What’s happening with my batteries? (1 Viewer)

[RidersofRohan]

Both batteries cycled. I’ve left the 2nd one on Float, the app says 13.86 v and 0.5 amp. My multi meter says 13.6. The first battery I’ve left unattached and about 3 hours on its at 13.35 on the multimeter.
Not really sure if it’s worked, was expecting lots of amps and hours of charging.
The first battery charge I inadvertently put it on night shift, holding down the mode button too long, but as the two cycles are not dissimilar I doubt it has made much difference to the outcome.

 

[cmcardle75]

Night shift just limits the power to avoid the fan coming on. As the power required was low, it'll have made no difference. The charger is basically saying the batteries were pretty full before it started.

That's not the same as saying the batteries aren't knackered, just that they're taking as much energy as they can in their current state. If they don't actually provide much energy, it's time for new ones. The charger itself is excellent and will keep your batteries in good condition provided you keep them above 50%.

 

[Lenny HB]

Now you have charged batteries you can run test on them that will simulate their use.

First charge the battery fully and leave it to settle for an hour then:-

For example if it's a 100a/h battery load it with a 5 amp load and run for 5 hours, this will represent a 25% discharge. (adjust load/time to suit the size of the battery)
Disconnect the load and leave to stand for at least 30 min then measure the voltage.
Repeat the test and you will have discharged the battery to 50%.
You can repeat again then it will be 75% discharged.

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[RidersofRohan]

I left the two Leisure batteries overnight, separated, no load on either. One 12.97 the other 12.57 on the multi.
So I have started the lower one again on a reconditioning programme and will then leave it for an hour and start Lenny’s load test.
Wasn’t expecting that, in fact I tested the first one twice and it was 12.97 both times!

 

[Lenny HB]

The one that is at 12.57 I would just bin it not worth messing about better to have reliable batteries. Even if they appear to recover on a reconditioning cycle I wouldn't trust them.

 

[RidersofRohan]

Did the float test on the battery I recharged a second time. Ran a load of 3.3 amps for 8 hours = 26.4. It’s a 105 amp battery and an hour later with everything switched of it was 12.43 on the multi. I think that checks out with the charts at around 25% down.
So set the Victron to a normal charge and it kicked off with 30 amps (a Yorkshireman always likes to see what he is paying for). Leave it overnight and reconnect everything up, the other battery was at 12.96.
Appreciate Lenny’s advice regarding not trusting the lower performing battery, but will head to the Dales on Monday with it. It’s Sunday tomorrow so not easy to source replacement locally although I did track one down in Go Outdoors in Pudsey as a just in case. Bit hard to justify further immediate expenditure, Mrs RoR has taken an interest in this after finding out how much a Victron charger costs. There is an exercise here in justifying one cost for remedial work on the battery, reporting it as successful, and then immediately replacing the successfully restored battery, and it’s beyond my abilities.
We have two little trips both to campsites with ehu and then I will get the Victron permanently fitted, hopefully the magically transformed batteries will remain so.
Once again Many Thanks to all.

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[RidersofRohan]

Just a further thought from me.
I wonder if the way my batteries and systems are wired has caused the problem.
I had an extra battery fitted shortly after purchase, along with the 200w solar, a mppt controller and a small inverter. The additions were made because my wife is disabled and uses a mobility scooter and also has Spinal Stimulator in her back that needs recharging every day, so we could see a need to have a reliable supply. I paid a Mobile Fitter to do the work.
Here’s how he has wired it.

Battery 1 is in the battery box and is linked to Batt 2 in under the bench seat by approx 6mm cable as above. Batt1 is connected to the Bailey control box and therefore the charger, batt 2 is connected to the solar and inverter. The cable connection is approx 1 metre, maybe 1.5 metre.
I have always thought the cable looked thin compared to others I have seen on here where the batteries are next to each other, and similarly all positives go to one battery and all negatives to the other, whereas mine do not.
So in mine the batt2 gets the solar charge and is shared with Batt1 and batt1 gets the charger and is shared with batt2. I’m just wondering how effective is the sharing?

 

[Lenny HB]

Just a further thought from me.
I wonder if the way my batteries and systems are wired has caused the problem.
I had an extra battery fitted shortly after purchase, along with the 200w solar, a mppt controller and a small inverter. The additions were made because my wife is disabled and uses a mobility scooter and also has Spinal Stimulator in her back that needs recharging every day, so we could see a need to have a reliable supply. I paid a Mobile Fitter to do the work.
Here’s how he has wired it.
View attachment 483728
Battery 1 is in the battery box and is linked to Batt 2 in under the bench seat by approx 6mm cable as above. Batt1 is connected to the Bailey control box and therefore the charger, batt 2 is connected to the solar and inverter. The cable connection is approx 1 metre, maybe 1.5 metre.
I have always thought the cable looked thin compared to others I have seen on here where the batteries are next to each other, and similarly all positives go to one battery and all negatives to the other, whereas mine do not.
So in mine the batt2 gets the solar charge and is shared with Batt1 and batt1 gets the charger and is shared with batt2. I’m just wondering how effective is the sharing?

The way it wired is OK apart from the cable size. 6mm sq is OK for the solar but the batteries should be linked with 25 mm sq cable also it should be 25 mm sq to the 12v distribution box.
As the batteries are over a metre apart it would be better to make the connections to the system and the inverter, the negative from one battery and the positive from the other.

 

[RidersofRohan]

The way it wired is OK apart from the cable size. 6mm sq is OK for the solar but the batteries should be linked with 25 mm sq cable also it should be 25 mm sq to the 12v distribution box.
As the batteries are over a metre apart it would be better to make the connections to the system and the inverter, the negative from one battery and the positive from the other.

Thanks.
The cable to the distribution box is the original wiring and is much thicker than the link between the batteries.
I will see if we can make a better connection between the batteries when fitting the Victron.

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