Reply To: additives or gadgets to fix or renew batteries

[gordo]

ahhhh battery maint.

its really important that your batteries get to absorb once a week. the bubbling will help keep the sulfating in control.  if your battery bank is too big for your array to get to absorb then i recommend using the generator in the early morning on a sunny day and artifically boost your batteries so you can get to absorb.  also, for battery longevity the 50% mark is fairly conservative.  remember thats manufacture spec.  but they still want to sell more batteries in eight years.  i try not to let mine go below 70%.

since you cant EQ with the inverter/loads.  is your charge controler adjustable.  if so you can just increase parameters of bulk and absorb to the eq level. BUT Only for 2 -4 hours.  then decrease to default.  EQ is basically a controled overcharge.

As for gadgets.  i have had noticable results by using the infinituim battery desulfator.  i took specific gravity of all cells of all batteries befor hooking them up.  on average my cells where at 1.20 or less.  after 3 weeks i was average 1.25.  i checked every morning.  best in the morning, its more accurate because theres no top charge from the day.  my power usage is very consistant.  after a about 5 days i noticed that my specific gravity was starting to randomly improv and in the morning by battery level was just a touch higher.  24v system, in the mornig before desulfator’s my bank would be about 24.4 and 5 days in i was 24.7/8.  after 2 weeks 25.0.  after 3 weeks 25.2 :)

another thing you can do is track down a load tester.  disconnect all batteries from one another and load test each battery on its own.  or disconnect all bateries and use a multi meter.  if you have one battery in poor shape it will draw your other batteries down.  like when your head lamp goes dim and you change one of 3 batteries.  for a moment headlamp is strong then goes dim again.  2 poor batteries draw the one go one down.

another idea for eq/ desulfating is they now make battery chargers with eq and desulfate options you could plug this in to the generator and just clamp on.

 

hope this helps

 

gordo