"Runaway" Smart Charger? A Survey...

[MEXICOWANDERER]

There are enough experienced folks here to offer a decent database...

Definition: Runaway...
A charger that suddenly decides to (unexpectedly) decide to exceed it's voltage specification output limit. A WFCO at 16.0 volts, an Iota at 15.6 volts, etc. An uncontrolled charge. A key word is "unexpectedly". Old fashioned garbage ferroresonant garbage like BW Magnatek is not a "smart" charger.

Chargers can creep up voltage over a period of months or years. I am not interested in this, nor am I interested in chargers that are pre-programmed to boost or whatever the hell...that is why I chose the word runaway.

Personal experiences? Recollections? Notes? Discussions?

Have you even "heard (gossip)" of a runaway?

[MrWizard]

double post
stupid edit/quote buttons

[MrWizard]

about 5 yrs with the (2) Vector chargers from B&D

only had to replace a fan

no problems with the charging behavior

on my AGMs or wet cells

[harold1946]

One that comes to mind is the Onan Equinox which was prone to overcharging battery banks and was discontinued after a very short time. Evidently the cause was never determined or Onan decided not to pursue a resolution. Either way it is no longer being produced.
In my opinion, there is always a possibility of a failure in any charging circuitry that could cause it to happen, or possibly failure of a VLRA valve itself.
The one I saw was caused by an Onan Equinox, and probably happened over a period of time, because when we opened up the 8D battery the cells were only half full and we surmised it would be quite rare for all six valves to fail.

[red31]

xantrex xpower 15, NO, it did throw codes when a cell went bad.

a couple of 'runaways' a year at a pop up forum, storage, WFCO, fluid overflow, HOT.

xantrex car chargers became vetor then B&D, now Bacus Global as B&D, Stanley and CAT

[landyacht318]

I have a 9 year old Schumacher sc2500a which was only on the market for a short while. On the 12 or 25 amp setting it will occassionally decide to blow right past the mid 14's and climb upto 16.4 at 12+ amps.



that is on the regular or 'deep cycle' settings. On the AGM setting is rarely goes above 14.9v.

That is real voltage, not the voltage deiplayed on the charger which can be very inaccurate, reading 0.5v low.

I mainly use it on the AGM setting, but if plugged into a power strip, and I turn that power strip on while it is still hooked to a battery, it will start on its own, on the 2 amp 'regular' setting. I have looked down and seen its display at 15.6v and then put my voltmeter on battery and seen 16.4v.

I've read many reports of other Schumachers going to insane voltages with no regards to the 14.x absorption voltages commonly listed by battery manufacturers.

I have upgraded the wiring from circuit board to 10AWG, and the voltage discrepancy only got worse.

I have to monitor this schumacher way closer than my Meanwell rsp-500-15. The Schumacher is completely unpredictable. The meanwell is completely predictable. It just requires being shut off after x amount of time, or have its voltage lowered.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

The object is to find opinions if there is a -realistic- chance of unintentionally venting an AGM battery while it's connected to a "smart" charger.

[time2roll]

Never a problem with my 20 amp Battery Tender brand charger.
Old WFCO eventually got stuck at 14.4 is the worst I have seen.