can gurgle. I have seen GC220's burp so bad undergoing a 40 ampere charge they expelled electrolyte out of an opened cap.

Guesswork always loses. Without total kWh usage data and maintenance values is it not pointless to ponder the exact state of the batteries? Seldom cycled properly maintained GC's can endure a dozen or more years.

Carbon pile load test, hydrometer analysis, and impedance testing is the only way to get a grip on the state of these accumulators.

[RJsfishin]

2oldman wrote:

Dennis12 wrote:
Id try to get a couple more years out of them.

why?

I kinda agree,.....batteries are cheap considering how long they last.

[2oldman]

Dennis12 wrote:
Id try to get a couple more years out of them.

why?

[pnichols]

Bubbling/gurgling seems exactly like what I think all liquid batteries do when their electrolyte is getting exposed to high "boost" voltages or getting "conditioned" by even higher voltages from multi-stage chargers.

This is probably not possible with either your RV's built-in charger or your solar charge controller, but if it is ... I'd recommend merely setting it's highest voltage at a lower value to stop the bubbling/gurgling. The reduced high end voltage necessary to stop the sounds is also temperature dependent -> the reduced voltage value necessary to stop the bubbling/gurgling would have to be set lower in warm weather than the setting necessary to stop it in cold weather. I expect that the high end charger voltages necessary for boosting or conditioning should also be reduced as a battery ages.

P.S. When your batteries are making sounds like this they're also emitting more corrosive fumes out of the caps, which of course is hard on equipment close to them.

[Sam_Spade]

Dennis12 wrote:
Id try to get a couple more years out of them.

And before you decide that they are bad......change out ALL of the other electrical components first.....just to be sure.
:S