Charging my Coach starting batteries

RickB · December 26, 2008, 09:04:02 AM

Hi All,

I know this is gonna seem elementary but I don't want to wreck my equalizer or my charger/batteries.

I have to charge my start/run batteries and I want some advice as to how to hook my charger up and what settings should I use 30 amp fast charge, 200 amp powerstart or slow charge?

Thanks,
Rick

Frank @ TX · December 26, 2008, 09:41:06 AM

Hi Rick
We have golf cart bats for the house and (2) #31 bats to start and run the engine.
We also have an emergency start relay that ties the start and house bats together for an extra punch if needed.
Solar panels on the roof keep the house bats full at all times.
Every once and a while I click in the emergency start relay for a day and let the solar panels keep the starts charged.
The 10KW generator has it's own bat to start.
I see no reason if my starts and house bats go down at the same time that I wouldn't charge them both with the same relay from the gen.
It seems like everyone makes their own kind of system , this is mine.
Frank

RickB · December 26, 2008, 10:01:08 AM

Clarification:

I have two 8-D's that are for coach run/start only. They are not part of my house/generator sytem.

Frank @ TX · December 26, 2008, 10:19:47 AM

Hi Rick
If you do not want to be able to tie them together when you want to , that's a choice.
Put a solar panel on them and never worry again.
Frank

Frank @ TX · December 26, 2008, 10:24:12 AM

Rick,
If you have some time to just let the charger do it's thing then slow charge for a day or two.
Check the charge voltage or SG once in a while to know when it's done.
Frank

RickB · December 26, 2008, 10:37:47 AM

I'm not being clear here. I have two 8D batteries. I want to charge them. With that in mind do I hook the cables from my charger to the positive of one of the batteries and one to the negative of the other battery?(are there voltage issues if I do that?). Or, do I unhook the batteries from the bus and each other and charge them individually?

I am specifically trying to determine how to hook my charger up and what voltage to set it at.
I believe my charger only has 6 and 12 volt options.

I'm not thinking about rewiring my bus at this time

Sorry for the lack of clarity

Rick

belfert · December 26, 2008, 10:45:24 AM

I use two identical 12 volt chargers and hook them up in series to the 24 volt bank.

Frank @ TX · December 26, 2008, 11:36:29 AM

Hi again Rick,
If a 12 v charger is what you have , then you'll need to charge each bat separately.
Connect the charger leads directly to the bat terminals.
Plus on the charge leads to plus on one of the bat terminals.
After it is fully charged move the charger leads to the other bat ( + to + and - to -).
Check the voltage or SG to know when they are charged.
Hope this helps.
Frank

Lin · December 26, 2008, 01:14:07 PM

There are chargers easily available that switch between 6, 12, and 24 volts. You may want to look out for one since keeping your batteries topped off will be a continual concern. It will much easier to just have the charger in place and flip it on when you want to.

niles500 · December 26, 2008, 01:35:00 PM

*** do I unhook the batteries from the bus and each other and charge them individually? ***

As previously mentioned charge each one individualy on 12 volts - Batt A pos and neg till charged, then Batt B, etc - you can charge them at what ever rate you need that will not boil them - AND NO, you do not need to unhook them if charged as described - HTH

Kwajdiver · December 26, 2008, 02:36:00 PM

Rick,

They are making this way to hard.

Take the 12 volt charger, and if your not in a hurry, connect the red to the + and the black to the - of the SAME battery.
There is NO NEED to disconnect the batteries. Again,,, no need to disconnect the batteries.

When I'm not using my bus, I leave a 12VDC charger connected like this for weeks at a time. I keep the charger on a slow, 2amp charge. (Also, when not using the bus, I keep the master switch OFF)

It is always best to charge a battery slow... However, sometimes we are in a hurry and need them NOW. Then you could charge them at a little higher rate.

CHECK THE WATER LEVELS,,, CHECK THE WATER LEVELS,,, CHECK THE WATER LEVELS...

Hope this helps,

Bill

RickB · December 26, 2008, 06:12:12 PM

Thanks for all the help. When you go from a 4905 without an equalizer to an MCI 9 with an equalizer it's just best to ask a question or two right?

Good news is I didn't have to charge them I plugged in the block heater foran hour and she popped right of so I took her out to stretch her legs for a half hour and parked back in the driveway.

Thanks All,

Rick

JohnEd · December 27, 2008, 11:55:57 AM

Rick,

Gert a "SMART CHARGER". It will change from fast to bulk to trickle charge automatically and you can leave it hooked up or use it as a "converter" with the bats connected. The SC will also read your voltage accurately so you can determine if you need charging and it will switch charging "profiles" for the different types, glass mat etc, and that you might want to charge in the future and equalizes any of those. These are reayy must have features. The SC isn't very expensive, less than $50. Also, I think 30 amp charge rate is trickle for an 8D as they charge at 100 amp rate unless I am mistaken.

The smart money is on the 2.5KW or larger INVERTER. It will charge at 140 amp rate and maintain charge or jump into the charge cycle wherever it should. To get a battery charger this feature rich and capacity will cost you almost as much as the Inverter(used). I would urge you to get a 3KW that will maintain 2 battery banks and be done with this issue. Maybe $500 tops. A smallish 1.5KW can be had for a couple hundred as they are less popular. Xantrex model FREEDOM or FREEDOM MARINE is probably your best bet but there are other models and brands and those will be less expensive but be careful. You need an inverter and the FREEDOM will run computers and TV's just fine and most MSW models will not.

Good luck here,

John

jjrbus · December 27, 2008, 02:11:26 PM

Quote from: Kwajdiver on December 26, 2008, 02:36:00 PM
Rick,

They are making this way to hard.

Take the 12 volt charger, and if your not in a hurry, connect the red to the + and the black to the - of the SAME battery.
There is NO NEED to disconnect the batteries. Again,,, no need to disconnect the batteries.

When I'm not using my bus, I leave a 12VDC charger connected like this for weeks at a time. I keep the charger on a slow, 2amp charge. (Also, when not using the bus, I keep the master switch OFF)

It is always best to charge a battery slow... However, sometimes we are in a hurry and need them NOW. Then you could charge them at a little higher rate.

CHECK THE WATER LEVELS,,, CHECK THE WATER LEVELS,,, CHECK THE WATER LEVELS...

Hope this helps,

Bill

I'll second this!!! Jim

belfert · December 27, 2008, 04:48:34 PM

Do you folks rip off the sealed tops on maintenance free batteries to check the water level?

My last set of sealed starting batteries got so abused that electrolyte leaked out of the tops somehow. My battery compartment has a sealed plastic floor and I had to remove a bunch of electrolyte this summer when I replaced the batteries.

This winter I added a smart charger that puts out enough charge to keep the batteries topped off. I have also been chaecking the batteries regularly to avoid destroying another set of four year old batteries.