Reviewing Solar and batteries for retirement

You need to find the charging voltages your battery's manufacturer recommends; both bulk and float voltages. They may also have recommendations for maximum charge rate, temperature compensation, length of absorption phase, etc. Then you need to properly program your charge controller to the specs. Just guessing can get you close but may leave you with chronically over or under charged batteries.
Using lots of water normally indicates overcharging or old, worn out batteries.
If your charge controller doesn't allow you to program it specifically for your batteries you may need to invest in a better one that will.

Most 6v GC2 charging specs are 14.4 to 14.8 range. You might be undercharging at 14.1 volts. You might be undercharging at 14.4 volts if the controller drops to float too soon. Need at least two hours of absorption each day when in use and maybe more than six hours. Although 14.1 might be Ok for the aged batteries to reduce water usage until they can be replaced.

I recommend some new new solar closer to 400+ watts considering your usage.

Solar wasn't cooking batteries.

Get more solar and a controller with adjustable Absorption time, if possible.

To quote Mexicowanderer, "battery should be charged by numbers". If specs suggest 14.4V Absorption, then 14.4 it should be. Not 14.1.

Running heavy loads in the morning and then letting it charge all day they might drop below 50% before charging again. Not the best scenario. Ebay have $25 amper-hour meters to keep an eye on SOC.

“Batteries have always been an issue due to lack of use and maintenance”

Lack of use doesn’t harm batteries. Lack of proper recharging/floating hurts batteries. In addition to KD’s suggestion, how old is your charge controller? Provide enough juice to a good controller via solar panels and it will take care of your batteries.

My 6 volt batteries use a lot of water too. I think it's the nature of the beast. To facilitate refilling, I bought this;
https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Rite-RV2000-Pro-Fill-Battery-Kit/dp/B001FCAXT0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524532509&sr=8-1&keywords=battery+watering+system

You will need two for four batteries.


You'll also need the hand pump;
https://www.amazon.com/Flow-Rite-RV2020-Pro-Fill-Qwik-Fill/dp/B001FC79EW/ref=pd_bxgy_263_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B001FC79EW&pd_rd_r=XFEFR6HSEBVGJNP0VEG5&pd_rd_w=w7rou&pd_rd_wg=WVdyO&psc=1&refRID=XFEFR6HSEBVGJNP0VEG5

I'm thinking irs time to update the solar equipment. Time has shown that technology, performance etc has improved drastically since 2003.

I'd pull off and sell the old panels and other equipment. Then buy new state of the art ( within reasonable price) and enjoy on.

Best wishes to you.

Hi,

Do a proper energy audit.

This series of articles may help: https://freecampsites.net/adding-solar/

You need better math
1600w at 12v, is 133 amps draw while drying hair
870w coffee maker, that's 72 amps draw while making coffee

Maybe you where trying to compute Amphrs used ?
But that will not be chemically correct, the harder you use batteries the less storage capacity they have, and the effect is using more power internal to the battery, than what goes out the wires to the load

Using your numbers, you pulled 82 Amphrs out of the batteries in the morning, (actually more that that)
About 20% of your bank, not including all other use

240w will be about 10-12 amps of charge rate , and you will only get that for a few hours in the middle of the day in full sun
You are probably Not returning full charge to the batteries
Start running a generator several hours everyday or get more solar, and get six new batteries

What is the float voltage setting, that should be 13.xx depending on the batteries

OkieGene wrote:
I'm thinking irs time to update the solar equipment. Time has shown that technology, performance etc has improved drastically since 2003.

I'd pull off and sell the old panels and other equipment. Then buy new state of the art ( within reasonable price) and enjoy on.

Best wishes to you.

You will find drastically lower prices and better equipment today vs 2003.
Look for $1 or $2 watt self install.

MrWizard wrote:
You need better math
1600w at 12v, is 133 amps draw while drying hair

Yeah, his figures aren't correct.

bdoyle wrote:
Maybe I need 2 more batteries for a bank of 6.

6 is nice for big draws, but man that's heavy. Higher voltage is also better for big draws.