| Author | Message | ||
| Doyle Gaither (Texasborderdude)
Registered Member Username: Texasborderdude Post Number: 36 Registered: 3-2007 Posted From: 24.92.127.70 Rating: N/A |
What is the "normal" (maximum/minimum) voltage range of your house batteries? When can you tell if they are fully charged? Is it when they're over 13v and the charge rate on your inverter (charger) goes down to single digits? What's the lowest (safe) voltage you want to discharge your batteries to? 11.25v? Thanks, dg | ||
| Edward J. Sommers (Sommersed)
Registered Member Username: Sommersed Post Number: 24 Registered: 10-2004 Posted From: 148.78.245.12 Rating: N/A |
That all depends on what brand of batts you have. I have Trojan t-105's and Trojan recommends taking them to 14.8 and hold them there for 2.5 to 3 hours and then letting them drop to 13.2. Please take into consideration that I charge by solar panels with a charge controller of course. However, in general a battery that is fully charged, and while charging, needs to get to around 14.2 volts to be fully charged. They can be taken down to around 11.8 before any long range problems may arise. I have NEVER had mine below 12.1 as indicated during use (discharge), which means the next morning reading will be 12.2 to 12.4 depending on the RATE of discharge the prior evening. | ||
| Kyle Brandt (Kyle4501)
Registered Member Username: Kyle4501 Post Number: 318 Registered: 9-2004 Posted From: 65.23.106.193 Rating: N/A |
Here are 2 great sources for information about batteries & charging them. There is lots to learn, but once you get a good understanding, it all makes sense & it will be easier to get great service from your batteries. http://www.phrannie.org/battery.html http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden// Here's another http://www.purplebear.com/busnuts/bus_elec.html (Message edited by kyle4501 on April 19, 2007) (Message edited by kyle4501 on April 19, 2007) | ||
| Tom Christman (Tchristman)
Registered Member Username: Tchristman Post Number: 2 Registered: 1-2006 Posted From: 66.218.33.156 Rating: N/A |
For maximum life, batteries should be charged at 12.0v. Dead is considered 10.0v. Good Luck, TomC | ||
| George M. Todd (George_mc6)
Registered Member Username: George_mc6 Post Number: 130 Registered: 8-2006 Posted From: 207.231.81.49 Rating: N/A |
Doyle, I have to disagree politely with the previous post. A fully charged lead/acid battery will read 12.56 volts, after the "surface charge" has dissipated. If you look at a 12 volt battery in a running vehicle, the charging system will put out between 13.9 and 14.2 volts, a 24 volt system usually will have the regulator set at 28.0 volts. Yes, a 12 volt battery is really discharged at 10.0 volts, but 12.0 volts won't charge a 12 volt battery at all! HTH George | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess)
Registered Member Username: Sffess Post Number: 695 Registered: 1-2002 Posted From: 67.142.130.35 Rating: N/A |
12.65 to 12.7 volts on a sitting battery after surface charge is dissapated. I would not buy a battery that had a resting charge level below 12.6. It is no longer fresh. | ||
| Stephen Fessenden (Sffess)
Registered Member Username: Sffess Post Number: 696 Registered: 1-2002 Posted From: 67.142.130.35 Rating: N/A |
Maybe it is a matter of temperature. I was giving warm weather voltages. | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 549 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.1.180.218 Rating: N/A |
Just "our way", but we never let the batteries get below 12.0 volts. If charging from the inverter via the generator, we stop charging when the Inverter panel show voltage of >14 and the charging amps are <10 amps. This means we usually run generator about 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the evening. YMMV, Jack | ||
| joe padberg (Joemc7ab)
Registered Member Username: Joemc7ab Post Number: 101 Registered: 6-2004 Posted From: 66.38.159.33 Rating: N/A |
Doyle After you have absorbed the first two referenced by Kyle, you will know as much or likely more than the guy that sells batteries for a living. Joe. | ||
| R.C.Bishop (Chuckllb)
Registered Member Username: Chuckllb Post Number: 128 Registered: 7-2006 Posted From: 4.240.213.229 Rating: N/A |
Jack.... curiosity....how does one "never let the batteries get below 12.0 volts"? If one has a situation that the "next morning" batteries are reading 11.8 or so due to use of whatever over night, can that be avoided?.. We do the same as you with genset, but depending....the reading may...or may not be 12.0 volts when we start. We have 2 solar units, with controllers, and batteries, all 9, are relatively new (under 2 years) but from time to time, it seems like we go less than we would care to do with voltage. Just seems to ba a fact of life the way we travel.  Normal readings are 13.3-4 as we are charging whether powerpole or genset....solar, usually around 12.6. Thanx, RCB | ||
| Jack Conrad (Jackconrad)
Registered Member Username: Jackconrad Post Number: 552 Registered: 12-2000 Posted From: 76.1.180.218 Rating: N/A |
First, we may occasionally be at 11.8 or so. Our meter is an LED bar graph type, with an LED for 11.5 and the next LED is 12.0. The 12 volt LED is alway on when we get up in the morning. We have 8 6volt golf cart batteries for our house bank. When we get up in the morning the inverter remote always shows 12 volt. We charge for 2 hours. By late afternoon, the batteries are once again at 12 volt, we charge. We do not use a lot of electric when dry camping. We spend almost all day outside and only watch TV a couple hours in the evening. Because our microwave is also a convection oven, it is not wired through our inverter (30 minutes of convevtion oven use would drain our batteries). So I guess it is a combination of a large battery bank and low electric use. Jack | ||
| joe padberg (Joemc7ab)
Registered Member Username: Joemc7ab Post Number: 103 Registered: 6-2004 Posted From: 66.38.159.33 Rating: N/A |
RCB solar, usually around 12.6.... Is it possible that your solar setup is not putting out? If it is actively charging, I would expect a higher reading. Are you able to monitor charge current? Joe. |