Battery charge controllers

To those that sent me PMs about where to purchase, and what size fuse/breaker to get, you are all welcome.

Vulcan Rider; NO: If it is a waste of you time, why do you continue on and why do you not answer my questions? Remember this; [COLOR=]"I will not participate". You must be here to try to learn or just to cause H&D.
If you can learn 1/10 of the 1/10 I know, I will be very pleased. I will have suceeded
BYE

harold1946 wrote:

First you implied it couldn't happen. Then said my post was a pointless troll. Then said you would no longer participate.
Now I will ask again; how long and how much current does it take to damage a battery or inverter/charger?
Why is there a need for clarification if it can't happen.
You are learning, (quite slowly) but you are learning. I haven't given up on you yet.

Just stop it please.
If you actually knew a tenth of what you THINK you know about electricity then maybe this "discussion" would be productive.
As it is, it's just a waste of time.

And you are not teaching me anything.....except maybe reinforcing that some people refuse to admit their own limitations.

Vulcan Rider wrote:

harold1946 wrote:
An internal battery short or one in the cables will send voltage to the charger.

What ??

It is a good idea to have a fuse in the charger line but you are doing a TERRIBLE job of explaining why.

Unless the first failure is internal to the charger, it's pretty hard to have the external voltage be higher than what the charger is producing......and thus have current going back INTO the charger.

Voltage is not the important part amps are.
I'll attempt to explain it clear enough so you will understand.
It is wise to always include a suitable fuse in every connection from the battery bank to an appliance. The fuse is there to protect against short circuits and for overload protection. If at any time the current flowing through the fuse exceeds the rated value of the fuse, it will cut off the power supply. Without a fuse a short circuit can cause a fire or even cause an explosion since the huge currents involved release vast amounts of stored energy
A power inverter/charger is no different than any other appliance - a fuse should be inserted into the positive cable from the battery bank, (as close as possible to the battery bank) to the inverter/ charger.
The sizing of the fuse is critical and some inverter/charger manuals have it specified.

First you implied it couldn't happen. Then said my post was a pointless troll. Then said you would no longer participate.
Now I will ask again; how long and how much current does it take to damage a battery or inverter/charger?
Why is there a need for clarification if it can't happen.
You are learning, (quite slowly) but you are learning. I haven't given up on you yet.

harold1946 wrote:
An internal battery short or one in the cables will send voltage to the charger.

What ??

It is a good idea to have a fuse in the charger line but you are doing a TERRIBLE job of explaining why.

Unless the first failure is internal to the charger, it's pretty hard to have the external voltage be higher than what the charger is producing......and thus have current going back INTO the charger.

westend wrote:
You two---First it was freezing water pipes (another thread) and now it's overcharged batteries. Hopefully, one of you will learn that differences in opinion aren't terrible and debating personal issues only derails the thread.

The OP hasn't returned so I'd assume that he has resolved a possible non-issue and is happily charging his batteries. If anyone is concerned about over charging their own batteries, the battery Mfg's have all of that data available. IME, over charging two 6V's in series is difficult. Trojan, for instance, specifies a 15 V charge profile. If a battery is charged fully, keeping charge voltage below 13.6 V would not injure a battery. It might use some water over a period of time but that is typical. A battery will only draw as much current as it needs.

Chargers can malfunction, sending high voltage to the battery bank and over charge it.
Even the temperature sensing circuitry which is supposed to step down the charge rate can fail. In some of the more sophisticated chargers the charging will be stopped if the battery temperature reaches 120F, but that too can fail.
A charger is connected to both the positive and negative terminals of the battery/battery bank. If not, no charging can take place. An internal battery short or one in the cables will send voltage to the charger. That is why many coach builders place a catastrophic fuse or breaker on the positive lead between the inverter/charger and the battery bank.
After experiencing such a failure many years ago, I am a firm believer in doing so. The cost of replacing both the inverter/charger and the battery bank could have been prevented by installing a single catastrophic breaker or fuse.

You two---First it was freezing water pipes (another thread) and now it's overcharged batteries. Hopefully, one of you will learn that differences in opinion aren't terrible and debating personal issues only derails the thread.

The OP hasn't returned so I'd assume that he has resolved a possible non-issue and is happily charging his batteries. If anyone is concerned about over charging their own batteries, the battery Mfg's have all of that data available. IME, over charging two 6V's in series is difficult. Trojan, for instance, specifies a 15 V charge profile. If a battery is charged fully, keeping charge voltage below 13.6 V would not injure a battery. It might use some water over a period of time but that is typical. A battery will only draw as much current as it needs.

There was no insult in anything I posted. All I asked was for information to support your statement, which you failed to supply, as no one could possibly predict it.
I believe its more a case of embarrassment on your part than an insult on mine.
It was and will continue to be a calm discussion as long as credible information is shared.

harold1946 wrote:
Not pointless at all and not a troll.

Yes it IS.

Because you aren't really looking for information or to start a calm and productive discussion; you are only looking to sling insults and stir up trouble.

I will not participate.

Not pointless at all and not a troll. I would like very much to know exactly how much and how long a battery can be safely overcharged. I am sure that many others would like to have the exact perimeters also.

I am not referring to a de-sulfating or equalization charge, which must be done under controlled conditions. Rather the accidental over charging caused by system failure or neglect.

harold1946 wrote:

Just how much and how long does it take to destroy a battery by over charging ?.

Pointless trolling ignored.