Single 0-volt 100% discharge.

[Hayden Watson]

I unknowingly had a small load left on with a brand new Interstate Group 24 battery. When I went back out, the multi-meter read 0-volts and I needed to put a jump on it just to tell the charger which way was positive.

So how much damage have I done?

 

[Maine Sail]

I unknowingly had a small load left on with a brand new Interstate Group 24 battery. When I went back out, the multi-meter read 0-volts and I needed to put a jump on it just to tell the charger which way was positive.

So how much damage have I done?

You will have lost some significant capacity if not ruined the battery. 10.5V is considered zero capacity and 0V is considered murder.... Still charge it, equalize it and see what happens..

 

[centerline]

I see this happen ALL the time in my field of work...

many batteries, if in good condition to begin with, will survive this once or twice and still be usable for several years, but with diminished capacity that you may or may not notice depending on how you cycle the battery....
how much damage has been done is difficult to determine without a few hours of testing, that would actually be worth more than a new battery costs.

Like Maine Sail already said, charge it up good and proper and use it and see if you notice a problem that you cant live with.... I doubt if you will notice anything different.

batteries in general, like people, all have different lifespans for whatever reasons. sometimes is how they are treated, sometimes its the enviroment they live in, sometimes its what they are fed, sometimes its determined by an accident, and sometimes the life span is determined by how they were put together at the time they were born.... we dont always know why some survive conditions that others will perish in.... take a little care while trying to revive it and see what happens

 

[Hayden Watson]

You will have lost some significant capacity if not ruined the battery. 10.5V is considered zero capacity and 0V is considered murder.... Still charge it, equalize it and see what happens..

This battery is actually on my brand new RV. (sorry I know this is a boat forum but is far and a way the best place for all things 12V.) My challenge is that I was planning to install a second matching battery in parallel and now I am unsurtain what to do.

I am also installing a battery disconnect for storage.

 

[Bill Roosa]

All I'd add to the OP is develop a routine or check list that you always follow when leaving the boat so "that stuff don't happen" again. Also consider plumbing, propane, and security/theft items in the check list

 

[Hayden Watson]

All I'd add to the OP is develop a routine or check list that you always follow when leaving the boat so "that stuff don't happen" again. Also consider plumbing, propane, and security/theft items in the check list

Nothing was left on. This is on my new RV and the load was parasitic drain from sniffers and monitors and such. It is about 250 mA with everything turned off. If my math is correct, that takes about 11 days to fully drain a group 24.

With no power available in the storage lot, I will install a battery cutoff switch to save the batteries.

 

[mitiempo]

A solar panel would be a good idea as well. Even without parasitic loads the SOC will drop.

 

[Hayden Watson]

A solar panel would be a good idea as well. Even without parasitic loads the SOC will drop.

I have wondered about a small solar panel. Given the parasitic load, would I need to have a charge controller if very small panel. Harbor Freight has some 1.5W panels that plug into a cigarette lighter that would about offset the parasitic load.

 

[mitiempo]

A 1.5 watt panel is useless. I would get a 20 watt panel and a basic pwm controller.

 

[Rich Stidger]

I have just suffered a similar battery deep discharge with my five year old golf cart bank of four batteries. My bilge pump float switch failed and stuck on. I have recharged and keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[woodster]

I have just suffered a similar battery deep discharge with my five year old golf cart bank of four batteries. My bilge pump float switch failed and stuck on. I have recharged and keeping my fingers crossed.

Rich they will probably come back i have seen lots of golf cars get run in the ground and left for dead and the grounds keeper would drag them back and charge them then put them back on line