When to equalize?

[gettinthere]

My eq instructions say to eq until specific gravity stops rising. My sg is always around 1275 when fully charged. Should I eq for 6 hours anyway? Never eq? Sell the boat? What to do, what to do?
(All 5 good ones were full of water and 1275 after the 'event')

 

[JK_Boston_Catalina310]

What does your battery manufacturer recommend?

For instance, Trojan flooded batteries are recommended to be equalized when the SG for the cells vary by more than 0.015 from each other. So if all are reading 1.275 as you indicated then you might not need to equalize.

 

[Johnb]

My eq instructions say to eq until specific gravity stops rising. My sg is always around 1275 when fully charged. Should I eq for 6 hours anyway? Never eq? Sell the boat? What to do, what to do?
(All 5 good ones were full of water and 1275 after the 'event')

Please elaborate on the one that was not good. If you have one cell that is unserviceable it becomes an impedance in series with the others and renders the whole bank worthless.

 

[Maine Sail]

Please elaborate on the one that was not good. If you have one cell that is unserviceable it becomes an impedance in series with the others and renders the whole bank worthless.

John,
gettinthere has T1275's (Trojans 12V GC battery) and there were six in parallel. One of the batteries has been taken off-line and the heath of the others is trying to be determined.....

gettinthere,
No need to equalize if all cells are getting to proper SG and the cells are in balance. You are well within Trojan's 100% SOC at 1.277 +/- .007 for SG.. IIRC you are pushing the correct voltages, 14.7V to 14.8V, so the need for EQ should be reduced beyond someone pushing to only 14.4V...

 

[gettinthere]

The story of the bad one is a coming attraction. For now, it is out of the system completely.

 

[gettinthere]

RC
I had to go back and search for some further info on equalizing. We've been on a mooring for 2 months and now at a dock with shore power. So I thought I would eq. But SGs are all well over 1275! So finding this thread refreshed my memory and I'll skip that. I've been getting to 14.8 most days with the solar. Thanx!

I know you dont have much to do this winter, so perhaps a write up on when to equalize would be a good topic. After you post the runaway battery write up, and, and, and ;-)