My shore plug was knocked loose at some point and my 2 4D house batteries were completely drained by the refridge over the past 3 weeks. So much to my disappointment I didnt have a cold beer waiting for me when I arrived last nite(I live in Phoenix and and keep my H376 in San Diego). My 4D's are wet cell and about 15 months old. Should I just turn on the Heart Charger/Inverter and let it charge?
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Yep, should be fine. What have you got to lose?
Besides, your voltage should still be above 11.(?) because most electric DC units cut out so as not to kill your house bank.
Besides, your voltage should still be above 11.(?) because most electric DC units cut out so as not to kill your house bank.
Equalizing Batteries
Rick, Can you explain what you mean by equalizing the batteries. I have 4 golf cart for a house bank - should this be done periodically?
Rick, Can you explain what you mean by equalizing the batteries. I have 4 golf cart for a house bank - should this be done periodically?
Don, Re: Equalizing
I have included a link to the Trojan Battery Co. that explains the equalization process far better than I ever could. A caution is to be sure your equipment is all off before you start the process. Rick Dinon
I have included a link to the Trojan Battery Co. that explains the equalization process far better than I ever could. A caution is to be sure your equipment is all off before you start the process. Rick Dinon
yep charge em up!
Rick's link is a good source of info for flooded batteries and what is an equalization charge. Charge them now. 3 weeks is not too bad to let them sit discharged, although any time discharged is harmful for a lead acid battery. definately charge them fully and then do an equalization charge if your charger will give you that choice. The Heart should have an equalization setting. Fill the batteries after fully charging with distilled water before you equilize, and perform an equilize charge for about 90 minutes for 2 4d batteries. the equalization charge will mix the acid and the new water to prevent stratification in the battery. ross
Rick's link is a good source of info for flooded batteries and what is an equalization charge. Charge them now. 3 weeks is not too bad to let them sit discharged, although any time discharged is harmful for a lead acid battery. definately charge them fully and then do an equalization charge if your charger will give you that choice. The Heart should have an equalization setting. Fill the batteries after fully charging with distilled water before you equilize, and perform an equilize charge for about 90 minutes for 2 4d batteries. the equalization charge will mix the acid and the new water to prevent stratification in the battery. ross
A couple things
and this is coming from the Xantrax literature from my recently installed Truecharge 40; Top off with the distilled water PRIOR to charging. Doing so afterward will apparently compromise the charge state. Also, unless told otherwise by your particular battery manufacturer, run your equalization mode for as long as it takes for the specific gravity in each cell to arrive at identical full charge readings (hence 'equalization'.) In order to do this you'll need to monitor the specific gravity in each cell with a bulb type tester (or equivalent.) The first time I equalized my two year old bank I had to do a six hour session which only got them close. I did it again a few weeks later to improve the readings further. The improvement in my house bank charge states was noticeable as reported by my Link 10's readings of amps used vs. voltage when going through a discharge cycle while at anchor. Truecharge recommends equalizing once a month on a heavily used bank, less often on a lightly used one. For sure, staying informed as to the specific gravity readings of individual cells in an ongoing basis is the surest means of staying on top of the health of your wet cell bank and determining what they need if there's a problem.
and this is coming from the Xantrax literature from my recently installed Truecharge 40; Top off with the distilled water PRIOR to charging. Doing so afterward will apparently compromise the charge state. Also, unless told otherwise by your particular battery manufacturer, run your equalization mode for as long as it takes for the specific gravity in each cell to arrive at identical full charge readings (hence 'equalization'.) In order to do this you'll need to monitor the specific gravity in each cell with a bulb type tester (or equivalent.) The first time I equalized my two year old bank I had to do a six hour session which only got them close. I did it again a few weeks later to improve the readings further. The improvement in my house bank charge states was noticeable as reported by my Link 10's readings of amps used vs. voltage when going through a discharge cycle while at anchor. Truecharge recommends equalizing once a month on a heavily used bank, less often on a lightly used one. For sure, staying informed as to the specific gravity readings of individual cells in an ongoing basis is the surest means of staying on top of the health of your wet cell bank and determining what they need if there's a problem.
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