To have something longer lasting, leave a generous measure of extra time.

We have used the Concorde SunXtender AGM batteries in some of our vehicles with no problems. Check out our most popular AGM battery brands: Universal Power Group, Concorde SunXtender, and Fullriver Battery. These voltages are for batteries that have been at rest for 3 hours or more. How fast can a Sealed Lead Acid rechargeable battery charge? Sometimes ratings at the6 hour rateand100 hour rateare also given for comparison and for different applications. Even after over a century of use, they still offer the best price to power ratio. Also, there is an upper limit - a battery that is continually cycled 5% or less will usually not last as long as one cycled down 10%. Among the regulated chargers, there are the voltage regulated ones, such as Iota Engineering, PowerMax, and others, which keep a constant regulated voltage on the batteries. You can have very strong solution at the bottom, and very weak at the top of the cell. Never add acidto a battery except to replace spilled liquid. The problem is that "golf cart" refers to a size of battery case (commonly called GC-2, or T-105), not the type of construction - so the quality and construction of a golf cart battery can vary considerably - ranging from the cheap off brand with thin plates up to true deep cycle brands, such as Crown, Deka, Trojan, etc.

And, since the internal resistance is extremely low, there is almost no heating of the battery even under heavy charge and discharge currents. battery agm cycle deep lifeline gpl 31t marine volt amp hour batteries rv camper pop ih8mud Age and usage level should be the same as the companion batteries. This gives a very large surface area, but if deep cycled, this sponge will quickly be consumed and fall to the bottom of the cells. You might be thinking I have a 5 Amp appliance that I need to power for 20 hours, so what I need is a 100 Ah battery that was defined as such using the 20 hour rate. Thicker plates are directly related to longer life, so other things being equal, the battery with the thickest plates will last the longest. Finally, we made appropriate changes based on the environmental temperature the battery was likely to be operating in. This happens because at very shallow cycles, the Lead Dioxide tends to build up in clumps on the the positive plates rather in an even film. Click for details. It is aVERYpoor idea to buy new batteries and "save" them for later. The links below are on this page - you can also just scroll down if you want to read them all.

On the other hand, many cars, boats, and RV's are more heavily loaded with power sucking "appliances", such as megawatt stereo systems etc. Occasional dips into the yellow are not harmful, but continual discharges to those levels will shorten battery life considerably. Concorde and some other AGMbatteries are a special case - they can be charged at up the the Cx4 rate, or 400% of the capacity for the bulk charge cycle for a short period.

(They are not totally dry - they are actually filled with acid, the plates formed and charged, then the acid is dumped out).

Click on the small graph to see a full size chart of temperature vs capacity. This is why most industrial batteries have to be checked often for water level if you do not have Hydrocaps. These are some typical (minimum-maximum) expectations for batteries if used in deep cycle service. Practically all batteries used in PV and all but the smallest backup systems are Lead-Acid type batteries. Voltages at this stage are typically around 14.2 to 15.5 volts. That also means that they will not leak acid even if broken. A large insulated battery bank may vary as little as 10 degrees over 24 hours internally, even though the air temperature varies from 20 to 70 degrees. The one issue that Peukerts Law (see above) does not take into account is temperature, it assumes temperature will be around 77F (25C). Unfortunately, battery performance significantly declines in colder conditions. handling calculator shipping

Most of the modern controllers have automatic or manual equalization built in, and many have a LOAD output. Some actual testing was done recently on a battery by one of oursolar forumposters, and these are his results: Bulk Charge- The first stage of 3-stage battery charging. We sell the Concorde (and Lifeline, made by Concorde) AGM batteries. Most flooded batteries should be charged at no more than the "C/8" rate for any sustained period. All we have room for here is a basic overview of batteries commonly used in photovoltaic power systems. Those same batteries are rated at less than 5 years if cycled to 50%. We have seen gelled cells destroyed in one day when overcharged with a large automotive charger. There is a good explanation and demonstration of Internal Resistance here. AGM's do not have any liquid to spill, and even under severe overcharge conditions hydrogen emission is far below the 4% max specified for aircraft and enclosed spaces. If you cannot equalize for some reason, you should let the battery sit for at least 24 hours and then use the hydrometer. Some other disadvantages of gel cells is that they must be charged at a lower voltage (2/10th's less) than flooded or AGM batteries. Batteries do not make electricity, they store it, just as a water tank stores water for future use. For gel cells, subtract .2 volts. Even most "dry charged" batteries (those sold without electrolyte so they can be shipped more easily, with acid added later) will deteriorate over time. The major construction types are flooded (wet), gelled, and sealed AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat). Many have "group" sizes, which is based upon the physical size and terminal placement.

The golf cart battery is quite popular for small systems and RV's. Trojan Battery- not a lot of real technical info here, but has all the specifications.Rolls Battery- Specs and data on the Rolls & Surrette deep cycle and marine batteriesConcorde- specs and data on all the Concorde batteries, including Lifeline.Discover Battery - Lots of info on the Discover Battery brand of batteries.Discover Solar - A solar specific site for the Discover Battery brand.SimpliPhi, Posted in Batteries & Charging. This is true of flooded lead acid and sealed lead acid batteries. If a battery is discharged to 50% every day, it will last about twice as long as if it is cycled to 80% DOD. Most better inverters commonly used in solar electric systems can be set to limit charging current to the batteries. When you first buy a new set of flooded (wet) batteries, you should fully charge and equalize them, and then take a hydrometer reading for future reference. They cannot be fast charged on a conventional automotive charger or they may be permanently damaged. Nearly all AGM batteries are "recombinant" - what that means is that the Oxygen and Hydrogen recombine INSIDE the battery. In general, you get what you pay for. For a pair of golf cart batteries, that would be about a 1 to 5-watt panel - the smaller panel if you get 5 or more hours of sun per day, the larger one for those long cloudy winter days in the Northeast. We learned how to recognizea real deep cycle battery and not a mislabeled starter battery, We checked the discharge rating used by the manufacturer to arrive at their Amp Hour rating, where we determined a 100 Ampere Hour battery (at the 20 hour rating) would power our 5 Amp appliance for the required 20 hours. Lifespan can also be seriously reduced at higher temperatures - most manufacturers state this as a 50% loss in life for every 15 degrees F over a 77 degree cell temperature. that are more suited for deep cycle batteries. It isamps x hours.

This article deals mainly with lead acid batteries and makes reference to the internal design you can find out more about this in the article What is a lead acid battery? AGM batteries are also sometimes called "starved electrolyte" or "dry"because the fiberglass mat is only 95% saturated with Sulfuric acid and there is no excess liquid. As batteries age, their maintenance requirements change.

Deep cycle batteries (also often called Leisure or Marine batteries) are designed to provide a constant current over several hours compared to starter batteries which offer high power for several seconds. All Lead-Acid batteries supply about 2.14 volts per cell (12.6 to 12.8 for a 12 volt battery) when fully charged.

One is that they must be charged at a slower rate (C/20) to prevent excess gas from damaging the cells. To properly check the voltages, the battery should sit at rest for a few hours, or you should put a small load on it, such as a small automotive bulb, for a few minutes. We need to learn a bit about amp-hour ratings for thingslike alternators and battery chargers, and about how to size a battery bank to keep all your gearrunning at its peak performance for as long as you need it to.Starting Batteries and Battery RatingsIts important to understand the different ratings used to determine battery capacity andalso to understand that sometimes battery manufacturers will use specifications thatmay do more to confuse you than actually help in making the right choices. Here is the summary: It is worth knowing that the capacity of all rechargeable batteries decreases with age and deep cycle units are no exception. Absorption Charge: The 2nd stage of 3-stage battery charging. Distilled or deionized water should be used to top off non-sealed batteries. Because of this characteristic, you have to be on the lookout for under handed manufacturers who might try to pull the wool over your eyes. Since all the electrolyte (acid) is contained in the glass mats, they cannot spill, even if broken.

Meters for Amps (from the panels) and battery Volts are optional with most types. This may occur several hundred times per minute. For example, most golf cart batteries are rated for about 550 cycles to 50% discharge - which equates to about 2 years. Fortress Power and Victron Energy Webinar, Electronics Guru Goes Off-Grid with Solar in Baja, Mexico, Alaska Off-Grid Resident Harnesses Energy from the Sun, Northern Utah Residents Outfit Shelter with Solar Power, Couple Converts School Bus into Solar Powered Skooly, Rolls-Surrette premium deep cycle: 7-15 years. Xantrex Morningstar Midnite Solar Outback Power Steca You can find all these brands, as well as others, in our charge controller section. Previously, Ed was chairman of the Marine Technology Department at the New England Institute of Technology. At higher temperatures (over 85 degrees F) this should be reduced to about 2.10 volts per cell. On the table below, you have to be careful that you are not just measuring the surface charge. The self discharge of batteries with Lead-Antimony plates can be high - as much as 1% per day on an older battery.

For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The amp hour rating is usually given at something called the 20 hour rate so a 100Ah battery can power a 5 amp appliance for 20 hours ( 5 amps x 20 hours = 100).

Note that a couple of them are listed as "power trackers" - for a full explanation of this, see our page on "Why 130 watts does not equal 130 watts". The recombining is typically 99+% efficient, so almost no water is lost. At 32F (0C), amp hours drop by 20%, at -22F (-27C), the decrease is 50%. Instead of using the generally accepted 20 hour rate they base their capacity on something higher like a 100 hour rate the battery is capable of powering a 1 amp appliance for 100 hours. Copyright 2022 Northern Arizona Wind & Sun.

Any battery with the capacity shown in CA or MCA may or may not be a true deep-cycle battery. Many inverters and charge controls have a hard time with them. However, there are often ratings for other depth of discharge cycles, the most common ones are 10%, 20%, and 50%. Starter batteries use less lead (the main cost in the production process) because the plates in the cell are thinner. One major disadvantage is that there is a large voltage difference between the fully charged and discharged state. right? Should I upgrade to a Gel Battery for my trolling motor? It is lead acid batteries than can be cranking (designed to deliver short bursts of high energy) or deep cycle.

In the example above, a 120Ah rating would mean the battery rarely runs completely flat, so you will get many more cycles from your purchase. Chargers: Most garage and consumer (automotive) type battery chargers are bulk charge only, and have little (if any) voltage regulation. It appears that the only current source for new cells seems to be from Hungary. Hydrometer readings may not tell the whole story, as it takes a while for the acid to get mixed up in wet cells. Typical self discharge rates for flooded are 5% to 15% per month.

Deep Cycle Battery as a Starting Battery?

Nearly all batteries will not reach full capacity until cycled 10-30 times. A "float" trickle charge should be maintained on the batteries even if they are not used (or, especially if they are not used). As you can see, two batteries, both rated 100 Ah, can perform very differently. The Concorde AGM's are .115", The Rolls-Surrette L-16 type (CH460) is .150", and the US Battery and Trojan L-16 types are .090". Typical BCI codes are group U1, 24, 27, and 31. A new AGM typically self-discharges at about 1-2% per month, while an old one may be as much as 2% per week. What you save on batteries you will have to make up for by buying a larger solar panel system. If you look at the fine print, it has that rating only at 5% DOD - it is much less when used in an application where they are cycled deeper on a regular basis. The most practical number to use is 50% DOD on a regular basis. If your batteries spend part of the year shivering in the cold, the reduced capacity has to be taken into account when sizing the system batteries.

The plates are composed of a Lead "sponge", similar in appearance to a very fine foam sponge.

The major difference between a true deep cycle battery and others is that the plates are SOLID Lead plates - not sponge. Lead-Antimony (such as forklift and floor scrubber) batteries have a much higher self-discharge rate (2-10% per week) than Lead or Lead-Calcium (1-5% per month), but the Antimony improves the mechanical strength of the plates, which is an important factor in electric vehicles. This is not usually a problem with solar electric systems, but if an auxiliary generator or inverter bulk charger is used, current must be limited to the manufacturers specifications. For 24 volt systems multiply by 2, for 48 volt system, multiply by 4. In systems that are continually connected to some type charging source, whether it is solar, wind, or an AC powered charger this is seldom a problem. In that articleI focused on the need to deliver enough amperage to yourappliances, how to measure it, and the need to make sure controls are in place inthe event of a short circuit where too much amperage could flow, causingdamage if the problem isnt dealt with promptly.In this articleIll talkabout amperage again, but this time we need to consider the finite limits in availableamperage on board your boat.

In the hybrid, the plates may be composed of Lead sponge, but it is coarser and heavier than that used in starting batteries. However, one of the biggest killers of batteries is sitting stored in a partly discharged state for a few months. Do not put a new battery in a pack which is more than 6 months old or has more than 75 cycles. Starting batteries are usually rated at "CCA", or cold cranking amps, or "MCA", Marine cranking amps - the same as "CA". This means that the faster a battery is used (discharged), the LOWER the AH capacity. Sometimes the 100 hour rate is given just to make the battery look better than it really is, but it is also useful for figuring battery capacity for long-term backup amp-hour requirements. In rechargeable batteries, this process can be repeated many times. After a full charge, the water level should be even in all cells and usually 1/4" to 1/2" below the bottom of the fill well in the cell (depends on battery size and type). JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Free ground shipping for orders $500+ and $400 flat rate freight shipping on select kits. Copyright 1999-2022 Boats Group. The higher the internal resistance, the higher the losses while charging and discharging, especially at higher currents. Typical efficiency in a lead-acid battery is 85-95%, in alkaline and NiCad battery it is about 65%. It is during this stage that the charger puts out maximum voltage. The battery may short out or it will just last for shorter and shorter periods requiring a replacement purchase long before it should be necessary. We can see this by using a formula known as Peukerts Law: You can work out your own needs using our online Peukerts Law calculator. It will vary from about 2.74 volts per cell (16.4 volts) at -40 C to 2.3 volts per cell (13.8 volts) at 50 C. This is why you should have temperature compensation on your charger or charge control if your batteries are outside and/or subject to wide temperature variations. Automotive batteries typically have plates about .040" (4/100") thick, while forklift batteries may have plates more than 1/4" (.265" for example in larger Rolls-Surrette) thick - almost 7 times as thick as auto batteries. If plates are damaged, sulfated, or partially gone from long use, the battery may give theappearanceof being fully charged, but in reality acts like a battery of much smaller size. Battery capacity (how many amp-hours it can hold) is reduced as temperature goes down, and increased as temperature goes up. For the purposes of this article however well stick with 120Ah.

Charging at 15.5 volts will give you a 100% charge on Lead-Acid batteries.

Deep Cycle Battery as a Starting Battery. This means that they can sit in storage for much longer periods without charging than standard batteries. Some battery types, such as lithium ion batteries, are only deep cycle and so are not labelled as such.

Thin plates (used in starter batteries) buckle under these circumstances causing the battery to short out or limiting its ability to recharge. The correct term is deep cycle. Most industrial (fork lift) deep-cycle batteries use Lead-Antimony plates rather than the Lead-Calcium used in AGM or gelled deep-cycle batteries and in automotive starting batteries. Float and charging voltages for gelled batteries are usually about 2/10th volt less than for flooded to reduce water loss. AGM's will cost about 1.5 to 2 times as much as flooded batteries of the same capacity. These are nearly all various variations of Lead-Acid batteries. Deep cycle batteries are designed to be discharged down as much as 80% time after time and have much thicker plates. This slide of hand can have a big impact on how long a battery can power various appliances. In a recent article on boats.com I talked about amperes in your boats electricalsystem.

At freezing, capacity is reduced by 20%. There is no "correct" voltage for bulk charging, but there may be limits on the maximum current that the battery and/or wiring can take. The best determination is to measure the specific gravity, but in many batteries this is difficult or impossible. AGM and gelled should be equalized 2-4 times a year at most - check the manufacturers recommendations, especially on gelled. Batteries come in all different sizes. Here are some typical battery capacities from the manufacturers data sheets: (figured at 10.5 volts = fully discharged, and 77 degrees F). To get a full charge, you must continue to apply a current after the battery voltage reaches the cutoff point of most of these types of controllers. Float Charge: The 3rd stage of 3-stage battery charging. That also means that they will not leak acid even if broken.

Either replace with all new or use a good used battery. Industrial deep cycle (Crown and Rolls 4KS series): 10-20+ years. These are usually special purpose "float service", but often appear on the surplus market as "deep cycle". Top 10 Choices for Boaters, 11 Holiday Gift Ideas For Boaters This Season, 10 Cool Last Minute Holiday Gifts for Boaters. The Crown L-16HC size has .22" thick plates. There is a great deal of misunderstanding that surrounds deep cycle batteries, which often leads to extra costs as buyers follow false economies.

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