"Kinship" Questions....

[Donsan]

What am I missing so far?

Perhaps you are missing an engine room monkey.

 

[BruceK]

What am I missing so far?

An alternative way to charge the genset batt.
What voltages did you get on the genset batt. Open circuit I know, but better than nothing.
I have an inexpensive batt voltage and load tester (Ebay), it (not Lucas) smokes when the load goes on.

 

[dhays]

Perhaps you are missing an engine room monkey.

Most definitely!

Terminals are good. Reconnected the genset battery and still nothing. I am going to pronounce it dead. Now I need to find a group 31 battery tomorrow.

The current battery is a group 31. I didn't see anything in the Northern Lights manual on setting a charge profile in the alternator. Does it matter? I would prefer an AGM since all the other batteries are AGM. However since the genny charges its own Battery with its alternator it wouldn't matter. I just have to remember to check the electrolyte.

If I went with an AGM, what about an Optima Yellow top? Not a deep cycle, but the battery would be used only for starting.

 

[Art]

I get all my batts from Battery Plus store. Great batts, fair price, good service... at least in the one I frequent.

 

[dhays]

Ok, I thought this was a group 31 battery. Now that I have wrestled it out of its hiding place, I think it may be a group 27 battery. It is 12v 100AH. I think it may be a sealed lead acid. Can't tell as all the markings are in Chinese. Definitely the original battery.

 

[Rebel112r]

What voltage are you getting off gen battery , with everything disconnected?

 

[Rebel112r]

I think it is there equivalent of a 4d.

 

[BruceK]

A sealed LA works as a start batt. My genset SLA, size (we call) 150AH (?= a 6D) per Onan Manual. Yours lasted 6 years, that`s ok, may have lasted longer if kept fully charged.

 

[dhays]

What voltage are you getting off gen battery , with everything disconnected?

About 12

I think it is there equivalent of a 4d.

Not as big as a 4d thank goodness.

A sealed LA works as a start batt. My genset SLA, size (we call) 150AH (?= a 6D) per Onan Manual. Yours lasted 6 years, that`s ok, may have lasted longer if kept fully charged.

I was thinking that a sealed LA might work well. Also be a whole lot cheaper than AGM. This battery that I took out could be a sealed LA.

 

[High Wire]

A gen set will start easily with an M24 Starting type for a long time as long as the alternator works.

 

[Art]

Dave

"Sealed" LA Battery is BS Hype, pardon the phrase, but, promotion hungry advertiders on Masison Ave. want people to believe there is never water needed to be added to a "sealed" LA batt. Not true!

Although it does help batt sales when batts fail due to lack of water.

Fact that it is water borne acid in a batt means it HAS to vent during chargings! East Penn (good batts) is batt mfg for Batteries Plus chain of hundreds of stores. Their "sealed" LA batts have plastic strip on top that when peeled back reveals screw-on, vinyl gasket water holes for batt plates. I fill (top off to correct height in cells) my "sealed" batts with distilled water about once a year. They last 10 yrs. or longer no problem.

Happy Batt-Choice Daze - Art

 

[dhays]

A gen set will start easily with an M24 Starting type for a long time as long as the alternator works.

I will look at that size as well. I don't want more battery than I need and the way the boat is setup, the genset battery can't be crosslinked to any other batteries, so as small as will work will be the best. It was a pain extricating the group 27 or 31 or whatever it is from its location as it was.

Fact that it is water borne acid in a batt means it HAS to vent during chargings! East Penn (good batts) is batt mfg for Batteries Plus chain of hundreds of stores. Their "sealed" LA batts have plastic strip on top that when peeled back reveals screw-on, vinyl gasket water holes for batt plates. I fill (top off to correct height in cells) my "sealed" batts with distilled water about once a year. They last 10 yrs. or longer no problem.

Thanks Art. I wouldn't think that for this application they would gas much as the only charging is after the battery has started the generator and then it is just from its alternator. I should get back up to charge pretty quickly. Anytime the genset is running, there is going to be air exchange in the ER from the genset air intake. Not like a house bank that is being charged when the engine isn't running such as when plugged into shore power. I like the price. I can buy 2-3 sealed LA batteries for the price of an AGM.

 

[Art]

I will look at that size as well. I don't want more battery than I need and the way the boat is setup, the genset battery can't be crosslinked to any other batteries, so as small as will work will be the best. It was a pain extricating the group 27 or 31 or whatever it is from its location as it was.



Thanks Art. I wouldn't think that for this application they would gas much as the only charging is after the battery has started the generator and then it is just from its alternator. I should get back up to charge pretty quickly. Anytime the genset is running, there is going to be air exchange in the ER from the genset air intake. Not like a house bank that is being charged when the engine isn't running such as when plugged into shore power. I like the price. I can buy 2-3 sealed LA batteries for the price of an AGM.

Yup n' Yup!!

However, if you are planning to keep LA batt in good condition for many years (10 +)... better keep tabs on cell water levels. They will drop eventually. If kept up the batt-life should be much extended. I've a 12 yr old Interstate batt in pickup... still cranks like crazy... I keeps dem cells filled with distilled wtr.

 

[dhays]

I keeps dem cells filled with distilled wtr.

In my case as I am inherently lazy, I used the distillate that came out of the dehumidifier. I had a hose that ran into a water bottle in the galley sink. It would fill, overflow and the excess would drain out of the boat. When I would get the boat I would check my wet cells and top them off with the water bottle, empty it and then repeat.

Now, I wouldn't use it for my wife's c-pap machine, but for wet cells it is good enough.

 

[Art]

In my case as I am inherently lazy, I used the distillate that came out of the dehumidifier. I had a hose that ran into a water bottle in the galley sink. It would fill, overflow and the excess would drain out of the boat. When I would get the boat I would check my wet cells and top them off with the water bottle, empty it and then repeat.
Now, I wouldn't use it for my wife's c-pap machine, but for wet cells it is good enough.

Sounds as though might be just fine. Gallon of distilled (with surely NO contaminants) sitting next to my batts is cheep to purchase every couple years. Fool proof and Ezzie Peezie too!!

 

[dhays]

Ok, I ended up with a group 27 AGM. Installed and the genset runs fine.

 

[dhays]

The genset battery got me to thinking about the other batteries, so I started to dig around. The engine start battery is a Lifeline 4d AGM. It is the only battery that has been change on this boat.

The house bank consists of 3 x 4D sealed LA batteries originally rated a at 200ah each. Since they are 6 years old, I don't expect them to last much longer.

 

[Art]

Ok, I ended up with a group 27 AGM. Installed and the genset runs fine.

Yea!

 

[dhays]

Bloated fenders

Another rather silly and trivial issue.

The boat came with a set of Polyform HTM 3 fenders. The boat is also equipped with some basket type rail mounted fender holders. The fenders were never in the holders when we saw the boat. Now I know why.

The fenders don't fit in the baskets. The Polyvue HTM 3 fender is supposed to be 10.5" in diameter. The baskets are 12" in diameter. It appears as it the fenders have been over inflated and stretched out. I tried deflating one but it still wouldn't fit.

This happen to anyone else? Both the fenders and baskets are valuable and I would like to be able to use the baskets to get the fenders out of the way on deck. Any ideas?

 

[Rebel112r]

New fenders at 50 bucks a pop.

 

[dhays]

New fenders at 50 bucks a pop.

Yeah, I was afraid you would say that.

 

[BruceK]

There can be other factors, but I suspect a nexus between your genset batt being the first and only original batt to fail, and it being the only batt with irregular and limited charging limited to times the genset runs.

 

[Rebel112r]

Dave, when I went to replace my house batteries, the american equivalent batteries would not fit in boxes, Chinese batts slightly smaller. Rather than change boxes, bought 6 6 volt, ended up with 700 amp hours. They are lead acid, and seem to be working well.

 

[dhays]

There can be other factors, but I suspect a nexus between your genset batt being the first and only original batt to fail, and it being the only batt with irregular and limited charging limited to times the genset runs.

Easily could be right about that.

 

[dhays]

Dave, when I went to replace my house batteries, the american equivalent batteries would not fit in boxes, Chinese batts slightly smaller. Rather than change boxes, bought 6 6 volt, ended up with 700 amp hours. They are lead acid, and seem to be working well.

After spending a few days crawling in to the back reaches of that lazarette, the idea of checking the fluid level of the batteries back there doesn't fill me with glee. Even getting a good enough angle to view into the chambers would be tricky.

OTOH, as I found out last fall on my sailboat, using 6v golf carts is the most economical solution. I went the cheap route on my sailboat and used Some Interstate batteries sold by Costco. 108 ah each. 6 would be. just shy of 650ah.

Of interest, the battery monitor shows % of charge as well as amps in or out and voltage of the house bank. The highest % it every hits is 94%. To my simply mind, it is telling me that over the 6 years of use, the batteries have lost 6% of their capacity?

 

[Art]

Dave


Although I don't need to use this... because of EZ access to check my boat's batts' fluid levels... there is an auto fill level contraption for LA batts. I don't recall brand/model name. Maybe someone will chime in. As I recall, the system works off a "feeder" jug/bottle; long as you keep it full - it keeps the batts full too, to correct fill level. Sounds like no muss no fuss once installed.


Cheers! - Art

 

[THD]

Dave-on the fenders-could you buy some sturdy 10.5" fender covers, deflate the fenders, put them in the covers, then re-inflate. Should be able to get a solid pressure, and if the covers are strong, keep the 10.5" diameter to fit in the holders.

 

[Art]

Dave-on the fenders-could you buy some sturdy 10.5" fender covers, deflate the fenders, put them in the covers, then re-inflate. Should be able to get a solid pressure, and if the covers are strong, keep the 10.5" diameter to fit in the holders.

Clever - if it works.

 

[dhays]

Dave-on the fenders-could you buy some sturdy 10.5" fender covers, deflate the fenders, put them in the covers, then re-inflate. Should be able to get a solid pressure, and if the covers are strong, keep the 10.5" diameter to fit in the holders.

That is a clever idea. Nothing wrong with trying it out on one and seeing if it works.

 

[dhays]

Dave


Although I don't need to use this... because of EZ access to check my boat's batts' fluid levels... there is an auto fill level contraption for LA batts. I don't recall brand/model name. Maybe someone will chime in. As I recall, the system works off a "feeder" jug/bottle; long as you keep it full - it keeps the batts full too, to correct fill level. Sounds like no muss no fuss once installed.


Cheers! - Art

Good idea Art, I was actually thinking of that after I posted above. I know that some sailors have reported good success with those. Trojan makes a system and I know there are others.