I am planning to store my 2020 Vita 24P outside while in AZ from Nov-April.
If I turn batteries off via switch, how often would I have to charge them. I have 2x100 watt solar panels, but not sure of amount of time until they would need to be charged up again. Just trying to get an approximation. Alternative would be to store inside and keep plugged in. Just a matter of costs.
Location: Sarnialabad, Peoples Republik of Canuckistan
Posts: 1,266
I think the panels will keep them charged, whether you disable them at the switch or not. I don't think the solar cares about the batery enable/disable switch. Others may know for sure.
The solar panels will keep your coach batteries charged up. Maybe install a jumper to also keep the chassis batteries charged. Or if the switch that is usually on the dashboard that connects the coach to the chassis batteries for help starting is not a momentary contact type, then that will keep them all charged.
Or if the switch that is usually on the dashboard that connects the coach to the chassis batteries for help starting is not a momentary contact type, then that will keep them all charged.
Pretty sure the Aux Switch that connects the house to the starting battery is always a momentary switch. However, as part of that system of solenoids some setups have a solenoid called a B.i.R.D. (Bi-Directional Isolator Relay Delay) device that will connect the two battery banks together based on the charge level.
When your RV has this device and the house batteries are being actively charged some of the charging current goes to the chassis (starting) battery.
Not all RVs have this, and due to the battery disconnect it's really not all that needed in storage. It's mostly needed when you are on trips and plugged into shore power.
My RV has 300w of solar and no matter how long it's been in outside storage the batteries are always at 100% state of charge when I go to pick up the RV.
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2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
Yes, I would not expect to find anything other than momentary as otherwise we would be defeating the purpose of the boost switch and put ourselves in the position of running both start and coach batteries down at the same time.
Unfortunately the current group of Rv comes with a very brief form of online drawings and it doesn't allow for looking at how they are really wired, wire by wire, as the older models do.
Some testing would seem to be needed to decide how best to work the question. One way to reduce the power lost due to parasitic drains like CO and propane detectors and such is to turn off the coach battery disconnect but that brings the question of whether that also cuts off the solar charging input. I suspect it might but the I did not spot any solar on the drawings, so we are left guessing until somebody has tested the idea.
For my use, I would like to look things over in the RV at least every 4-6 weeks, just to try to head off some big headaches if something is beginning to go wrong. We like to do a bit of walkthrough, check for leaks, windows left open, batteries running down, etc. and while doing that I run the engine to warm and check the battery water while waiting. Just kind of because I've got the time at that moment and would rather find and fix things rather than when we have a trip planned. Rodents, bugs, and gremlins all like to sneak in when we are not watching!
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Richard
Why no RV year, make and floorplan on MY signature as we suggest for others?
I currently DO NOT have one!
Yes to solar when storing your rv - and we would also say yes to a "pulsing" charger
If your RV is stored outside and you have solar panels... YOU ARE IN LUCK!
Your solar controller will regulate the amount of voltage and current to keep your house batteries charged.
As for your engine batteries getting charged while in storage, that would depend on your coach wiring; and if you have what is commonly called a Battery Isolator or a Voltage Sensitive Relay (VSR) or Battery Combiner. They all are designed to allow your engine alternator charge your house batteries, but it also works with solar controllers to keep your house and engine batteries charged when in outdoor storage (with sunshine).
These things connect the positive terminal of your house batteries to the positive terminal of your engine battery... thus allowing your solar controller to charge your house battery (when the sun is out) and charge your engine battery when your voltage is above 13.3V.
Here's one we recommend by KeyLine for $85... and we recommend you don't buy the knockoff VSR by other manufactures. KeyLine held the patent until it ran out a few years ago. So when you buy the KeyLine brand you get time-tested and "proven" vendors, which is important when you hook anything to your battery bank (aka welding machine).
And since we are talking about battery charging/maintaining, I also strongly suggest you get one of these battery "pulse" chargers that you can run from time to time when you are camping. Why? ...Most house batteries are not properly charged (or fully charged) so you when you need to "repair" your house batteries using the "pulse" function.
TIP: Since you house batteries have 200+ AH (my 4-GC2-6V Trojans have 430) we recommend you "pulse" your house battery bank with the solar panels switched on. This will send 14.2V to your battery bank and the "pulse" repair function will de-sulfate your poorly maintained bank of batteries so you can hopefully get another 1-2 years out of them.
Here's the Amazon link to the "pulse" charger we ordered for $36:
This month (July-2020) my 2 year old house battery bank, consisting of 4-6V-GC2 batteries) was so sulfated my Onan 7500QD Generator threw a Fault Code #46 that I could not clear. This is a "low voltage" fault code. ...And to fix it, some Onan shops said Fault Code #46 was also an inverter board failure code, and the only way to clear the fault code was to replace the inverter board for $2,000 + $600 in labor. And they warned me about how my generator with 46FC could damage my AC appliances.
...Maybe so, but my AC power was steady at 123V on my meter and there was no way I was going to spend $2,800 on a working generator.
...So I ordered this pulse charger with nothing to loose; and guess what? ...NO MORE FAULT CODES OF ANY KIND!!!
Here's the interesting thing: My 6V batteries tested good. They also passed the hydrometer test per battery cell and they passed the load test (each one of them) when I took the batteries to Interstate Battery. So why is that?
I learned that a hydrometer does not indicated stored energy (which we call Amp-Hours). And that the load test is just testing for shorts. Now you would think it would find a dead or weak cell, but it turns out these load test machines are designed for 12V battery technology and can, like it did in my case, PASS the battery instead of FAIL.
Only the "pulse" charger worked!
Note: When you pass amps through a battery bank you need to divide that total current by the number of batteries in you bank. I.e., when you put 80A into a bank of 4-6V-GC2-Golf Cart batteries, when each battery is getting 20A. (80/4=20) ...And each cell is getting 1/3 of that since there are three 2V battery cells in a 6V battery. So each cell was getting 20/3 or ~7 amps of charge. And that's a lot of amps/cell. So the best battery charger is in your inverter, but an even better/smarter battery charger is a Converter if you have one.
Golf cart batteries also have thicker battery cell plates vs. 12 batteries, so they can take more abuse, but don't be fooled by fast chargers that tout 100% SOC, because there is no such thing after 1 year of abusing your house batteries on the road (for reasons I will not go into now). Suffice it to say, batteries start loosing their SOC from the day they leave the factory; an in your RV, I don't know about you, but I'm getting tired of replacing my house batteries every 2-3 years!!! So I hope this "pulsing technology" works!!!
And here my point when it comes to fixing a heavily sulfated battery: You need high voltage (14.2-15V) to break off the sulfates that have accumulated on your battery plates. ...After all, when you are pushing AMPs into a battery over time then you are putting AMP-HOURS back in your battery. (Make sense now?)
The problem is that too many amps can also warp or damage battery plates. So you need a high amp charger to bring your batteries back up to 90% SOC; and you need "pulse" technology to help de-sulfate your batteries over a 24 hour period. And I would venture to say you need to do this often, but I'm not a battery expert even though I pretend to be on in this post.
The thing is this: Batteries like a slow charge for a long period of time, but most of us don't have time when we are camping here and there. And these pulse chargers cannot push enough amps through your battery while it is "pulsing" the sh*T out of the battery bank. ...So that's where your solar controller comes in, because it will create the voltage for you; at the same time you are "pulsing" the batteries to repair them (de-sulfate them).
Note: This is a good time to mention, we pulse out batteries with the inverter and the inverter/charger turned off when we are camping and have AC power.
I would also venture to say: Most RV batteries are abused, which means they get charged too fast or not all the way. Then they are not "equalized" properly and often left in storage to be drained down... down... down!
In storage you either need AC power to hook up a battery tender or you need solar power to help keep your batteries in decent shape!
*** And if you don't have AC or solar when you store you coach... the next best thing to go is this: PHYSICALLY disconnect your battery positive terminal and hope it maintains at least 30-40% State Of Charge (SOC) when you pull your RV out of storage in 6 months time.
All batteries will bleed-off Amps when sitting. And for some reason 6V golf cart batteries bleed-off faster than 12V engine batteries or Hybrid batteries.
*** And if you do find your engine battery is dead, and you plan to use your tow car to jump it, I highly recommend you do NOT use your battery boost switch with the Generator Running!!! This creates a direct path through your Battery Boost Solenoid to your generator control board and you don't want any current spikes heading in that direction!!!
*** The last think I will say is this. I have a sweet, sheltered, and cheap RV parking stall to store my RV and tow car (6-8 months), but there is no AC power to hook-up a battery tender. ...And when I retrieved my RV from storage in 2020 both the house and engine batteries were dead-dead-dead.
I spent 3 hours trying to get s tow truck with a big enough charging system to give me a jump, after I tries unsuccessfully to use my tow car for a jump. Why? Answer: I could not push enough current through those dead-dead-batteries to start the RV diesel engine.
*** The diesel tow truck company charged me $300 and we barely got the engine to turn over.
*** My insurance company (The Hartford) reimbursed me, which was another hour of effort, but the whole process was very hard on my RV power grid... to say nothing about trying to make my batteries usable again!!!
*** So this season, I'm think I may park my RV outside where I can get some sunshine on my solar panels to keep my battery charged.
I hope this information covers all the important bases to help you decide how to store your RV -- so you do not shorten the live of your batteries costing $800 or even ruin them -- because you don't have a AC power for a battery tender when in storage. And when your RV is not in storage, I highly recommend you use a "pulse" charger to help desulfate your batteries!!! ...Just be sure to remove the vent caps to let the gasses evaporate out of the battery.
TRUTH: I'm tired of replacing my house batteries every 2-3 years! ...And very year my available amp-hours (SOC) gets less and less. So I am looking for a solution and I don't know if this pulsing technology is the answer or not? ...So may someone out there can tell us what their experiences have been using a Pulse-Charger to de-sulfate and/or repair their batteries?
1. You gen start is super likely to be made from your Chassis batteries - not your house batteries. So, that whole part about charging the house batteries to get your genset going is kind of baffling to me.
2. Pulse Charging? A super inexpensive "pulse charger" brought your batteries back. Really? Your VSR specs are nearly identical to the BIM WBGO uses currently. Chassis batteries charged by a VSR? Pretty sure Winnebago uses a BIM relay but that it didn't work to connect chassis batteries to house batteries for chargeing 16 years ago and folks including WBGO recommended Trik-L-Starts. for that.
I'm pretty much with you for everything else, except this:
Quote:
I learned that a hydrometer does not indicated stored energy
Well, true it doesn't give you "amp hours" but it does give you state of charge and if you have 400 aH and a 60% SOC then you have 240 aH. However, it does it PER CELL. So, you have to look at all the cells in a battery and make your calculations on the lowest reading cell.
I'm with you that some solar charging during storage can be a big help to avoid dead, damaged and sulfated batteries.
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2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
My early year 2004 "Horizon" did NOT come with the B.I.R.D. but the later 2004 Horizon model and every year after that did (or some other like battery combiner).
So I installed a KeyLine VSR about 5 years ago when I bought my RV. It was $140 back then, but with their patent running out... competition has driving the price down to $85 and you have to supply your own battery cables, which is better if you ask me.
Keyline calls it a Battery Isolator or a VSR. No mater to me as it has worked flawlessly and I could not live without it. (Especially since I have a residential refrigerator to keep powered-up on the road.) And with the KeyLine VSR the extra plus is that both my house and my engine batteries will charge when the sun is shining! Albeit very slow, but who cares when your coach is in storage?
The solar controller is like a dump charger with safety switch built in. I.e., if the battery will take the charge it will produce more amps... with enough sunlight of course.
I learned a lot this summer about battery technology, but I'm still learning about the symptoms of a sulfated battery that test "okay."
Turns out, deep cycle batteries don't follow the norm we are use to with 12V engine batteries. So I think it's possible many of us are prematurely replacing our house batteries due to sulfation, shorts from over charging, and/or just plain no life, which is what I was dealing with this summer.
...But yes, I did find references to hydrometers; and to clarify:
* Hydrometers are the best way to verify the voltage of each cell, but the hydrometer will not tell you how much charge is stored in each cell. And we call the later State Of Charge (SOC).
* And if your battery cell has a short then the voltage will be low. And this is the most common condition that leads us to throw a battery away. So a hydrometer will verify this... at which point no one cares about the other cells or SOC. ...And then the owner invests in another $500-$700 bank of lead acid batteries or upgrades to AGM at a higher cost just to prolong the life. ...And as far Li-Ion is concerned, this technology is still to rich for my blood!
So I'm all about trying to find a way to extend my house battery life and I would think 99% of RV owners out there would be too if the solution bit them in the ass. But you never know!
You might ask: Why aren't the battery manufactures publishing more information about this "pulsing"battery technology if it helps to extend the life of our batteries?
...And the answer you are looking for is right there... in the question. I.e., why would a battery manufacture do that? They're objective is to sell you more batteries. Right?
ENTER THE CHINESE MANUFACTURES
These guys understand inverter and battery technology and they have a huge market in their country. They also believe in Darwinian business theory, but I think of them more as "army ants" when it comes to market factors.
WHAT'S THE UPSIDE
We may now have a $36 solution that will extend our house battery life by 1-2 years? ...Or so I intend to find out!
WHY ISN'T A REPUTABLE COMPANY LIKE PROGRESSIVE DYNAMICS GETTING INTO THIS BUSINESS?
...Maybe they already are, but they aren't saying how their Wizard Technology works.
This what I just poached off their website:
BOOST Mode 14.4 Volts – Rapidly brings the RV battery up to 90% of full charge.
NORMAL Mode 13.6 Volts – Safely completes the charge.
STORAGE Mode 13.2 Volts – Maintains charge with minimal gassing or water loss.
EQUALIZATION Mode 14.4 Volts – Every 21 hours for a period of 15 minutes prevents battery stratification & sulfation – the leading cause of battery failure.
Notice how often they "Equalize" and de-sufate the batteries. It says this step occurs every 21 hours for 15 minutes.
Now if I compare that to my inverter/charger the "equalizes" every 10 charging cycles I can now see why my batteries are only lasting 2-3 years.
The Wizard claims 2-3x longer battery life.
So what if we can dublicate that by using a "pulse" charger? ...And I think, in conjunction with solar power to drive the current up, we might have a worthwhile $36 upgrade. TBD.
There are reports of people leaving this pulse charger connected all the time. That's interesting. It makes me think of this possibility:
* Can you connect the "pulse" charger when you are driving? ...And let the inverter power the charger?
Sorry if I'm hyjacking this thread. I didn't mean to. The OP was asking about using solar to recharge his battery bank when in storage. However, if I sufficiently covered that point, I hope no one minds me introducing another Battery repair subject we all are concerned about: How to extend the life of our house batteries?
I'm not sure which parts are ads and which are personal experience or just passing on what is read but I will post some thoughts based on my years working with batteries in industries that really want their batteries to last a very long time as they cost in the thousands to replace!
Remote sites like repeater stations and microwave towers are often in areas where power is likely to be interrupted and they are also in areas where getting to them may take hours or a helicopter to get to them. Many of these sites carry extremely critical comm lines like to missle sites and military bases. Bottom line is they go to a great deal of trouble to keep their batteries in the best possible shape and they spend lots of money for the best equipment and personnel they can find.
They do not use a pulse charge of any sort, they do take and spend lots of time analyzing specific gravity readings which are taken every month on every cell.
As far as I know, there is only one way to make a good battery last a long time and it does not involve any of the "new solutions" mentioned above.
Point of reference for how reliable this info?
Quote:
* Hydrometers are the best way to verify the voltage of each cell, but the hydrometer will not tell you how much charge is stored in each cell.
Consider that statement and compare it to what you know about a hydrometer and what it tells you. I have never seen a hydrometer reading posted as a voltage!
The Wizard claims 2-3x longer battery life.
Maybe we should all ask if this is the same as the "Wizard from OZ"? If I remember he was not that impressive on a closer look!
__________________
Richard
Why no RV year, make and floorplan on MY signature as we suggest for others?
I currently DO NOT have one!
But, IF we’re on shoreline power, with the coach disconnect switch to ON, and the key In the ignition is in the FIRST position, (with no dash lights on or anything in regards to the engine gauges), ALL batteries—coach and engine get charged. And if you have a three stage charger, (with float mode), you shouldn’t have to worry about overcharging them—it’s akin to a trickle charger.
Now, none of us have any idea how your solar is wired into all of this, so it’s up to you to try it out on solar, and measure the charging at the coach and starter batteries.
Other issue with my deal is, you’d have to leave your key in the RV’s ignition. Works for me at home, because mine’s in the driveway, and I just turn on the key and in the rig every week or two. That, might not be an option for you.
imnprsd, only Flooded Lead Acid batteries require Equalizing.
AGMs usually prohibit the practice and Lithium batteries have built in BMS devices to balance all the cells of the battery.
Pulse charging isn't all that new or special and it ONLY applies to Flooded Lead Acid batteries. If you've got some damaged 6v golf cart batteries it may be just the ticket. But for the rest of us with relatively fresh batteries that have not been abused or more likely are AGMs it's a non-issue.
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2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
This is what happens to when you try to put a spot light on something that is "new" to me/us and MAY BE OF SOME HELP. ...The naysayers come out and expose themselves.
Wyatt: When you add solar panels to your roof it has nothing to do with a key-ingnition system. You just let the solar controller do it's magic and when your RV is in outdoor storage (with sun) you will be able to return to your RV 6+ months later and the engine will start!
Morich: Your personal experiences are noteworthy. I enjoyed reading about them, because "Who knew?"
Can you tell us were "pulse" chargers are being used and how effective they are?
And I'm currious: Back in the day, did they offer a pluse-charger, let alone a solar pulse charger/battery maintainer?
As for battery hydrometer measuring voltage, you know it measures specific gravity of the electrolyte: so why are you trying to "muddy" the message and/or discredit me/ Then you look at a conversion chart to determine your voltage/cell. Anyone can google it for more information.
As for battery maintainers, they all seem to use "pulse" technology in on way or another and claim 3-4x longer battery life. Is this really the case? I do not know, but all these products are getting favorable reviews; and if I find they extend my 2-year house batteries by +1 more year, then I'm on board! ...And the rest of you can just look at your RV from your living room window, while you sling mud on forum sites like this one.
After reading the excellent posts above, I got to thinking about charging solenoids, ACRs, battery combiners, etc.
I come from a boating background and am just now getting up to speed on newer Class As which have complex AC and DC management systems. In the boating world, we routinely use combiners, ACRs or VSRs instead of ignition activated solenoids such are found on most RVs. Probably because we want the connection to work both ways, not just from the chassis starting battery while the engine is running.
A few years ago, I was helping a friend add batteries and a solar system to his 2005 Winnie Class A. We measured the voltage of the coach batteries, started the coach engine and noticed no change in voltage at the coach batteries which indicated the charging solenoid wasn't working.
Instead of tracking down the problem and possibly replacing the solenoid for maybe $20, we decided to install a battery combiner, one made and sold by Yandina for $65. First a plug for Yandina which is a single employee type of company that makes these and used to sell them through West Marine. Yandina.com. They have good stuff and offer a lifetime warranty on them.
So with the combiner (VSR or ACR) which pulls in its relay when either the house or starting bank is showing 13.2 volts and drops out when the voltage drops to 12.8, the batteries will get charged either way. That is much better than the one way charging of the ignition triggered solenoid.
So if you ever are faced with a bad ignition triggered solenoid, consider one of these.
Not much for me to add except that the original, low wattage solar panel that came with my 2002 Suncruiser 35U is still keeping my two golf cart batteries charged while in outside storage (battery disconnect switch "off").
The chassis battery is charged via an Amp-L-Start (Trik-L-Start's big brother). It's not clear to me if your batteries are "flooded" or not but I also have a Flow-Rite battery watering system to facilitate keeping my flooded batteries filled. It's not automatic and requires periodic checking but it makes the fill process a lot simpler.
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Bob C
2002 Itasca Suncruiser 35U
Workhorse Chassis
This is what happens to when you try to put a spot light on something that is "new" to me/us and MAY BE OF SOME HELP. ...The naysayers come out and expose themselves.
Wyatt: When you add solar panels to your roof it has nothing to do with a key-ingnition system. You just let the solar controller do it's magic and when your RV is in outdoor storage (with sun) you will be able to return to your RV 6+ months later and the engine will start!.
Wyatt: All good deeds are appreciated. I did not mean to lump you in with the naysayers. My apologies if it looked like I did.
What I am trying to find out is more about these battery pluse-chargers and what their magic does?
We know about the basic 3 stage charger, but then some talk about adding an "equalize" mode as a 4th stage, and others market 5 or even 7 stages in an attempt to signal they have a very smart charger than the other guys.
Turns out, the old style "dump charger" can be be most effective, but it's not automatic. So on one hand you have methods to optimally change a battery and on the other we have how to safely charge a battery. ...And here I am talking about battery "pulse" technology in an attempt to find out what is the best way to MAINTAIN your battery to achieve longer battery life.
It sounds like these pulse chargers do not rely on AMPS or Super High Voltage to de-sulfate a battery. Instead they use a pulse (analogous to a frequency, meaning voltage change over time) to de-sulfate the battery.
My physics is very rusty, but I think we are talking about a "HALL EFFECT" which I don't fully understand. However, I think one of the principles here is that an electron cannot migrate (current flow) unless there is a "hole" for that electron to move into. And de-sulfating a battery helps open up those holes??? ...Is this right?
Are there any professors out there who can better explain how battery maintainer or pulse-chargers work?
BATTERY CONCEPTS AS I THINK OF THEM
Lets remember that Voltage is a "potential difference" between opposite charges. I.e., you need a positive and negative point to measure this potential difference.
This is different than a batteries ability to STORE energy. I.e., measuring voltage may or may not tell you if a battery cell has any "life" in it. However, a sort will be obvious.
And measuring voltage alone will not necessarily tell you the State Of Charge (SOC) which is an INDICATION on how much current (amps) is stored in the battery or how efficiently current will flows in and out of the battery.
So when our batteries die due to old age or sulfation issues; due to improper charging; or lack of maintaining a battery; how do you measure that? And the answer is in how long your batteries last under load.
So now the question becomes: How to do get longer life out of my house batteries?
...And I think the revelation I am coming to is this: It's not enough to rely on your Converter/Charger if you want the longest battery life possible. In addition to properly charging your battery you need to properly maintain it. And one way to do that is to buy a solar battery maintainer or use a pulse-charger.
DRAWBACKS
* These pulse-chargers are preset for 24 hour cycles. You turn it on and it turns itself off 24 hours later. So these cheap things are manual and not automatic. I.e., less than smart. So when you use these you have to guess on how long to run them. And no one has posted any guidelines so this new stuff for most of us. Fortunately, I don't think can over-pulse a battery, but maybe you can? I think its more likely you will not pulse enough, because you have to physically hook the damn thing up when you are camping and then pulse every other day you are camping (let's say). But for $36 who can complain?
* The solar battery maintainer will only work when there is sunlight, but that switching on and off maybe beneficial. IDK.
* Obviously you have to be in the sun for these solar battery maintainers to work, but because it's always working when you are in the sun, then that sound's almost automatic to me! So this sounds like a good idea if $210 for this solution doesn't cause you too much anxiety?
UPSIDE
* Pulse-Chargers are cheap and can be use when you have shore power in your camping spot.
UNKNOWNS
* If pulse-chargers are beneficial when running on shore power, can I run a pulse charger off my inverter when I am traveling on the road? ...Or should I just invest in a solar battery maintainer and that is the simplest way to go?
I think the solar pulse charge makes the most sense, but it's another $210 you have to throw at your RV and all these upgrades add up.
Suggestion: If you have a birthday coming up you might want to drop a suggestion here and there and we all win!
WHO OUT THERE IS USING A SOLAR BATTERY MAINTAINER AND WHAT DO YOU THINK?
* To those of you who say I am over thinking this... you are right! ...But you are not the one who is looking at buying a 3rd set of house batteries over the last 5 years!
...And because I'm over thinking this, maybe some other people will benefit?
Who knows? One can only try to be helpful.
It sounds like these pulse chargers do not rely on AMPS or Super High Voltage to de-sulfate a battery. Instead they use a pulse... to de-sulfate the battery.
After you posted about Pulse chargers I did some looking at sites that sell these chargers so I could learn more. But unlike what you've just said (quoted above) they said the Pulse was a higher voltage than a normal charger - one that if maintained over time would be dangerous, but because the "pulse" isn't very long that it helped remove sulfation and didn't hurt the battery.
They showed voltages of 15 - 16+ v being applied.
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2017 Winnebago Adventurer 37F
2016 Lincoln MKX Toad
creativepart: One difference between what you are reading (and the mud you are slinging) is that I am using a pulse-charger and voltmeter as I write this post; and you are out there trying to find exceptions wherever you can.
Now if you can state facts I'm all ears.
For example, FACT: Using the pulse-charger, I ordered on Amazon and posted a link to previously, and I measure 13.0V while the charger is pulsing.
The pulse functions for 24 hours and then turns off and there does not seem to be any sensing technology to it. I.e., I don't know if it's possible to over-pulse a battery or not? I tend to think these 6V goft cart batteries are built tough and need more boost vs. 12 car start batteries. That's why I think using your inverter or solar panel to charge the battery, while the pulsing-action is work might be best. IDK!
Note: When in charge mode the most this battery pulse-charger puts out is 8A so I can't imagine how that will negatively affect my 430AH bank of batteries no matter how long it runs. Can you?
I just think you could have framed your response in a question instead of trying to discredit the subject you obviously know nothing about.
...But I don't want to sound too harsh. We all are learning, so please bare with me as I keep you and everyone else posted on the success or failure of my field experiment.
FACT: My house batteries are only 2.5 years old and test good in every way. However, they cannot sustain a load. Specifically, 2 months ago they would not last through the evening, and then my inverter would shut down.
Most people will say it's time to replace my bank of 4-6V-GC2 golf cart batteries, which is about $500 these days. So I'm invested in finding out if this is indeed needed? TBD
I hope to report this new to me "pulse" charger works, but it's also possible it will not "repair" my house battery bank and I will have to buy new batteries. So please sit tight and lets see what becomes of this field study.
The subjects are:
1) Can a pulse-charger "repair" my sulfated battery bank and bring it back to life?
2) If I start using a pulse-charger to MAINTAIN my battery bank, will I get another year or two of life out of the batteries I already own?
And frankly, I can' imagine the reasons why everyone would not be rooting for $36-$210 solution! ...And if it doesn't work then we all will know that too! Either way I hope you see it as a win and a benefit of using this forum.
Linear Mode
