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How do I know if batteries are dead.


SimonP1957

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Hello

I've been living in my 10 year old boat for two years, plugged into a shoreline.

If I unplug I lose all 240 power, but the 12 volt appliances are ok.

If I turn on the engine, the inverter will run the lights and TV etc, but will trip immediately for a heavy duty item such as a kettle.

As soon as I turn the engine off, the 240 cuts out.

The inverter has a low battery light which lights up from time to time.

I'm pretty sure the batteries are done, but am nervous about buying new ones in case the inverter is faulty.

I'd hate to buy new batteries and wreck them by discharging them if it turned out the inverter was at fault.

The inverter is a Victron Phoenix

12v 3000va 120amp

Would appreciate any thoughts!

 

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A few posts on here relating to batteries. Reminding me (ex mechanic) that I didnt know squat regarding battery care and maintenance. A bit of advice, seek out as much info as you can, research especially into charging and cycles of battery life. Different types of baterries ie AGM Lead Acid, Tubular Gell, Li-on etc etc. Try the 12 volt group on FB, or the 12 volt planet on line as well as other good sites like Bimble,and Solar world. There are also monitors all over the place worth looking into by lots of different manfacturers that will fill your head with all sorts of complications. In short learn my way and waste 3 sets of batteries in the process, or research, listen and learn fast. This is a great place to get help, but too many varying opinions will confuse.

Good luck.

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1 hour ago, SimonP1957 said:

Hello

I've been living in my 10 year old boat for two years, plugged into a shoreline.

If I unplug I lose all 240 power, but the 12 volt appliances are ok.

If I turn on the engine, the inverter will run the lights and TV etc, but will trip immediately for a heavy duty item such as a kettle.

As soon as I turn the engine off, the 240 cuts out.

The inverter has a low battery light which lights up from time to time.

I'm pretty sure the batteries are done, but am nervous about buying new ones in case the inverter is faulty.

I'd hate to buy new batteries and wreck them by discharging them if it turned out the inverter was at fault.

The inverter is a Victron Phoenix

12v 3000va 120amp

Would appreciate any thoughts!

 

 

Broadly speaking, it sounds to me as though you have taken no interest whatsoever in power generation in the two years you have lived aboard, but something has changed to make you notice stuff is now going wrong. You are at the bottom of a very long and complex learning experience and about to get a seemingly unending stream of questions starting with mine. You say two years spent plugged into a shoreline, have you just lost access to it? Why not just plug it back in?

 

What batteries do you have now?  

 

New batteries will not be wrecked by discharging them, batteries are wrecked by failing to RECHARGE them fully and completely. What charging regime, if any, will you apply to the new batts you almost certainly need? 

 

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There is a chance one of the batts will still have a label on it with its manufacture date. This will tell you how old they are. Even the best maintained batteries will die eventually. Are they normally being charged from the shore line, via a combi inverter/charger, or via a separate mains battery charger? It does sound like they are pining for the fiords, but a bit more info would help. Do you have a voltmeter, multimeter, or any sort of battery monitor that could give a voltage reading on the batts when unplugged from the shore?

 

Jen

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8 hours ago, SimonP1957 said:

 

The inverter has a low battery light which lights up from time to time.

 

 

How long after disconnecting shore power before the low battery light comes on?

And as requested how many and what capacity is the domestic bank?

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Hi Thanks for the advice so far.

You've pretty much worked me out. I plugged into the mains, switched the inverter on to charge onl, and forgot about it.

The only problem this gives me on a day to day basis is that the batteries don't have enough kick in them to start the Webasto.

I was hoping to take the boat out and about during the summer, which is why I'm now considering doing something about it.

You've probably guessed a lot of the technology passes me by, but I'm very grateful for the warnings.

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7 minutes ago, SimonP1957 said:

Hi Thanks for the advice so far.

You've pretty much worked me out. I plugged into the mains, switched the inverter on to charge onl, and forgot about it.

The only problem this gives me on a day to day basis is that the batteries don't have enough kick in them to start the Webasto.

I was hoping to take the boat out and about during the summer, which is why I'm now considering doing something about it.

You've probably guessed a lot of the technology passes me by, but I'm very grateful for the warnings.

 

 

So, if you want any concrete help, you're gonna have to answer the questions in posts 2 to 6...!

 

 

 

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55 minutes ago, Neil Smith said:

Have you checked water level in the last 2 years if open cell, if not they could be dry and if so new batteries will probably be needed.

Neil

and don't forget that many of the so-called sealed maintenance-free leisure batteries do have a plastic cover strip hidden underneath all the stick-on labels.  Lever that off and you will have access to top up the cells. ............... just be careful not to splash battery acid around.

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3 hours ago, SimonP1957 said:

You've probably guessed a lot of the technology passes me by...

Yes, but until you answer the questions asked in posts 2,4,5, and 6 we won’t be able to help you to learn. It doesn’t need to be as difficult as some have suggested above, and we can explain nice and slowly, but we have to have a starting point. 

 

Yes, it appears that your batteries require replacing but just sticking new ones in won’t  address the issues; you WILL have to learn how to look after them, which doesn’t have to be difficult. 

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3 hours ago, SimonP1957 said:

 

. I plugged into the mains, switched the inverter on to charge onl, and forgot about it.

 

Perhaps now you are no longer plugged into the mains the battery charger needs to be switched off (if the charger runs via the inverter).

 

 

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8 minutes ago, MartynG said:

Perhaps now you are no longer plugged into the mains the battery charger needs to be switched off (if the charger runs via the inverter).

 

 

why ?   one way to keep the batteries charged up is to let the inverter power the charger  ........................   oh, hang on .........   :boat:

  • Greenie 1
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5 hours ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

It does sound like they are pining for the fiords...

Ah, I believe you have it - those Norwegian Blue-cell batteries are notorious for incapacitating bouts of nostalgia!

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18 hours ago, Terryb said:

A few posts on here relating to batteries. Reminding me (ex mechanic) that I didnt know squat regarding battery care and maintenance. A bit of advice, seek out as much info as you can, research especially into charging and cycles of battery life. Different types of baterries ie AGM Lead Acid, Tubular Gell, Li-on etc etc. Try the 12 volt group on FB, or the 12 volt planet on line as well as other good sites like Bimble,and Solar world. There are also monitors all over the place worth looking into by lots of different manfacturers that will fill your head with all sorts of complications. In short learn my way and waste 3 sets of batteries in the process, or research, listen and learn fast. This is a great place to get help, but too many varying opinions will confuse.

Good luck.

Thanks.... I can see there's more to this than meets the eye!

 

18 hours ago, Terryb said:

A few posts on here relating to batteries. Reminding me (ex mechanic) that I didnt know squat regarding battery care and maintenance. A bit of advice, seek out as much info as you can, research especially into charging and cycles of battery life. Different types of baterries ie AGM Lead Acid, Tubular Gell, Li-on etc etc. Try the 12 volt group on FB, or the 12 volt planet on line as well as other good sites like Bimble,and Solar world. There are also monitors all over the place worth looking into by lots of different manfacturers that will fill your head with all sorts of complications. In short learn my way and waste 3 sets of batteries in the process, or research, listen and learn fast. This is a great place to get help, but too many varying opinions will confuse.

Good luck.

 

18 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Broadly speaking, it sounds to me as though you have taken no interest whatsoever in power generation in the two years you have lived aboard, but something has changed to make you notice stuff is now going wrong. You are at the bottom of a very long and complex learning experience and about to get a seemingly unending stream of questions starting with mine. You say two years spent plugged into a shoreline, have you just lost access to it? Why not just plug it back in?

 

What batteries do you have now?  

 

New batteries will not be wrecked by discharging them, batteries are wrecked by failing to RECHARGE them fully and completely. What charging regime, if any, will you apply to the new batts you almost certainly need? 

 

Nothnig's going wrong, but I'd like to unplug from the shoreline, and start using the boat as a boat, and it's be nice to sit and watch the telly at night without the engine running!!

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9 minutes ago, SimonP1957 said:

Thanks.... I can see there's more to this than meets the eye!


it's be nice to sit and watch the telly at night without the engine running!!

Your neighbours would like it too, saves banging on your boat after 8pm.

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3 hours ago, SimonP1957 said:

Thanks.... I can see there's more to this than meets the eye!

 

 

Nothnig's going wrong, but I'd like to unplug from the shoreline, and start using the boat as a boat, and it's be nice to sit and watch the telly at night without the engine running!!

 

 

Good luck with that then.

 

 

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