I have our GM 4106 parked and ready for the long cold winter. Right now the inverter is plugged in to 110 outlet keeping house battery's charged. My question, is it better to leave it plugged in all winter and running or unplug it and turn it off. Has not yet dropped below o but winter is coming. What is the best way to make the inverter last as long as possible
Kevin
My 3000w Xantrex Marine has been primarily invert/charge/pass through, via shore, gen, alternator almost continuously since 2007...my cost, (of ownership) $200.00 per year,
By my standard thats "almost" free.
My inverter/charger is a Trace model# RV2512 2500 Watts. So what I thank you are saying is run the inverter to save the battery's. Is a better way wont hurt anything. It was installed in 1998. I will call Trace and see what they recommend.
Thank Kevin
I had a 2512. agood one.
My inverter guy says to equalize once a month.
I'll plug mine in and use it to maintain the batteries for a weekend or a week, every month or so.
And when shut off, everything is shut off, batteries isolated from everything including the inverter.
Disconnected, the health of your batteries becomes obvious. Put the digital volt meter to them in a couple of weeks and see what you've got, before putting the charger to them.
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Thanks for the info especially from you up north as it gets cold here but not as cold as you are. I will give it a try.
Thanks Kevin
Quote from: eagle19952 on December 01, 2011, 06:22:20 PM
I had a 2512. agood one.
My inverter guy says to equalize once a month.
equalize. do not know what that is
kevin
I have been leaving my inverter/charger off, but added a 1/2 amp smart charger to keep the batteries up. I also turn that on and off periodically if I remember.
Quote from: Kevinmc5 on December 01, 2011, 07:11:27 PM
Quote from: eagle19952 on December 01, 2011, 06:22:20 PM
I had a 2512. agood one.
My inverter guy says to equalize once a month.
equalize. do not know what that is
kevin
I'll give kind of a general explanation, someone will no doubt come along with a much more technical (translation=see how smart I am) explanation. ;D ;D :D
To equalize means that the charger or solar controller, or what ever the device is that is doing the equalizing, increases the charge voltage by a specific amount for a specific time period. (as an example, my MPPT solar charge controller is set to a bulk rate of 14.4v, and pressing the equalize button raises the voltage to 15.4). this accomplishes a few things...it attempts to "equalize" the state of charge across all cells in a battery, and all batteries in the bank. second, and maybe more importantly, it will actually "boil" or "gas" the battery. normal usage of a battery bank for many people while dry camping would be to discharge to 50% and then recharge to about 80%. over prolonged periods of this type of usage the plates can begin to get a "build up" on them that can eventually kill the battery by shorting out the plates, killing a cell. the "boiling" causes these deposites to break down and come loose from the plates, kind of renewing the battery.
Sounds like a pretty good explanation to me.
Is it much the same as the dentist's demand for flossing?
happy coaching!
buswarrior
Great info Thanks to all of you for your help. Reading all my manuals and checking out all my equipment is going to make this winter a fun one. I hate the cold!
Thanks Kevin
Hey, Derrick. Thanks for that info (I asked a similar question a few weeks ago and got good info then too) but I wanted to ask. How does your system "equalize"? I mean, is there a button on a control panel? Is it auto or do you have to shut it down manually? Thanks, BH
On my Heart its some weird combination of buttons and you have to do everything inside some time limit or it doesn't happen. I always have to find the operators manual to refresh my memory on what to do. I have my Trimetric set to remind me to do it every 6 months.
I was told not to equalize gel or AGM batteries. Is there any truth to that?
From what I've read an equalization charge, by gassing the electrolyte, eliminates stratifcation of the electrolyte, i.e. mixes it. So a gel or AGM battery won't need it for that reason. But, as always, do what the battery manufacturer says.
Quote from: Lin on December 02, 2011, 05:45:58 PM
I was told not to equalize gel or AGM batteries. Is there any truth to that?
I've heard conflicting advice on that but I think it helped my AGMs. The first time I did it the batteries were three or four years old already and I think it made a difference to how much charge they would hold. That might have been my imagination but it convinced me and now I do it once or twice a year.
Quote from: Lin on December 02, 2011, 05:45:58 PM
I was told not to equalize gel or AGM batteries. Is there any truth to that?
Gels should never be equalized.
AGMs can be equalized... but only very carefully and if you know what you're doing. Careful not exceed the battery manufacturers specs at all, or can permanently damage them.
Equalizing should be considered a general maintenance routine for flooded lead acid, however.
Lithium ion doesn't need equalizing at all, and can sustain & operate at lower temps than other battery chemistries. :)
- Cherie
Quote from: Oonrahnjay on December 02, 2011, 04:37:10 PM
Hey, Derrick. Thanks for that info (I asked a similar question a few weeks ago and got good info then too) but I wanted to ask. How does your system "equalize"? I mean, is there a button on a control panel? Is it auto or do you have to shut it down manually? Thanks, BH
some systems are automatic, some are manual. Some automatic systems can also be triggered manually, and some automatic systems can be user configured to do a variety of things. My converter/charger is a 3 stage smart charger that will trigger an equalize cycle if the charger remains in a float state for 21 days. It is non-configurable, so what you got is what you get. For example, if no 12v power is used onboard then the charger remains in float mode indefinitely, or until an equalize cycle is triggered after 21 days. If power is used, then the charger automatically comes out of float (13.2v) and goes into absorption (13.6v). once the call for power goes away, the charger will eventually go back to float and start it's 21 day countdown over again. My solar charge controller, which is also a 3 stage, has to be triggered manually by pressing in a recessed button. The cycle also has to be ended manually by pressing the switch again. When we spend alot of time dry camping (several weeks or more), I will usually trigger a manual equalize cycle on the solar charger once we are plugged in somewhere and the converter has fully charged the batteries.
Quote from: thomasinnv on December 02, 2011, 10:02:32 PM(snip) some systems are automatic, some are manual. (snip)
Thanks, good info to know. I'll check the instruction manual on my system.
My Trace SW2512 has an equalize capability. You need to set both the voltage and the time. For flooded lead acid, the recommended voltage (per Trace manual) is 15.5 volts.
What I can't find is the time. They always say to go by the manufacturer's data, but I have not been able to find that for my Sam's (Johnson Control?) golf cart batteries. In previous threads, the responses varied widely.
Jim
Quote from: rv_safetyman on December 03, 2011, 09:01:33 AM
My Trace SW2512 has an equalize capability. You need to set both the voltage and the time. For flooded lead acid, the recommended voltage (per Trace manual) is 15.5 volts.
What I can't find is the time. They always say to go by the manufacturer's data, but I have not been able to find that for my Sam's (Johnson Control?) golf cart batteries. In previous threads, the responses varied widely.
Jim
I know what you mean. I have heard varied responses as well, any where from 2 hours to 12 hours or more. I wouldn't think 2 hours to be enough time, especially if the batteries were abused for a while, as many of us are inclined to do. I usually do about 6 to 8 hours. Make sure to check the water level before and after doing an equalize cycle as well. Matter of fact, maintaining a proper water level at all times is probably more important to battery health and longevity then the discharge/recharge levels. I would be willing to bet that more people end up replacing batteries long before they should because of neglecting this simple maintenance item, rather than actually exceeding the life expectancy of the batteries.
Fwiw Lifeline recommends you equalize their AGM batteries you get a chart it is fairly simple 15 volts for a period of time
good luck
My Heart holds the equalizing charge for roughly 8 hours. I set it before we go to bed so that it doesn't mess with any sensitive 12 volt loads (like my primitive homemade LED lighting for instance).
Here's a good DEEP CYCLE BATTERY FAQ website, which removes a lot of the guesswork and "I think Joe told me this or that":
http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm (http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm)