I mentioned the solar size and amp draw previously. 1125 AH agm house bank. 2, 385 watt panels with separate controllers. Constant draw of around 15-20 amps.
Just checked my controllers, and as of 3:30 I have produced 2.2 kWh of power.
Dumb Charging Question
- Thread starter Shrew
- Start date
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Just checked my controllers, and as of 3:30 I have produced 2.2 kWh of power.
SteveK
Guru
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Mine as well.
I will admit I don't know if there are any downsides to my practice but I do the following when trying to get my 2 AGM banks to 100% SOC faster than floating for days...
When I notice the charger has switched to float but SOC is <100% I power my charger off and then back on. The result is it starts a new cycle with bulk charging for a min time before switching to absorption and finally back to float. The added bulk & absorption charges seem to get my banks up to 100% quicker.
I dont do this often but sometimes, like getting boat ready for a long winter nap, I try to make sure banks are as close to 100% SOC as possible and I can't provide power on the hard while I'm not there working on it.
When I notice the charger has switched to float but SOC is <100% I power my charger off and then back on. The result is it starts a new cycle with bulk charging for a min time before switching to absorption and finally back to float. The added bulk & absorption charges seem to get my banks up to 100% quicker.
I dont do this often but sometimes, like getting boat ready for a long winter nap, I try to make sure banks are as close to 100% SOC as possible and I can't provide power on the hard while I'm not there working on it.
RamblinRod
Newbie
Lead acid batteries like to be on float. Without a charger connection your generator battery will self discharge when idle for extended periods. Being held at a partial state of charge for long periods is very hard on them.
So I recommend leaving your generator start battery connected to the charger.
Some chargers can distribute full rated output to any bank that needs it; whereas other 3 bank chargers divide the total output by three and have max 20 A available to each battery. (You have to read the specs.)
Lead acid batteries are like a starving man set before feast, initially the man is a glutten pounding in food as fast as he can, as he becomes full he slows down, until the last few bites become painfully slow.
It is wise to se Solar to top
Off the last 10% of lead acid charge, slow and steady, all day long and diminishes before sunset pretty much matching the diminshed battery acceptance.
rgano
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- Mainship 30 Pilot II since 2015. GB-42 1986-2015. Former Unlimited Tonnage Master
My 50-Amp Promariner charger has three legs, but rather than spread the charge, I connect leg one to my house bank for the full effect and charge the start bank via an automatic charge relay. I don't use my generator for battery charging as a rule since we seldom anchor out anymore. Generator starts off the house bank, but there is a paralleling switch between the two banks if needed. All batteries AGM. It's a simple systm for a smallish, simple boat.
