Mixing Batteries on Float-- Mex Test Update 2
UPDATE 1 on 23 Dec post UPDATE 2 on 25 Dec post ---------- Mex is driving me crazy! He said do not mix my used 12s (Scrubber batteries, he calls them--humph! They are respectable golf car batte...
Forum Discussion
Battery life is measured in cycles and also in how deep those cycles are. An RVer unless a full-timer just doesn't do many cycles per year, so that is not an issue. That leaves battery maintenance as the real issue for RVers. Undercharging, etc.
I think what mena meant by "masking" with solar is just that you don't need as much battery capacity when on solar, since during the day you can run things from the solar. So if your battery has less capacity than rated, you won't notice because you never get down near 50% anyway.
It seems I don't have any bad cells as such in my used T-1275s, they have a lower than rated "resting voltage" when full, indicating some lost capacity. Apparently they also have that antimony poisoning thing which makes a drain that needs making up by the float charger adding more float current than it would normally supply. I am not concerned about the wasted energy doing that, but somebody with a huge bank like a telephone company would. I am not sure how short that makes battery life though, compared with other battery-life shortening things an RVer like me does.
Before taking home the free used T-1275, just stick an hydrometer in it and if you are in the white in all cells, you can probably nurse them all into the green later. If one or two are in the red and the rest are white or green, I wouldn't bother taking it home. EDIT that's with its voltage up too. Of course if its voltage is down they will all be in the red.
I think what mena meant by "masking" with solar is just that you don't need as much battery capacity when on solar, since during the day you can run things from the solar. So if your battery has less capacity than rated, you won't notice because you never get down near 50% anyway.
It seems I don't have any bad cells as such in my used T-1275s, they have a lower than rated "resting voltage" when full, indicating some lost capacity. Apparently they also have that antimony poisoning thing which makes a drain that needs making up by the float charger adding more float current than it would normally supply. I am not concerned about the wasted energy doing that, but somebody with a huge bank like a telephone company would. I am not sure how short that makes battery life though, compared with other battery-life shortening things an RVer like me does.
Before taking home the free used T-1275, just stick an hydrometer in it and if you are in the white in all cells, you can probably nurse them all into the green later. If one or two are in the red and the rest are white or green, I wouldn't bother taking it home. EDIT that's with its voltage up too. Of course if its voltage is down they will all be in the red.
