Gassing the battery type

[Happy1]

Fitted three yuasa l36 efb batteries two weeks ago, vented through floor and opposite end bungs in place.
Went out to van today and smells of rotten eggs, have I got a duff battery? All three showing green in the magic eye thing.
Van was on hook up and quite a bit of solar present would that have accounted for overcharge possibly?
Any thoughts or assistance gratefully received.

 

[Raul]

Your absorb voltage is to high causing excessive gassing, or the charger does not drop to float charge after absorb.

 

[PhilandMena]

Was your charger and solar set up for a different type of battery. i.e.not lead acid. Gassing does not occur below 14.1 v. on lead acid batteries. Get a multi-meter on the batteries and see what voltage you have going in.

 

[pappajohn]

I would say overcharged which is probably what killed your last batteries as well.
Check your charger is set to the correct battery chemistry

 

[HandyAndy]

Simple answer will be CHECK THE VOLTAGE while charging, something faulty may well have caused the orignal battery to fail

If you are in Wales at the moment then gassing at 10°C will occur at circa 14.8v.

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[Happy1]

Solar set as this based on info from battery manufacturers

 

[Happy1]

Solar from last few days while on hook up

 

[Raul]

Is this the only source of charging?
I know the equalisation is disabled, but, bring that down as absorb.
Looking in the history, it starts with a pretty much full battery, and very little cycle, almost nothing.
I would try bring the absorb to 14,2v and actually make sure it drops in float. You can also bring the float to 13,2v if you don’t cycle. It’s enough to keep up with the self discharge.

 

[Raul]

Also, when you don’t cycle and has a charging source daily, it’s worth having a small load to remove some of the surface charge. That micro shallow cycling it helps with preventing corrosion. Otherwise you’ll need to float them not absorb.

 

[Happy1]

Was on hook up with a 16amp cbe charger set to lead acid but seemed to be floating at 14v when I pulled the plug,

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[Raul]

Well that explains why the solar contributes so little. Because you charge from grid with a charger that appears not to drop to a lower float voltage after absorb. If you keep them pinned at 14v float on EHU, you will ruin them soon.
The float needs to be lower.
Also after knowing this I would suggest to leave the settings in the solar charger as they are. They not the culprit. Is the grid charger that floats at 14v.

 

[Lenny HB]

Sounds like your mains charger is cooking them, probably shortened their life considerably.

 

[Happy1]

Only happened today for first time, I’ll reconnect ehu tomorrow and check actual voltage periodically

 

[Happy1]

12 noon battery 12.7v solar and ehu disconnected
On hook up but no solar went to 13.9v
By 3.30 13.4v
Took off hook up and hour later 12.9v

Guessing mains charger ok on its own but solar messing it up?

 

[Raul]

Only if charge controller is faulty. Did you updated the firmware before use?
To find out the charger is ok, discharge a bit the battery while is on solar no ehu. Watch on your app if it reacts with the load. If it does, let it charge few mins. Then, Switch the load off, and watch for the voltage creep to your pre set absorb, then make sure it switches to float. If it does that, then your charge controller functions as intended. The gassing could of been a mild sulphation that you just boil of. If batteries spent time on shelf without charge before you purchased. Dealers will sell old stock, they are not shy.

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[Happy1]

Thanks never thought about firmware it’s the third one fitted previous two didn’t work properly long story but driving me mad !!

 

[HandyAndy]

12 noon battery 12.7v solar and ehu disconnected
On hook up but no solar went to 13.9v
By 3.30 13.4v
Took off hook up and hour later 12.9v

Guessing mains charger ok on its own but solar messing it up?

Nowt wrong with that charger / EHU..
Now do the opposite and lets see what the solar does on it's own.. although in this weather I doubt you'll get a decent output anyway. but worth looking becuase if it has bonkers readings even on a dull day, I think you will have isolated the issue.

 

[Happy1]

Only if charge controller is faulty. Did you updated the firmware before use?
To find out the charger is ok, discharge a bit the battery while is on solar no ehu. Watch on your app if it reacts with the load. If it does, let it charge few mins. Then, Switch the load off, and watch for the voltage creep to your pre set absorb, then make sure it switches to float. If it does that, then your charge controller functions as intended. The gassing could of been a mild sulphation that you just boil of. If batteries spent time on shelf without charge before you purchased. Dealers will sell old stock, they are not shy.

Just updated firmware will check as suggested many thanks

 

[Happy1]

Nowt wrong with that charger / EHU..
Now do the opposite and lets see what the solar does on it's own.. although in this weather I doubt you'll get a decent output anyway. but worth looking becuase if it has bonkers readings even on a dull day, I think you will have isolated the issue.

Did that yesterday but not too much sun as you say

 

[autorouter]

Now do the opposite and lets see what the solar does on it's own.. although in this weather I doubt you'll get a decent output anyway. but worth looking becuase if it has bonkers readings even on a dull day, I think you will have isolated the issue.

My solar produced 80 watt-hours today, that's less than 7 amp-hours in 12V battery speak. That's a 4000 watt array on my house roof, so don't expect very much from the solar on your MH roof.

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[Happy1]

My solar produced 80 watt-hours today, that's less than 7 amp-hours in 12V battery speak. That's a 4000 watt array on my house roof, so don't expect very much from the solar on your MH roof.

Didn’t bother today weather wasn’t great but looking better tomorrow!

 

[Bartyfixedit]

Are you one of those who uses clothes detergent as toilet chemical? I had the same thing and assumed batteries but it was the flush water in the loo having gone stagnant.

 

[Happy1]

Are you one of those who uses clothes detergent as toilet chemical? I had the same thing and assumed batteries but it was the flush water in the loo having gone stagnant.

No but good idea, if it gassed at 14.8v but solar shows reached max 14.6v who knows?

 

[Raul]

Happy 1
You are abusing the charging unnecessary. Most of the current will be gobbled in by 14.4v- 14.5v max. Anything higher than that will be just wasted electrolyte that you can’t afford to loose being a sealed battery.

When the charging reaches CV constant voltage, absorb, it will stay there till current tails of to about 4% of C capacity. The time doing this is dictated by two things:
-depth of discharge DOD
-charging rate.

If you charge with a high rate C/5-6 then it will reach CV ( absorb quicker and stay there a bit longer).
I you charge at optimum C/10 of C , then it will spend less time on absorb, because due to peukert effect.
Peukert makes it less efficient the more you push in/ pull out, and it’s not constant.
That’s why you got different capacities for a given batteries when you discharge at C/100 vs C/20.
Your choice, but mine will be 14.5v-14.6v max for winter, and 14.4v for summer. And that if I cycle. If it happens that needs more time to fully charge so be it. Excessive boil does not charge faster.
Just a thought: what’s your charge rate? High current can boil at low voltages to.

 

[Happy1]

Cbe should be 14.3v max and solar 14.4v but something pushed that to 14.6

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[Blue Knight]

Our CBE 16A charger seems to cope well with 2 x L36 EFB battery combo but I didn't think it would be man enough for three batteries.

This info is what A&N Caravans gave me a few months ago when I was selecting the L36 units for my van. This info was sourced from Varta's own technical advice and I often charge at the 14.7v AGM setting-C when off grid.

 

[Happy1]

Not had enough sun to test solar yet and came across this today, two magic eyes green one black which says recharge, it’s the most awkward one to get at presume it’s faulty and could have been cause of gassing?

 

[pappajohn]

Not had enough sun to test solar yet and came across this today, two magic eyes green one black which says recharge, it’s the most awkward one to get at presume it’s faulty and could have been cause of gassing?

Could be a trick of the light but both eyes look green to me.
The magic eye is only a basic hydrometer and the ball could be stuck in its tube.

 

[Happy1]

It’s the one far left there are three

 

[Happy1]

It’s well camouflaged!!

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