Naio wrote:
Thanks, Mex and Landy, for your posts earlier today, which I am just now reading.
The behavior of this battery is strange to me. It draws low amperages from the meanwell for hour after hour after hour.
Starting yesterday at 12.76v, it took 2 amps with the meanwell set at 14.7. After 4 hours it was down to 1 amp, and I had to go home and make dinner. Getting back to it this afternoon, it started out at 12.87v, again happily drawing 2 amps. After about 3 hours, it was down to about 1.3 amps, and I left again to make dinner.
Why does it want this low amperage for such a long period of time?
(On the slim chance that it's relevant: I do have 3 dashboard solar panels connected to this AGM, although I'm not really sure they are doing anything and have not checked them for continuity lately. Two of them at least used to work. I'll try to remember to check them tomorrow, but it's a busy week.)
I haven't felt comfortable leaving the meanwell hooked up overnight on a timer, at the place I have the van stored. But I'm moving the van tomorrow, and then I could do that.
The voltage does drift upward at the battery terminals while charging. So far it seems to take 2-3 hours to go up .1 volt. If I'm going to set the timer and go home and go to bed, how many hours should I set it for?
Disconnect the battery from any of the car + and - terminals, then plug in the meanwell, then recharge at 14.4V until you see 0.4 amps. It will probably take 3 hours, maybe 4.... You have phantom current draw from the van at all time when it is connected up to the battery. Alarms systems, memory for Electronic Control Module, all kinds of little bits drawing current out of the battery as it sits with the motor not running. When you disconnect the - terminal, all those suckers quit giving you false readings on current drawn while recharging the AGM.
I do the same thing for my big 158 AH surplus Telecom AGM battery... 14.4V setting when I get it home, and current it will take is down to .70 to .80 amp usually in 2 to 3 hours, sometimes 4. You can't and won't hurt the battery leaving it on the MeanWell at 14.4V overnight, the battery will be fine at that voltage setting.
I strongly recommend, as stated before, a good chemistry mix up by discharging the battery to around 50% State of Charge. Then put the Meanwell on it and let it take it's time bringing it up to 14.4V and 0.4 amps. That's a good "stirring" of the acid inside the battery and the plates. It should then take a very good "top charge" all the way up, once you do that.
