Batteries charging daily but still decreasing charge overnight

[terah]

Well after thinking ours were stable I've just checked them and, a couple of hours after dark we're at 11v. Again just fridge and a few lights on. Not enough juice to start the generator so engine on, but now 'charge' warning light is on engine control panel. Is this still batteries or is there maybe an alternator issue as well?

I'm in Greece just now so the choice isn't great. We'll be in Italy in 2 - 3 weeks where it should be easier to get but I'm worried now we'll not make it that long.

We had 3 x 120Ah Zenith batteries and I'd intended to increase the bank to 600Ah. 6 x 210Ah Golf Cart batteries would do but need to see if I can source them locally.

[john61ct]

The best battery value by far is Duracell (actually Deka/East Penn) FLA deep cycle golf cart batteries, 2x6V, around $200 per 200+AH pair from BatteriesPlus or Sam's Club

That's $1 / AH @12V

Maybe 15¢ annualized if cared for properly.

[john61ct]

Sorry that's N.A. market.

Trojan T-105 sold there? Rolls / Surrette?

Ask at local resorts with golf courses ?

The key is commercial / industrial deep cycling, not automotive / consumer.

Worth paying more for longevity.

[terah]

Mastervolt controller shows 'bulk' but battery voltage now sitting at 10.6v and showing 0 amps on electrical panel for alternator.

[terah]

Originally Posted by john61ct

Sorry that's N.A. market.

Trojan T-105 sold there? Rolls / Surrette?

Ask at local resorts with golf courses ?

The key is commercial / industrial deep cycling, not automotive / consumer.

Worth paying more for longevity.

Thanks John. Will ask around locally tomorrow.

[john61ct]

With a new bank, confirm with an ammeter that your system's charge sources are adjusted correctly before you relax about the issue.

Otherwise may just murder the new set quickly too.

[noelex 77]

Battery recommendations are very local. The USA is blessed with very cheap battery prices compared to many locations.

Unfortunately, lead acid batteries are heavy, which means transport is a significant portion of the cost. In addition they are often classified as dangerous goods, which increases transport costs further.

The net effect is that while it is possible, even in remote places, to access many goods at only mildly inflated prices, the same does not apply to batteries.

This not only affects the overall cost, but also the type of product purchased. If reasonable quality batteries are available inexpensively, the best bank for the buck is cheap batteries, but where transport costs are significant factor then more expensive batteries can often be a better choice, especially given the considerable difficulties of replacement that is inherent in remote places.

[terah]

Are the Trojan T-105's decent? Have found a supplier in Athens and we can either get them delivered to us or we could head for Zea marina on Monday.

[john61ct]

Yes excellent. Just ask to verify the mfg date, hopefully if over 2-3 months have been topped up regularly (rare).

Ideal would be they let you tip them to pick out the highest voltage ones from the most recent mfg date, but not more than a nice round of Metaxa by the pier.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by terah

Are the Trojan T-105's decent? Have found a supplier in Athens and we can either get them delivered to us or we could head for Zea marina on Monday.

The Trojans are excellent, much better than what you had, be sure to set the voltages correctly for them. The Trojans are considered to be among the best.

[john61ct]

Well at least 3-4 NA FLA makers are as good, but not sold outside NA market.

Rolls / Surrette sold worldwide and by far the best, but priced accordingly.

AGM market is completely different, above is FLA only.

[terah]

In Athens now. 6 x T-105's ordered, will have them tomorrow. 1000 euros delivered, which seems pretty comparable with UK prices.

[CapnCrunch]

This may sound silly, but have you checked your connections? I had a similar situation that drove me nuts until I found what appeared to be a slightly corroded ground cable connection at the monitor shunt. Easiest way is to turn everything off, then turn on an appliance with a known current draw (like a water pump - usually around 5A). Check the voltage at successive points - battery > connection to panel > connection to monitor, etc. If you see a significant voltage drop anywhere, you have found the bad connection.

[TLSparks]

I would recommend you check with your battery manufacture to see if you can do an equalizing charge. Not all but many AGMs allow and all of them have build up over time.
The voltage is not low enough to suspect you have a single bad cell, but it could be that the batteries are just not putting out the power they once did, assuming they ran this same load in the past.


If you have never ran this load in the past, maybe you are just drawing to much. I have a battery, solar, load calculator I put together that is posted on my website. You might try downloading it and let it sum up your situation.
https://www.made-simplefor-cruisers....quirements.xls
Kind Regards
Terry

[john61ct]

AFAIK only Lifeline recommends their AGM batteries be "conditioned" or equalized.

It's value is preventative, not so much after the fact.