Thank you. I do appreciate the video's they are great. The best I have ever seen and really put the subject to rest as to the right way. Once again Thank You.
Thank you, very educational and well explained. I am not ready to try this myself, but wanted to know how to, in case I need to. Your step by step demo is excellent. Much appreciated.
thank you for the great video it's very well said. for the last year my l16 have never been brought to a full charge because I couldn't adjust the setpoints on my solar charge controller. we've got a new charger and we're trying to bring back the capacity using your method now.
Like I said in the video, it's as much as art as it is science. But given the fact that your set hasn't set in the weather in a discharged state for years, I would say your changes of giving them new life are quite good.
I noticed during the specific gravity test at about 9 minutes that you didn't tap the tester to dislodge the air bubbles clinging to the indicator arrow. The air bubbles are giving you a false S.G reading. If you tap the instrument several times with your finger the indicator arrow will settle down to a more believable reading instead of off the scale.
Hello Thanks for the video, very educating. Please I need you help, I Added Deionized water into my batteries instead of Distilled water, I believe this has distorted the chemical composition and caused the batteries not to function anymore and it’s doesn’t hold Amps anymore. Please what can I do to rejuvenate batteries back to life.
The battery caps are designed to allow the gas to escape but not the liquid. They burst the bubbles and return the electrolyte to the cell container. If you leave the caps off, you loose/waste electrolyte and as the bubbles burst, they spray sulphuric acid everywhere.
Good video, with only one point,never equalize whit the cell caps off!, only open the cell to refill with distill.water, or messuring, always close the caps! (All caps are ventilated, and will keep the fluid in, not getting the mist of acid and water out off the batts., gasses can get out whitout a problem (advice from proffesional lead acid battery installer witch we are)
I would normally agree with you, except in the case of equalizing. I have had a case split one time, and caps pop off like corks. I don't know if the vents were clogged or what-not, therefore I have left caps loose when equalizing since then. But then again, it's what works for you, and that's what really counts! Thanks again much for watching and subscribing!
Warren, I have noticed that areas such as yours don't give the best results for solar or wind, generally. Every bit helps. Having said that I would suggest determining whether you get more sun or wind where you live - it could be variable like here with more wind in the winter, no wind and lots of sun in the summer. In those cases you would essentially set up and winter system and a summer system to form a hybrid that provides the best of both when available. Wind data is available from noaa.gov
My friend Tom owns a battery desulfator. Many people I know that have them swear by them, but they themselves don't know much about electricity or alternative energy systems. My experience with them has been very little. Having said that, I have noticed no difference at all when we used Tom's or didn't use it. The companies claim that they can be used on small or large battery packs, and that also causes me doubt. For now, my opinion is that any desulfators do not provide any real protection.
Nice video Steve, I agree with everything you say. For AGM owners I personally would not recommend equalizing any AGM's at about 15.5 v, except for the Lifeline design, unless the battery manufacturer says to do it (most don't.) It will just dry them out prematurely, in most cases. Yes you are dead right, don't go adding chemicals or Epsom Salts to good batteries. Chemicals may be OK to squeeze a few months out of a poor battery , but will shorten the lives of good batteries that work well. (I proved it 30 years ago by adding shop bought battery 'aid' chemical tablets to some batteries on one of my battery banks. The batteries I didn't add the 'aid' chemical to lasted years longer. Never, ever, equalize true GEL (thick electrolyte) batteries. Any voltage above about 14.3v for long completely ruins GEL cells.
Great video and info for flooded batteries. I have 1 LifeLine 8D AGM 255ah battery that won't stay above 12.6v after an overnight rest and after a full charge. It sat for many months under charged. I also use a 4 stage RV charger and also a constant voltage adjustable current charger to equalize them at 15.5v 6 hours per manufacture specs. Can you give a few pointers to this difficult task of bringing it back to life. I have 3 others that rest at 13.1v. and at $650 each I'm not really looking forward to replacing one.
Robert, 12.6v is not a bad reading at all. That's what I would expect on a "well-seasoned" battery. The tell-tale sign will be placing it under a load of around 20 amps. If the voltage goes immediately below 10 volts, then you could have a sulfated or bad cell, in which case I would try your constant voltage adjustable current charger to equalize them at 16 volts for 6-8 hours. If you've done that recently then I would equalize them for no longer than another 4 hours. If you apply the load and the voltage drops a couple volts, then slowly creeps down, I'd say the battery is about as good as it's gonna get. Batteries are as much art as science. Mess with them enough and you get a feel for them. When you apply the equalizing voltage, it the battery voltage quickly rises to the equalizing voltage, then you have a sulfated cell(s). Hopefully the voltage will start to creep back down, then slowly rise again. Hold the voltage for the 6 recommended hours beginning at that point. If the battery voltage quickly rises to the equalizing voltage and stays there, then the battery is likely bad. At that point you can try a battery sulfation additive as a last ditch effort with varied results. The bottom line is batteries get old and die, or they get ruined and die. Eventually they all die.
Steve Robertson Thanks for the info, my question is how much current to put into the battery at 16v? There seems to be a break over point for current acceptance. At 15v current is about 2.5 amps, at 16v it is 8-9 amps. I do hear bubbling at 15v and above. How will I know if I am damaging the battery? Can I put this battery in a bank with the other 3 that show 13.1 at rest in my RV without damaging them longterm? Thanks for all of you advice.
Robert 8-9 amps is good. The bubbling you hear is the hydrogen/oxygen molecules being generated on the plates from the water during charging. This is what kicks the sulfation off the plates and it is also a good thing. During this time keep an eye on your battery temperature. If it starts to get above 100 degrees or so, then stop the charge until it cools and then start again. You will damage the battery if you go too long - in your case the manufacturer states 6 hours, but I usually go another 50% past that if a battery is badly sulfated. In your case I would go as long as 9 hours. I have seen more batteries ruined from being undercharged than overcharged. But it can and does happen. Mixing old batteries with new batteries has always been taboo. But I met a fellow here on the mountain that has been using recycled batteries of all ages mixed to make his system work. It works. So until I get some hands on experience with it directly, I have nothing to say about mixing new and old batteries. But like I said, the word from manufacturers is no. They do have profit margins to maintain also. I have nothing to offer from personal experience on this. From a technical standpoint, the higher charged batteries will discharge into the lessor battery until their voltage has come down to the level of the lower battery. At this point they will all live at the lower voltage - obviously not a good thing for the newer batteries, but not catastrophic either. They will likely sulfate into the same condition as the lessor battery. Thank you for your questions Robert.
Steve Robertson Steve, thanks for the great advice. I followed your equalizing suggestions and my once failing battery is now holding a charge of 13.2v after sitting for 48 hours. I did a load test of 20amps and the voltage dropped to 12.6v. during that test. Afterwards it came back up to 13.1v. What other tests can I run to get a better understanding of its condition?
Robert I would say that you've got a handle on your situation. You got your battery back. Those tests are really about the only ones I think of off-hand to perform. I hereby promote you from beginner to novice! LOL Glad it has worked out for you, Robert! Please stay in touch.
Just wondering. You mentioned that you had a series of videos about the solar system deinstall/install. Are you still planning to post them. Great video on the batteries. It helped me a lot to get my batteries working again.
acklan3, I will do a follow-up video, but have gone through a divorce and am currently in Michigan. I still have the place in Colorado - still off the grid and online. I also have the raw foootage ready to edit, but it won't be until late September earliest. I will also be doing some discussions about various parts of the country using my new experiences.
when I last tried to charge up my bank was just in the mere 10 degree winter and patience was not at my best. I even wired inverter backwards which oddly the batteries were not happy with when I upgraded my cable size from 4 to 2/0. so I think I smoked the 6 volt one closest to it. living is the best way to learn life. I will work with these suggestions and see where it goes, if it's not just back to the battery store. Thanks
Brother I wish your channel was English because I am immensely interested in your projects! I use all cell phones for cameras: Samsung S4 Zoom because of optical zoom capabilities Samsung Galaxy S5 because of great low-light recording Two Asus Zenfone 2E Z00D for recording in vehicle from front face camera. I bought cell phones used from Ebay with cracked display screens for less than $60US each. For areal photography I use Hubsan X4 FPV Quadcopter I purchased from banggood.com All these items are inexpensive but give results that rival equipment of 10x the cost.
Sorry for my English, still learning. The equipment for charging the Batteries with 50 and more Amps. The model of charger and the programmer for reconditioning the batteries ? The good things still not en the channel. Using resonance- without moving parts - Solid state ! Please contact -: Joachim-Volkmann(at)gmx.de
The charger I use can be found here: www.solarhome.org/schneiderelectricxw-mppt-60-150vchargecontroller.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjwvIO_BRDt27qG3YX0w4wBEiQAsGu3efMBss382xl_mectsY21FODrGSNyk7bZb847-4ux8I0aAms28P8HAQ Duane uses charger/inverter here: www.ebay.com/itm/142117203235 The charger used in this video is no longer manufactured.
Very good video! Subscribed to this, as it's a very useful tutorial. I'm trying to equalize the cells in a 70ah car battery, and I think the negative cell is shorted as it's reading 0.70v when the rest of the cells are reading 2.6-2.8v. Hopefully it can be recovered, if not I'll have to get a new battery as I'm not going through all the trouble to change the negative cell.
Yes, but you would need to get a panel sized properly for the battery. Too small panel and it would not charge adequately. Too large panel and you would need a charge controller.
Steve I'm a subscriber of yours. After watching video and results are good. Could the batteries be drained and flushed with distilled water? Then replenish with new sulfuric acid and distilled water?
A long time ago I tried that with mixed results. It’s going to depend on a lot of factors like how sulfated the plates are, if any pieces of the plates are on the bottom of the sounds, etc.
SekretaryService the short answer is it is possible. But the charger needs to be properly sized for the voltage and amperage of the batteries according to how they’re wired in series/parallel. It is more difficult to do because you have to watch all the cells more closely to make sure none of them actually overcharge to the point of damage.
Chad, I wouldn't use this method on sealed batteries. You risk deforming the plates, cases or even a possible explosion. Keeping an eye on the water level is critical, and it's not possible (easily) on sealed or AGM batteries.
I'm trying to recover two batteries right now. If the hydrometer eventually gets in the green, can I assume I recovered them. They started in the red and slowly working it's way into the white and hopefully the green.
+Marion Blair When you have gotten them high in the green, remove the charge, let them rest 24 hours, place them under a small load to remove residual charge, and then test the voltage and electrolyte. If it's not where it needs to be, you can try to equalize again. If that doesn't work, then you have bad cells.
+Steve Robertson (Off-Grid Living) Thanks for the reply, that's what I needed to know. One looks pretty much recovered as it's in the middle of the green. Once I do the initial load test to remove residual charge, should I pull it down and recharge several times to try to remove more sulfate? great video BTW.
+Marion Blair Too much overcharge will ruin your batteries. My personal rule of thumb is once they are all in the green, continue charging for another 8 hours. Then perform the tests for success.
Thank you for making this video. I do have a question. How do you slow down sulfation of the batteries plates. Is it just a matter of keeping them fully charged and do you have to add distilled water at a preset time? I live in Florida and want to build a 3 battery deep cycle backup power supply. Do you have any advice on how I can extend battery life in standby mode?
Unfortunately, sulfation is part of the chemical process that occurs in batteries regardless of how you treat them. However, it occurs more quickly in batteries that are kept in float and/or batteries that are allowed to remain discharged for a period of time before recharge. It is the process of charging that "kicks off" the sulfation build-up on the plates. The stronger overcharge of equalization kicks off that gradually built up sulfation and brings batteries back to a "like new" condition until they just eventually wear out from sulfation piling up in the bottom of the battery. In your situation of running them in standby mode, I would suggest every three years allowing them to run down to 50% SOD (state of discharge), followed by a standard equalizing charge. When I was in telecommunications, it was common to have float batteries last over 35 years by doing this. There are other variables like battery size, construction quality, how often they are called on for service, age, current sulfation damage, etc. So mileage varies on any given set of batteries.
Thank you for your response. I plan on using 3 marine deep cycle batteries in parallel. I will start off with new batteries and a 1000 watt inverter. Since these batteries are so expensive I appreciate any advice that you have to offer.
Hello my friend, that your system rejuvenates the deep cycle batteries? I use Bedini system, that their system is more efficient? How do I get a good rejuvenator? I live in Brazil. Thank you, a hug.
+Gustavo Roque Gustavo! My wife and I have been considering a visit to Brazil in the near future. Yes this method should rejuvenate deep cycle batteries. I have heard of John Bedini's system for charging batteries and I have no experience with it. I am interested to hear your thoughts about it. Personally, I have never used desulfators or rejuvenators in favor of equalizing them instead. God bless the good nation of Brazil!
I am attempting to rejuvenate a few seriously low cells in a 36 volt (18 cell) 765 Amp-Hour electric forklift battery. I have 3 cells that show 1.6-1.7VDC. I am using a variable transformer to "turn down" the A/C input to an old Schumaker manula (NOT automatic) battery charger to the point where I can charge the individual cells on the 6-volt setting at 40 Amps. I am also watching the temperature and have read that 120-140 Degrees F helps soften the sulfate, but so far (after a week of this) I have not seen the specific gravity coming up. If anything, it appears the cell voltage is dropping. I am beginning to wonder if I have a different problem.
I’m so sorry you’re having difficulty understanding the content. You obviously have several choices at this point which include: 1. Elaborate on what you’re having difficulty understanding so I can explain further. 2. Just buy lithium batteries of some form (LiFePo4 or Lithium Ion) so you don’t even have to worry about equalizing batteries. 3. Or if you’re one of those types that just like to complain, just leave your comment as it is, and I’ll allow it to remain for all to see.
I have 6 4v to 24v bank and two of cells gone bad. I’ve disconnected in two groups of 3 12v bank and one side came back but other 12v seems harder to come back. One battery reading 3.4v rest at 3.8v What should I do now? Keep on trickle charge til it reaches to 4v? And what amperage should be charging at? Thanks
@@OffGridLivingSteve when I started this morning, volt was at 10.4 and ended at 11.2v not enough to start the inverter. Is it possible to string the battery with other 3 4v batteries and equalize all the batteries? Or would it damage the other set due to one cell being low voltage.
I noticed you are not wearing eye protection #4, skin protection #5, and have a nicely painted surface in close proximity to your charger. All of these are called out as precautions at the start of your video. Other than not following your safety protocol excellent video.
Nice information I have run into quite a find in that I have over 100 VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) 12 volt 8AH batteries. The issue is these are less than one year old and all test out at or around 12.3 volts or higher. These batteries came out of medical UPS systems that were warehoused for longer than 6 months, and mandated the change out. VRLA batteries have very low self discharge rate and they do charge up nicely. But wow, quite a logistic nightmare. My plan is build a wiring harness to configure these into banks but the terminals are the flag style push on connector. 10 batteries will create a 80AH bank that can then be banked together with other ones. My plan is to have a common buss to each bank. The wiring will be 10 gauge to a heavy buss bar or cable Racking is my biggest concern as access is required, but not as often as flooded lead acid, mostly for inspection of wiring and or individual testing. These are for the most part maintenance free and can be placed in any position but permanently upside down. Not to bad a price for what can be an 800 amp hour battery. Free, just add a few hundred connectors and wire. Like I said, it is a logistic issue and way more complex than much larger, but fewer batteries. If one battery goes bad I can simply unplug it, but that will be the crazy part when it happens...
It is the place I work for, we get all sorts of time change stuff, or end of life disposal. You Sir have a great knowledge base AND practical experience, Thank you for sharing. Your concept of large solar array and smallish battery back up is a real game changer ;>)
You bet, and when push comes to shove, something is better than nothing. BTW, I just hauled in another 400 pounds of batteries... That's 640 Amp Hours worth
I wa going to add this to Steves original post but your comment deserves it better. If you parrallel batteries (as in the vid, 3 banks series /parrallel) then you shoul connect the charger POS to one end of the chain and the neg to the other. If you only connect the charger to the nearest battery and then parallel the others you will find that you get uneven charge, even with new identical batteries. As an example, three 12V/110Ah batteries next to each other with a 75A charger. These batteries were new and well installed with short equal links of 30mm cable Measured charge, 77A at input terminal...................actual charge 29A Measured charge, 48A at first link cable...................actual charge 26A Measured charge, 22A at second link cable..............actual charge 22A
Looking For some Help. If I have a string of 2 volt rolls surrette in series to make a 48 Volt bank and three charge controllers can I tap into the bank every 8 cells designating each charge controller to 8 cells per each controller and then set parameters to charge for 16 volts each all the same setup so as to better equalize the string and keep a better balance rather than just hooking all of them together in parallel charging at 48 volt parameters hope you can help Thank You
If your charge controllers are PV, isolated input/output and UNGROUNDED-capable (NEC 690.35 compliant), then yes as long as none of your wires from the arrays have an electrical path to ground anywhere. It's not likely that your system would pass US electrical inspection. It's not a setup I would recommend, but if you're willing to take the risks involved, it should work. Also consider this: If your charge controllers can handle 50 amps, their maximum capacity at 16 volts is only 800 watts each, where at 48 volts for the same amperage, they handle 2,400 watts max, each. If you run them in parallel as a 48 volt system, you can handle a total of 7,200 watts of PV. But running them at 16 volts, you max out at only 2,400 watts total from PV. You really won't gain anything by splitting the charge, even though it appears to make sense.
The concrete floor is new. It belongs to my neighbor, and I was allowed to borrow it for this purpose. You will notice several black spots on the wood where the battery acid got onto it. I did this out of respect to protect my neighbor's concrete floor. Concrete contains lime which reacts with the acid. The surface of the concrete would have been destroyed in those areas the acid would have contacted it had the wood not been there.
question.... i have 2 6 volt t150 golf cart flooded batteries hooked up in a trailer,,,,,,,,,,had them charged to full with trickle charger about a year ago or so. held that charge for many months with trailer in storage.but that ended a few months ago .am about to install a 100 watt solar panel on the roof with a 30 amp mttp controller .will the panel recharge those batteries over time or do i need to remove the batteries and have them boost charged for them to have life again ?
Bob thank you for your question. It is *possible* to equalize your batteries with a 100watt panel, but it mostly depends on several factors. If you don't get enough hours of sun per day it won't work. If you live in a place where it is cloudy most days like South Bend Indiana, it won't work. If the angle isn't proper it won't work, etc. So the bottom line here is if you want to be sure to give the batteries a good equalizing charge, use a commercial charger that has an equalizing function. If you have time, you can try the 100watt panel and see if it works.
thanks for the reply.i live in florida so sun not a problem. i guess ill just install the panel and controller and hook it all up and give it a week . if still no sign of them taking a charge ill pull them and take them somewhere to be boost charged. i just hope i didnt kill them beyond fixing. all i had running off the were 2 sma;; volt meters but who knows .maybe thats all it took over months to totally drain them ?
Unfortunately, the raw footage for the second half of this video was lost. But I can say this: we did recover more cells than not. But most batteries had at least one bad cell making the whole battery useless. Because of this experience I would recommend attempting this only on 2 volt cells, since individual 2 volt cells can be culled without affecting others.
i could be wrong here but isn't the maximum charge rate about 20% of the given capacity. for instance, a 5Ah battery can only handle 20% of it's given capacity as current. (in Ah of course) thus being 1 amp of current.
You are absolutely correct - generally speaking. You would also be correct if you said that most AGM batteries should never exceed their float voltage by a few hundred millivolts. However, when equalizing severely sulfated flooded cell batteries, it takes a higher amperage to get the sulfate to budge off the plates. Like I said in the video, when it comes to sulfation and equalization, it's as much black art as it is science in my experience. Do so at your own risk and discretion.
Steve Robertson i only had a few severely sulfated batteries at my school, so i asked if i was allowed to try and get them back to work. They are only 7.5 Ah so i set the supply to 14,7 volts and capped the current at 1.2 amps after about 17 to 18 hours they had reached the nominal voltage and they could deliver current to 2.4 amps without a significant voltage drop. Mission succes. Thx
I desperately need your advice! Everyone, feel free to advise me as well. I had 2 men working on the solar system in van. They replaced the batteries with a LiFePO4 12.8V 78Ah and a 12.8V 35Ah 448Wh. They installed a Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V Input, Power 2500W, Output 120V. I also have a Victron Smart Solar Charge Controller, MPPT 100/30. When the electrician hooked up everything sparks began flying, the system got hot, and he has given up trying to set it up. I have no solar power now in my van, which is my home. Please help! I can't waste any more money and I have no idea what I need. Thank you.
I read part of the instructions today for my new inverter and it says not to connect it to solar panels nor a solar charge controller. The men working on my van and installing the new batteries and inverter must not have known what they were doing.
@@petuniaromania6294 it happens often where people claim to be “experts” after watching a few UA-cam videos. I live in Hawaii now, so unfortunately I won’t be much help. Be thankful you don’t live in Canada!
The Batteries are placed on wood because ????? The acid will ruin the concrete ? or Wait , Wait. Don't tell me they will discharge through the plastic case if placed on concrete. That old tail is very hard to stomach. Perhaps dirt or a rubber mate will work even better. Fantastic info and really appreciate it but I'm sorry I just don't buy the concrete will suck out the electricity and make a battery go dead. Perhaps placing it on the concrete floor and forgeting about it for a year or two might make it come true.
Dear USSBB62, since you insist on putting words in my mouth about the batteries being on wood, I will certainly allow you to enjoy your nonsense. I watched my video again to be sure that I didn't say anything about them discharging if placed directly on concrete. I said no such thing. Perhaps the voices in your head speak louder than my video.
The perfect gift Perfect gift for the handyman who has everything an ideal winter project, Make an electric garden tractor from your old gas tractor, and it could be charged by solar, zero pollution Plans and instructions @ electrictractor.net 2hrs cutting approx 2 acres or 8-10 hrs pulling trailer on a charge Converting to battery power is a great idea for a garden tractor I converted one 15yrs ago, I used the 3 separate motor design and it is still cutting grass on a daily basis, it is amazing how it never breaks down and needs almost no maintenance, I renew the batteries every 7 yrs I am just on my 3rd set now, my design will cut up to 2 acres on a 50cent charge there are no belts or pulleys and no oil on the entire tractor, it can pull a trailer for about 8hrs on a charge, because battery run time is the most important aspect of most conversions I paid particular attention to the most efficient design, I used 3 separate small motors one for the drive with electronic speed control and two smaller with a cutter blade mounted on the shaft of each cutter motor ,total amperage when cutting grass is approx 40amps, (2000watts) this design only uses the battery power req to do the job, very little wasted battery power, it uses magnetic breaking of both tractor and cutter blades and automatically applies parking brake when you stop or get off the seat, an amazing tractor. electrictractor.net Video #5 Ploughing Snow ua-cam.com/video/o4nSYsbPfvg/v-deo.html Video #4 Ploughing Veggie Garden ua-cam.com/video/7OF6lXgXth8/v-deo.html Video #3 The Little Electric Tractor That Can! cutting grass ua-cam.com/video/9LWjfUjQ8a0/v-deo.html Video#1 on youtube ua-cam.com/video/9GN5fTEWYPs/v-deo.html and ua-cam.com/video/9LWjfUjQ8a0/v-deo.html
You did say place them on wood. Why ? Just wondering. I mentioned it because of the old wives-tail that concrete sucks out the energy. If your going to publish a treatise on batteries I might have suspected that you have heard such nonsense. I suppose I could be wrong. Perhaps Mythbusters can answer the question.
Where did I say anywhere in video or in writing that "concrete sucks out the energy"? No where. If you want to have constructive dialog, then please proceed. Don't make assumptions. If you want to know why I placed the batteries on wood then ask, and leave assumptions out of your remarks. Either engage me in something worthwhile, or I will delete you. I am busy and wish to help people who want to learn. If you want to try and make fun of someone's efforts, take it somewhere else.
There's "equalizing' and then there's "desulfating" though some try to use equalizing for desulfating... its not the same thing. Desulfating is overcharging at a specific rate based on battery size and temperature. (referred to as "TVG" (Temperature Voltage Gassing) You apply enough voltage that the battery will almost look like its right at the edge of boiling. This releases a lot of hydrogen. If you are overcharging enough that you smell the sulfur you are doing it wrong. You do NOT want to get the batteries too warm. 100F is hotter than you want. Equalizing is getting the individual cells up to the same charge level. That means connecting in a manner where you can charge or discharge each cell individually. Extremely large storage (deep cycle) batteries have a space under the plates intended to allow lead-sulfate crystals to drop out without short circuiting the battery. *********************** to those saying this video is "excellent"... Just no. He's doing it wrong.
Well I must say that's quite a slap in the face. I have over 20 years in the telecommunications industry directly relating to telephony switches and the 48VDC that powers them. It was common to get 30-50 years of service from a set of flooded cells that were properly equalized twice per year and after any power outage. I have been off grid since 1983, and have mostly flooded cells in my life. I share my experiences here. So for you to come here and just announce to my viewership I'm doing it all wrong probably isn't going to gain you the notoriety you seek by bringing someone else down. Your channel doesn't even have any content. How do you have any credibility whatsoever? Share with the world your knowledge instead of trolling around with such destructive attitudes towards others. This is a positive community, and you're being positively negative. Good day sir.
A very clear and concise video. World class tutorial. Thanks a million
+russell downer Thanks for that compliment! I wish I had done that video more recently - they're much better these days!
russell downer: my thoughts exactly ! Thanks Steve Robertson ! !
Thank you. I do appreciate the video's they are great. The best I have ever seen and really put the subject to rest as to the right way. Once again Thank You.
Thanks for explaining the right way to do this properly
Very useful
STEVE AS USUAL EXCELLENT TUTORIAL
Thank you sir!
Thank you, very educational and well explained. I am not ready to try this myself, but wanted to know how to, in case I need to. Your step by step demo is excellent. Much appreciated.
very clear, concise and informative . love it a lot
thank you for the great video it's very well said. for the last year my l16 have never been brought to a full charge because I couldn't adjust the setpoints on my solar charge controller. we've got a new charger and we're trying to bring back the capacity using your method now.
Like I said in the video, it's as much as art as it is science. But given the fact that your set hasn't set in the weather in a discharged state for years, I would say your changes of giving them new life are quite good.
Awesome! you guys really know your stuff!
I really Appreciate these advice as for someone who loves to recondition batteries I would like you to share more advice
I noticed during the specific gravity test at about 9 minutes that you didn't tap the tester to dislodge the air bubbles clinging to the indicator arrow. The air bubbles are giving you a false S.G reading. If you tap the instrument several times with your finger the indicator arrow will settle down to a more believable reading instead of off the scale.
Excellent information
Hello
Thanks for the video, very educating. Please I need you help, I Added Deionized water into my batteries instead of Distilled water, I believe this has distorted the chemical composition and caused the batteries not to function anymore and it’s doesn’t hold Amps anymore. Please what can I do to rejuvenate batteries back to life.
The battery caps are designed to allow the gas to escape but not the liquid. They burst the bubbles and return the electrolyte to the cell container. If you leave the caps off, you loose/waste electrolyte and as the bubbles burst, they spray sulphuric acid everywhere.
very clear precise video, thanks a lot I have learned tons of useful info.
Thank you sir!
Would !like to see the outcome of this. Very interesting. Good video.
Good video, with only one point,never equalize whit the cell caps off!, only open the cell to refill with distill.water, or messuring, always close the caps! (All caps are ventilated, and will keep the fluid in, not getting the mist of acid and water out off the batts., gasses can get out whitout a problem (advice from proffesional lead acid battery installer witch we are)
I would normally agree with you, except in the case of equalizing. I have had a case split one time, and caps pop off like corks. I don't know if the vents were clogged or what-not, therefore I have left caps loose when equalizing since then. But then again, it's what works for you, and that's what really counts! Thanks again much for watching and subscribing!
He's overcharging at a rate that can explode the battery if you leave the cap on.
a grossly excessive rate that should NEVER be used.
What do you think about desulfators like the BLS brand? Do you recomend having one of these products on a battery bank??
Warren, I have noticed that areas such as yours don't give the best results for solar or wind, generally. Every bit helps. Having said that I would suggest determining whether you get more sun or wind where you live - it could be variable like here with more wind in the winter, no wind and lots of sun in the summer. In those cases you would essentially set up and winter system and a summer system to form a hybrid that provides the best of both when available. Wind data is available from noaa.gov
Hello thank you for your video how do I charge an individual sell at 2. 7 volts
Very interesting is there anyway to equalize banks without a smart charger inverter
FANTASTIC !!! Thanks Steve !
Are you still going to do a follow up video?
My friend Tom owns a battery desulfator. Many people I know that have them swear by them, but they themselves don't know much about electricity or alternative energy systems. My experience with them has been very little.
Having said that, I have noticed no difference at all when we used Tom's or didn't use it. The companies claim that they can be used on small or large battery packs, and that also causes me doubt. For now, my opinion is that any desulfators do not provide any real protection.
Excellent video. Sounds like it would be unsafe to equalize my battery bank in my campervan?
hep cat LOL it would definitely be more explosive than farts!
Nice video Steve, I agree with everything you say. For AGM owners I personally would not recommend equalizing any AGM's at about 15.5 v, except for the Lifeline design, unless the battery manufacturer says to do it (most don't.) It will just dry them out prematurely, in most cases. Yes you are dead right, don't go adding chemicals or Epsom Salts to good batteries. Chemicals may be OK to squeeze a few months out of a poor battery , but will shorten the lives of good batteries that work well. (I proved it 30 years ago by adding shop bought battery 'aid' chemical tablets to some batteries on one of my battery banks. The batteries I didn't add the 'aid' chemical to lasted years longer. Never, ever, equalize true GEL (thick electrolyte) batteries. Any voltage above about 14.3v for long completely ruins GEL cells.
All above based on 12 volt batteries of course.
Steve thanks for the videos but where is the rest. Hoping to see the results.
peckadat he lost the footage but mentioned in a comment somewhere here that half the batteries were successful and the other half had bad cells
Great video and info for flooded batteries. I have 1 LifeLine 8D AGM 255ah battery that won't stay above 12.6v after an overnight rest and after a full charge. It sat for many months under charged. I also use a 4 stage RV charger and also a constant voltage adjustable current charger to equalize them at 15.5v 6 hours per manufacture specs. Can you give a few pointers to this difficult task of bringing it back to life. I have 3 others that rest at 13.1v. and at $650 each I'm not really looking forward to replacing one.
Robert, 12.6v is not a bad reading at all. That's what I would expect on a "well-seasoned" battery. The tell-tale sign will be placing it under a load of around 20 amps. If the voltage goes immediately below 10 volts, then you could have a sulfated or bad cell, in which case I would try your constant voltage adjustable current charger to equalize them at 16 volts for 6-8 hours. If you've done that recently then I would equalize them for no longer than another 4 hours.
If you apply the load and the voltage drops a couple volts, then slowly creeps down, I'd say the battery is about as good as it's gonna get. Batteries are as much art as science. Mess with them enough and you get a feel for them.
When you apply the equalizing voltage, it the battery voltage quickly rises to the equalizing voltage, then you have a sulfated cell(s). Hopefully the voltage will start to creep back down, then slowly rise again. Hold the voltage for the 6 recommended hours beginning at that point. If the battery voltage quickly rises to the equalizing voltage and stays there, then the battery is likely bad. At that point you can try a battery sulfation additive as a last ditch effort with varied results.
The bottom line is batteries get old and die, or they get ruined and die. Eventually they all die.
Steve Robertson Thanks for the info, my question is how much current to put into the battery at 16v? There seems to be a break over point for current acceptance. At 15v current is about 2.5 amps, at 16v it is 8-9 amps. I do hear bubbling at 15v and above. How will I know if I am damaging the battery? Can I put this battery in a bank with the other 3 that show 13.1 at rest in my RV without damaging them longterm? Thanks for all of you advice.
Robert
8-9 amps is good. The bubbling you hear is the hydrogen/oxygen molecules being generated on the plates from the water during charging. This is what kicks the sulfation off the plates and it is also a good thing. During this time keep an eye on your battery temperature. If it starts to get above 100 degrees or so, then stop the charge until it cools and then start again. You will damage the battery if you go too long - in your case the manufacturer states 6 hours, but I usually go another 50% past that if a battery is badly sulfated. In your case I would go as long as 9 hours.
I have seen more batteries ruined from being undercharged than overcharged. But it can and does happen.
Mixing old batteries with new batteries has always been taboo. But I met a fellow here on the mountain that has been using recycled batteries of all ages mixed to make his system work. It works. So until I get some hands on experience with it directly, I have nothing to say about mixing new and old batteries. But like I said, the word from manufacturers is no. They do have profit margins to maintain also. I have nothing to offer from personal experience on this.
From a technical standpoint, the higher charged batteries will discharge into the lessor battery until their voltage has come down to the level of the lower battery. At this point they will all live at the lower voltage - obviously not a good thing for the newer batteries, but not catastrophic either. They will likely sulfate into the same condition as the lessor battery.
Thank you for your questions Robert.
Steve Robertson Steve, thanks for the great advice. I followed your equalizing suggestions and my once failing battery is now holding a charge of 13.2v after sitting for 48 hours. I did a load test of 20amps and the voltage dropped to 12.6v. during that test. Afterwards it came back up to 13.1v. What other tests can I run to get a better understanding of its condition?
Robert
I would say that you've got a handle on your situation. You got your battery back. Those tests are really about the only ones I think of off-hand to perform. I hereby promote you from beginner to novice! LOL Glad it has worked out for you, Robert! Please stay in touch.
wow great knowledge. thanks
Thank you!
Great video, valuable info!
If one of the cells in a 12V battery shows a low specific gravity reading how can we correct it?
Thank you.
Just wondering. You mentioned that you had a series of videos about the solar system deinstall/install. Are you still planning to post them. Great video on the batteries. It helped me a lot to get my batteries working again.
Thanks mate, that was very educational!
Thank you for the positive feedback sir! That is what keeps me going.
acklan3, I will do a follow-up video, but have gone through a divorce and am currently in Michigan. I still have the place in Colorado - still off the grid and online. I also have the raw foootage ready to edit, but it won't be until late September earliest. I will also be doing some discussions about various parts of the country using my new experiences.
Great video quality
Thanks. It does take a lot of work to do everything that needs to be done and then try to make a decent video on top of all that.
great Video. thanks
when I last tried to charge up my bank was just in the mere 10 degree winter and patience was not at my best. I even wired inverter backwards which oddly the batteries were not happy with when I upgraded my cable size from 4 to 2/0. so I think I smoked the 6 volt one closest to it. living is the best way to learn life.
I will work with these suggestions and see where it goes, if it's not just back to the battery store.
Thanks
Let me know how it goes.
It looks like one of my t-105's has a bad cell, it only reads 4 volts while the others are at 6.
+Rev John O'Toole The cell might be just plain ol' bad.
Just wondering did acid hurt the car packed in the garage just beside the battery bank? Great video
It did leave some very small green spots, that we got out using some rubbing compound. I was hoping no one would think of that!
Which tecnical equipment you are using in this video ?
Very good video !
Brother I wish your channel was English because I am immensely interested in your projects!
I use all cell phones for cameras:
Samsung S4 Zoom because of optical zoom capabilities
Samsung Galaxy S5 because of great low-light recording
Two Asus Zenfone 2E Z00D for recording in vehicle from front face camera.
I bought cell phones used from Ebay with cracked display screens for less than $60US each.
For areal photography I use Hubsan X4 FPV Quadcopter I purchased from banggood.com
All these items are inexpensive but give results that rival equipment of 10x the cost.
Sorry for my English, still learning.
The equipment for charging the Batteries with 50 and more Amps. The model of charger and the programmer for reconditioning the batteries ?
The good things still not en the channel.
Using resonance- without moving parts - Solid state !
Please contact -: Joachim-Volkmann(at)gmx.de
www.overunity.com
The charger I use can be found here:
www.solarhome.org/schneiderelectricxw-mppt-60-150vchargecontroller.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjwvIO_BRDt27qG3YX0w4wBEiQAsGu3efMBss382xl_mectsY21FODrGSNyk7bZb847-4ux8I0aAms28P8HAQ
Duane uses charger/inverter here:
www.ebay.com/itm/142117203235
The charger used in this video is no longer manufactured.
Very good video!
Subscribed to this, as it's a very useful tutorial.
I'm trying to equalize the cells in a 70ah car battery, and I think the negative cell is shorted as it's reading 0.70v when the rest of the cells are reading 2.6-2.8v.
Hopefully it can be recovered, if not I'll have to get a new battery as I'm not going through all the trouble to change the negative cell.
Is there a way to do this without an inverter/charger?
If I dont have a hydrometer and my batteries are newish. And i just want to preform an equalization charge how long is a good rule of thumb
Great tutorial
sucha great video, thanks man, still doing, regards
+eu mesmo Thank you my Portuguese brother!
Thanks for d info. Can I get my batteries charged with panel instead with car charger
Yes, but you would need to get a panel sized properly for the battery. Too small panel and it would not charge adequately. Too large panel and you would need a charge controller.
Steve I'm a subscriber of yours. After watching video and results are good. Could the batteries be drained and flushed with distilled water? Then replenish with new sulfuric acid and distilled water?
A long time ago I tried that with mixed results. It’s going to depend on a lot of factors like how sulfated the plates are, if any pieces of the plates are on the bottom of the sounds, etc.
thank you for the great video.
it is also possible to balance a stack with 33 batteries ????
SekretaryService the short answer is it is possible. But the charger needs to be properly sized for the voltage and amperage of the batteries according to how they’re wired in series/parallel. It is more difficult to do because you have to watch all the cells more closely to make sure none of them actually overcharge to the point of damage.
Offgrid Steve 33x12Volt and 90Ampere. But we use several Banks...
Does this procedure vary when dealing with sealed batteries?
Chad, I wouldn't use this method on sealed batteries. You risk deforming the plates, cases or even a possible explosion. Keeping an eye on the water level is critical, and it's not possible (easily) on sealed or AGM batteries.
Thanks!
I'm trying to recover two batteries right now. If the hydrometer eventually gets in the green, can I assume I recovered them. They started in the red and slowly working it's way into the white and hopefully the green.
+Marion Blair When you have gotten them high in the green, remove the charge, let them rest 24 hours, place them under a small load to remove residual charge, and then test the voltage and electrolyte. If it's not where it needs to be, you can try to equalize again. If that doesn't work, then you have bad cells.
+Steve Robertson (Off-Grid Living) Thanks for the reply, that's what I needed to know. One looks pretty much recovered as it's in the middle of the green. Once I do the initial load test to remove residual charge, should I pull it down and recharge several times to try to remove more sulfate? great video BTW.
+Marion Blair Too much overcharge will ruin your batteries. My personal rule of thumb is once they are all in the green, continue charging for another 8 hours. Then perform the tests for success.
Thank you for making this video. I do have a question. How do you slow down sulfation of the batteries plates. Is it just a matter of keeping them fully charged and do you have to add distilled water at a preset time? I live in Florida and want to build a 3 battery deep cycle backup power supply. Do you have any advice on how I can extend battery life in standby mode?
Unfortunately, sulfation is part of the chemical process that occurs in batteries regardless of how you treat them. However, it occurs more quickly in batteries that are kept in float and/or batteries that are allowed to remain discharged for a period of time before recharge. It is the process of charging that "kicks off" the sulfation build-up on the plates. The stronger overcharge of equalization kicks off that gradually built up sulfation and brings batteries back to a "like new" condition until they just eventually wear out from sulfation piling up in the bottom of the battery.
In your situation of running them in standby mode, I would suggest every three years allowing them to run down to 50% SOD (state of discharge), followed by a standard equalizing charge. When I was in telecommunications, it was common to have float batteries last over 35 years by doing this. There are other variables like battery size, construction quality, how often they are called on for service, age, current sulfation damage, etc. So mileage varies on any given set of batteries.
Thank you for your response. I plan on using 3 marine deep cycle batteries in parallel. I will start off with new batteries and a 1000 watt inverter. Since these batteries are so expensive I appreciate any advice that you have to offer.
There are nearly infinite variables when it comes to batteries. Your case being in Florida, you have the temperate climate on your side.
So are you initially charging with AC or DC? Thanks.
Always charge using DC. AC is only done to desulfate a hopeless battery by someone very experienced, and even then can totally ruin a battery.
Hello my friend, that your system rejuvenates the deep cycle batteries? I use Bedini system, that their system is more efficient? How do I get a good rejuvenator? I live in Brazil. Thank you, a hug.
+Gustavo Roque Gustavo! My wife and I have been considering a visit to Brazil in the near future. Yes this method should rejuvenate deep cycle batteries. I have heard of John Bedini's system for charging batteries and I have no experience with it. I am interested to hear your thoughts about it. Personally, I have never used desulfators or rejuvenators in favor of equalizing them instead. God bless the good nation of Brazil!
Steve Robertson Ok my friend, well, I have some videos on my channel with these systems.
Anything please contact me, a hug!
+Gustavo Roque I have subscribed to you!
I am attempting to rejuvenate a few seriously low cells in a 36 volt (18 cell) 765 Amp-Hour electric forklift battery. I have 3 cells that show 1.6-1.7VDC. I am using a variable transformer to "turn down" the A/C input to an old Schumaker manula (NOT automatic) battery charger to the point where I can charge the individual cells on the 6-volt setting at 40 Amps.
I am also watching the temperature and have read that 120-140 Degrees F helps soften the sulfate, but so far (after a week of this) I have not seen the specific gravity coming up. If anything, it appears the cell voltage is dropping. I am beginning to wonder if I have a different problem.
+Tracy Mathews I would say that those cells are simply bad. Unfortunately, that is their ultimate demise sooner or later.
Video clear as mud for some of us........
I’m so sorry you’re having difficulty understanding the content. You obviously have several choices at this point which include:
1. Elaborate on what you’re having difficulty understanding so I can explain further.
2. Just buy lithium batteries of some form (LiFePo4 or Lithium Ion) so you don’t even have to worry about equalizing batteries.
3. Or if you’re one of those types that just like to complain, just leave your comment as it is, and I’ll allow it to remain for all to see.
I have 6 4v to 24v bank and two of cells gone bad. I’ve disconnected in two groups of 3 12v bank and one side came back but other 12v seems harder to come back. One battery reading 3.4v rest at 3.8v
What should I do now? Keep on trickle charge til it reaches to 4v? And what amperage should be charging at? Thanks
What is the amp hour rating of battery?
@@OffGridLivingSteve rolls series 5000 1350ah 4v
@@OffGridLivingSteve when I started this morning, volt was at 10.4 and ended at 11.2v not enough to start the inverter.
Is it possible to string the battery with other 3 4v batteries and equalize all the batteries? Or would it damage the other set due to one cell being low voltage.
I noticed you are not wearing eye protection #4, skin protection #5, and have a nicely painted surface in close proximity to your charger. All of these are called out as precautions at the start of your video. Other than not following your safety protocol excellent video.
Mountain Biker that’s right. How do you think I came up with that list? 😉
Very good video, however I have never needed more than 5 amp per battery when overcharging. This seems to re emulsify the sulphur with zero heat.
how long do you leave your battery charging with 5 amps for it to start bubbling, and how long do you keep it after.
please let me know.
@@zgalli.powerlifting1814 starts bubbling 14.5- 15 V. I overcharge 6- 8 hrs. This is only done if sulpher has began to accumulate.
@@robertdixon6536 thank you
Nice information
I have run into quite a find in that I have over 100 VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid) 12 volt 8AH batteries.
The issue is these are less than one year old and all test out at or around 12.3 volts or higher. These batteries came out of medical UPS systems that were warehoused for longer than 6 months, and mandated the change out. VRLA batteries have very low self discharge rate and they do charge up nicely. But wow, quite a logistic nightmare.
My plan is build a wiring harness to configure these into banks but the terminals are the flag style push on connector. 10 batteries will create a 80AH bank that can then be banked together with other ones. My plan is to have a common buss to each bank. The wiring will be 10 gauge to a heavy buss bar or cable
Racking is my biggest concern as access is required, but not as often as flooded lead acid, mostly for inspection of wiring and or individual testing. These are for the most part maintenance free and can be placed in any position but permanently upside down. Not to bad a price for what can be an 800 amp hour battery. Free, just add a few hundred connectors and wire.
Like I said, it is a logistic issue and way more complex than much larger, but fewer batteries. If one battery goes bad I can simply unplug it, but that will be the crazy part when it happens...
+Craig Nehring How do all you guys find the good deals? I thought ! was the scrounger!
It is the place I work for, we get all sorts of time change stuff, or end of life disposal.
You Sir have a great knowledge base AND practical experience, Thank you for sharing.
Your concept of large solar array and smallish battery back up is a real game changer ;>)
+Craig Nehring I appreciate you saying that. Necessity is the mother of all inventions, right?
You bet, and when push comes to shove, something is better than nothing.
BTW, I just hauled in another 400 pounds of batteries... That's 640 Amp Hours worth
I wa going to add this to Steves original post but your comment deserves it better. If you parrallel batteries (as in the vid, 3 banks series /parrallel) then you shoul connect the charger POS to one end of the chain and the neg to the other. If you only connect the charger to the nearest battery and then parallel the others you will find that you get uneven charge, even with new identical batteries. As an example, three 12V/110Ah batteries next to each other with a 75A charger. These batteries were new and well installed with short equal links of 30mm cable
Measured charge, 77A at input terminal...................actual charge 29A
Measured charge, 48A at first link cable...................actual charge 26A
Measured charge, 22A at second link cable..............actual charge 22A
good info
Looking For some Help. If I have a string of 2 volt rolls surrette in series to make a 48 Volt bank and three charge controllers can I tap into the bank every 8 cells designating each charge controller to 8 cells per each controller and then set parameters to charge for 16 volts each all the same setup so as to better equalize the string and keep a better balance rather than just hooking all of them together in parallel charging at 48 volt parameters hope you can help Thank You
If your charge controllers are PV, isolated input/output and UNGROUNDED-capable (NEC 690.35 compliant), then yes as long as none of your wires from the arrays have an electrical path to ground anywhere. It's not likely that your system would pass US electrical inspection. It's not a setup I would recommend, but if you're willing to take the risks involved, it should work.
Also consider this: If your charge controllers can handle 50 amps, their maximum capacity at 16 volts is only 800 watts each, where at 48 volts for the same amperage, they handle 2,400 watts max, each. If you run them in parallel as a 48 volt system, you can handle a total of 7,200 watts of PV. But running them at 16 volts, you max out at only 2,400 watts total from PV. You really won't gain anything by splitting the charge, even though it appears to make sense.
Ok Great! I see your Point Thanks so Much for the help there is significant gain to be had at 48 Volts I guess that answers my question...
You're quite welcome. Good luck in your endeavors!
The batteries are place on wood because ?
The concrete floor is new. It belongs to my neighbor, and I was allowed to borrow it for this purpose. You will notice several black spots on the wood where the battery acid got onto it. I did this out of respect to protect my neighbor's concrete floor. Concrete contains lime which reacts with the acid. The surface of the concrete would have been destroyed in those areas the acid would have contacted it had the wood not been there.
Can i mix A 12v flooded battery to a gel typ battery?
Although no one would advise it, you can. You can't equalize a gel battery, so you have to remove it to equalize the flooded battery.
question.... i have 2 6 volt t150 golf cart flooded batteries hooked up in a trailer,,,,,,,,,,had them charged to full with trickle charger about a year ago or so. held that charge for many months with trailer in storage.but that ended a few months ago .am about to install a 100 watt solar panel on the roof with a 30 amp mttp controller .will the panel recharge those batteries over time or do i need to remove the batteries and have them boost charged for them to have life again ?
Bob thank you for your question. It is *possible* to equalize your batteries with a 100watt panel, but it mostly depends on several factors. If you don't get enough hours of sun per day it won't work. If you live in a place where it is cloudy most days like South Bend Indiana, it won't work. If the angle isn't proper it won't work, etc. So the bottom line here is if you want to be sure to give the batteries a good equalizing charge, use a commercial charger that has an equalizing function. If you have time, you can try the 100watt panel and see if it works.
thanks for the reply.i live in florida so sun not a problem. i guess ill just install the panel and controller and hook it all up and give it a week . if still no sign of them taking a charge ill pull them and take them somewhere to be boost charged. i just hope i didnt kill them beyond fixing. all i had running off the were 2 sma;; volt meters but who knows .maybe thats all it took over months to totally drain them ?
That's probably the way I would handle it. I think you're on a good track.
Just wondering if the second half of this video was ever done. Thanks
Unfortunately, the raw footage for the second half of this video was lost. But I can say this: we did recover more cells than not. But most batteries had at least one bad cell making the whole battery useless. Because of this experience I would recommend attempting this only on 2 volt cells, since individual 2 volt cells can be culled without affecting others.
i could be wrong here but isn't the maximum charge rate about 20% of the given capacity.
for instance, a 5Ah battery can only handle 20% of it's given capacity as current. (in Ah of course) thus being 1 amp of current.
You are absolutely correct - generally speaking. You would also be correct if you said that most AGM batteries should never exceed their float voltage by a few hundred millivolts. However, when equalizing severely sulfated flooded cell batteries, it takes a higher amperage to get the sulfate to budge off the plates. Like I said in the video, when it comes to sulfation and equalization, it's as much black art as it is science in my experience. Do so at your own risk and discretion.
Steve Robertson i only had a few severely sulfated batteries at my school, so i asked if i was allowed to try and get them back to work. They are only 7.5 Ah so i set the supply to 14,7 volts and capped the current at 1.2 amps after about 17 to 18 hours they had reached the nominal voltage and they could deliver current to 2.4 amps without a significant voltage drop.
Mission succes.
Thx
Quinten, that's great that you had success! You should make a video about it and share with the world. The more info, the better off we all are!
thanks ! ! !
impressive!
good shit boys
Where is the follow up????
Apologies sir. I went through a divorce during that time and the raw footage was lost.
Those classic Trace inverter can last forever.
Shared!
love the music
I desperately need your advice! Everyone, feel free to advise me as well.
I had 2 men working on the solar system in van.
They replaced the batteries with a LiFePO4 12.8V 78Ah and a 12.8V 35Ah 448Wh.
They installed a Pure Sine Wave Inverter 12V Input, Power 2500W, Output 120V.
I also have a Victron Smart Solar Charge Controller, MPPT 100/30.
When the electrician hooked up everything sparks began flying, the system got hot, and he has given up trying to set it up. I have no solar power now in my van, which is my home.
Please help! I can't waste any more money and I have no idea what I need. Thank you.
That’s almost impossible to say without physically being there. What is your location?
@@OffGridLivingSteve Florida.
I read part of the instructions today for my new inverter and it says not to connect it to solar panels nor a solar charge controller. The men working on my van and installing the new batteries and inverter must not have known what they were doing.
@@petuniaromania6294 it happens often where people claim to be “experts” after watching a few UA-cam videos. I live in Hawaii now, so unfortunately I won’t be much help. Be thankful you don’t live in Canada!
Omg....I think I've gone cross eyed.
Henk Viljoen SA thanks pel this help me fix mine😅
My 17 year old battery is a chemical addict. I have just added another dose, hoping it will live another year.
its like i just watched this video in ff slow down some, butt nice video
+1 for the kardiac kids, go browns!!
There is no second video to say if the batteries ended up being good.
I accidentally did this with a brand new sealed battery for the initial charge,..swelled up and stunk like eggs,,,started gassing
The Batteries are placed on wood because ????? The acid will ruin the concrete ? or Wait , Wait. Don't tell me they will discharge through the plastic case if placed on concrete. That old tail is very hard to stomach. Perhaps dirt or a rubber mate will work even better. Fantastic info and really appreciate it but I'm sorry I just don't buy the concrete will suck out the electricity and make a battery go dead. Perhaps placing it on the concrete floor and forgeting about it for a year or two might make it come true.
Dear USSBB62, since you insist on putting words in my mouth about the batteries being on wood, I will certainly allow you to enjoy your nonsense. I watched my video again to be sure that I didn't say anything about them discharging if placed directly on concrete. I said no such thing. Perhaps the voices in your head speak louder than my video.
Steve Robertson
THE MIST FALLS ON THE PLASTIC CASE. MAKING A SURFACE CONDUCTION BETWEEN POST AND EARTH.KEEP IT CLEAN AND DRY. GOOD VID.
Sorry to hear about your divorce. Thanks for the reply.
The perfect gift
Perfect gift for the handyman who has everything an ideal winter project,
Make an electric garden tractor from your old gas tractor, and it could be charged by solar, zero pollution
Plans and instructions @ electrictractor.net
2hrs cutting approx 2 acres or 8-10 hrs pulling trailer on a charge
Converting to battery power is a great idea for a garden tractor I converted one 15yrs ago, I used the 3 separate motor design and it is still cutting grass on a daily basis, it is amazing how it never breaks down and needs almost no maintenance, I renew the batteries every 7 yrs I am just on my 3rd set now, my design will cut up to 2 acres on a 50cent charge there are no belts or pulleys and no oil on the entire tractor, it can pull a trailer for about 8hrs on a charge, because battery run time is the most important aspect of most conversions I paid particular attention to the most efficient design, I used 3 separate small motors one for the drive with electronic speed control and two smaller with a cutter blade mounted on the shaft of each cutter motor ,total amperage when cutting grass is approx 40amps, (2000watts) this design only uses the battery power req to do the job, very little wasted battery power, it uses magnetic breaking of both tractor and cutter blades and automatically applies parking brake when you stop or get off the seat, an amazing tractor. electrictractor.net
Video #5 Ploughing Snow ua-cam.com/video/o4nSYsbPfvg/v-deo.html
Video #4 Ploughing Veggie Garden ua-cam.com/video/7OF6lXgXth8/v-deo.html
Video #3 The Little Electric Tractor That Can! cutting grass ua-cam.com/video/9LWjfUjQ8a0/v-deo.html Video#1 on youtube ua-cam.com/video/9GN5fTEWYPs/v-deo.html
and ua-cam.com/video/9LWjfUjQ8a0/v-deo.html
I normally don't allow plugs for products on my channel, but this is very intriguing!
Salt Batteries Don't have any of these problems!
I agree, but if the price is more than a person can afford, all the carefree in the world still makes it the same as non-existent at all.
no volts no hope.
You did say place them on wood. Why ? Just wondering. I mentioned it because of the old wives-tail that concrete sucks out the energy. If your going to publish a treatise on batteries I might have suspected that you have heard such nonsense. I suppose I could be wrong. Perhaps Mythbusters can answer the question.
Where did I say anywhere in video or in writing that "concrete sucks out the energy"? No where. If you want to have constructive dialog, then please proceed. Don't make assumptions. If you want to know why I placed the batteries on wood then ask, and leave assumptions out of your remarks. Either engage me in something worthwhile, or I will delete you. I am busy and wish to help people who want to learn. If you want to try and make fun of someone's efforts, take it somewhere else.
Steve Robertson So I shouldn't ask whether the paint on that pickup at 10:46 turned green or not? :D
Well...why do you think I made that remark?
There's "equalizing' and then there's "desulfating" though some try to use equalizing for desulfating... its not the same thing.
Desulfating is overcharging at a specific rate based on battery size and temperature. (referred to as "TVG" (Temperature Voltage Gassing) You apply enough voltage that the battery will almost look like its right at the edge of boiling. This releases a lot of hydrogen.
If you are overcharging enough that you smell the sulfur you are doing it wrong.
You do NOT want to get the batteries too warm. 100F is hotter than you want.
Equalizing is getting the individual cells up to the same charge level. That means connecting in a manner where you can charge or discharge each cell individually.
Extremely large storage (deep cycle) batteries have a space under the plates intended to allow lead-sulfate crystals to drop out without short circuiting the battery.
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to those saying this video is "excellent"... Just no. He's doing it wrong.
Well I must say that's quite a slap in the face. I have over 20 years in the telecommunications industry directly relating to telephony switches and the 48VDC that powers them. It was common to get 30-50 years of service from a set of flooded cells that were properly equalized twice per year and after any power outage. I have been off grid since 1983, and have mostly flooded cells in my life. I share my experiences here. So for you to come here and just announce to my viewership I'm doing it all wrong probably isn't going to gain you the notoriety you seek by bringing someone else down. Your channel doesn't even have any content. How do you have any credibility whatsoever? Share with the world your knowledge instead of trolling around with such destructive attitudes towards others. This is a positive community, and you're being positively negative. Good day sir.
Steve Robertson. Correct response.
thank you for the great video
Jacky Paulus thank you sir!