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New batteries charge control


Eloisec93

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Hey guys 

So we fitted 3 brand new leisure batteries today as our others were not holding any charge and on the recent survey it was recommended we replace them.

 

I replaced the batteries with 3 brand new leisure batteries from Halfords Voltage: 12V with Capacity 115Ah

 

everything is working fine on the boat the solar charge control has a happy face with full batteries

 

our other charge control was saying 78 mins absorpt wet open (see picture)

I have no idea what this means and wondered if any one knew???

 

We are new to this boat and getting to know it. It may be a silly question but I'm curious to know what it means

 

Thanks 

Screenshot_20200104_210334_com.huawei.himovie.overseas.jpg

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I would suggest if the 79 minutes is counting up its the time it has been in absorption mode or if its counting down its the time left before the charger drops to float mode. Note that when it drops to float may be far too early for an optimum charge.

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Wet open is the type of batteries that the controller thinks you have.

This may be something it senses,  or something you have to tell it by programming it. If you haven't got wet open cell batteries, then you are straight away starting to charge them incorrectly.

If you HAVE got wet open cell batteries then you also need to pur hase some distilled water and a topping up vessel, and plan on topping up once a month at least.

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10 hours ago, Tony Brooks said:

I would suggest if the 79 minutes is counting up its the time it has been in absorption mode or if its counting down its the time left before the charger drops to float mode. Note that when it drops to float may be far too early for an optimum charge.

Hi Tony I think your right! I have just researched the three stages of charging. 

 

Why do you think it may be to early for an optimum charge? Please can you explain? Sorry I am new to all of this and learning! 

 

 

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The first stage of charging, often called bulk, is in fact not an actual stage of charging controlled by the charger at all. Early in the charge cycle the current that the batteries will accept will be higher than that the charger can supply and under those circumstances the output voltage of the charger will be automatically depressed  and the charger will just run flat out.

 

As the batteries charge up they will accept less and less charge so the charging current starts to fall while the voltage automatically rises.

 

Eventually the voltage will be approaching a level that would damage the batteries so the charge source starts limiting the charging voltage (voltage regulation). This is the absorption parse. The regulated voltage will be a compromise between one safe for longer term charging yet at the same time be high enough to give the optimum level of charge.On an alternator that is all but certain to be shut down for 12 hours or more per day and the batteries discharged to some degree during that time the safe level will be around 14.2 to 14.7 volts but if that were applied 24/7 it would cause damage to the batteries so with chargers that may be left turned on an connected for weeks or months at a time a further stage of charging called float is needed. During float the charging voltage is set at a level that will, in theory, just about keep pace with self discharge. This is often around 13.6 volts but 13.6 volts will never recharge a battery in any sort of acceptable time.

 

Now the question is how does the charge know when its time to drop into float voltage and the answer is its computer makes a guess (the makers will probably claim and informed guess).  They tend to measure the time it takes for the charging voltage to rise by a given amount and base their guess on that. Unfortunately that guess tends to drop into float too early so you are left with not fully charged batteries. On a boat in daily use this can lead to loss of battery capacity but on a moored boat with no one aboard for days that 13.6v will probably be enough to eventually fully charge the batteries.

 

The way a livaboard can overcome this is to turn the charger off when it drops into float for a few seconds and then back on af ew times. This in effect makes the guess more accurate.

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53 minutes ago, Doctoremote said:

To learn about batteries go here LINK This site has loads of info for anyone wanting useful info.

Is this also your own site?

Edited by Tumshie
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3 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

It may have loads of info, but is any of it actually right?!

 

 

 

Not the spelling of Braunston, that's for sure. There is a "Braunstone" but it's a suburb of Leicester.

 

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1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

.......Or even here:-

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/

 

11 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

It may have loads of info, but is any of it actually right?!

You two have quoted the original post that has been removed for breaking the site rules but you didn't remove the link when you quoted it, which kinda defeats the purpose. The up side is you still have time to edit it out. :D

 

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2 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

You two have quoted the original post that has been removed for breaking the site rules

 

Blimey, heinous crime of posting a link to his own site gets deleted IMMEDIATELY, while reams of rule-breaking posts containing personal unpleasantness get ignored. 

 

What IS this place coming to....?

 

 

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7 minutes ago, Tumshie said:

 

You two have quoted the original post that has been removed for breaking the site rules but you didn't remove the link when you quoted it, which kinda defeats the purpose. The up side is you still have time to edit it out. :D

 

Yeah but no, but you quoted it too, by quoting me!

 

Oh, my mistake, no you didn't.

 

Sorry teacher, won't happen again....sorry:blush:

Edited by rusty69
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6 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Blimey, heinous crime of posting a link to his own site gets deleted IMMEDIATELY, while reams of rule-breaking posts containing personal unpleasantness get ignored. 

 

 

 

 

You've been told a million times not to exaggerate.

1 hour ago, rusty69 said:

 

 

.......Or even here:-

 

 

https://www.canalworld.net/forums/

You may notice a credit at the bottom of your post saying that I had edited it. In fact I didn't: I was about to when you did, and the offending link disappeared before my very eyes.

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3 minutes ago, Athy said:

You've been told a million times not to exaggerate.

You may notice a credit at the bottom of your post saying that I had edited it. In fact I didn't: I was about to when you did, and the offending link disappeared before my very eyes.

Thanks. I however remain confused (unusual I know). What was wrong with the link? 

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1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

Thanks. I however remain confused (unusual I know). What was wrong with the link? 

It was quoted from a post which one of my colleagues has since removed because the web site contained advertising.

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1 minute ago, rusty69 said:

Thanks. I however remain confused (unusual I know). What was wrong with the link? 

 

I'm not sure either, which is why the contrast between it getting deleted and other genuinely rule breaking posts left up is so stark. 

 

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Athy said:

It was quoted from a post which one of my colleagues has since removed because the web site contained advertising.

 

So which rule did it break, exactly?

 

 

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1 minute ago, Athy said:

It was quoted from a post which one of my colleagues has since removed because the web site contained advertising.

Ah, I see. Thanks for explaining. Keep up the good work,carry on......

1 minute ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

I'm not sure either, which is why the contrast between it getting deleted and other genuinely rule breaking posts left up is so stark. 

 

When I said 'I see' (see above).I didn't really, I was just being polite.

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15 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

 

Blimey, heinous crime of posting a link to his own site gets deleted IMMEDIATELY, while reams of rule-breaking posts containing personal unpleasantness get ignored. 

 

What IS this place coming to....?

 

 

Don't blame me I don't even work here ?

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40 minutes ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

It may have loads of info, but is any of it actually right?!

Not much of it. This jumped out at me straight away: “So there is a relatively small operating range between 12.6 and 11.5 which means you actually only have access to about 30% of the actual capacity or about 36 ish amp hours.”  
 

How can anyone write a sentence with so much wrong with it in such a short time?


Oh geez, it gets worse... according to the author an alternator will only ever charge a battery to 80%. 

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1 minute ago, WotEver said:

Not much of it. This jumped out at me straight away: “So there is a relatively small operating range between 12.6 and 11.5 which means you actually only have access to about 30% of the actual capacity or about 36 ish amp hours.”  
 

How can anyone write a sentence with so much wrong with it in such a short time?

With such inaccuracies as that, its no wonder we have people asking 'why have my lights gone dim', 'why have my batteries only last 6 weeks' ………………….

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1 minute ago, Alan de Enfield said:

With such inaccuracies as that, its no wonder we have people asking 'why have my lights gone dim', 'why have my batteries only last 6 weeks' ………………….

Another gem... A mains charger in bulk outputs at 14.4V and full current until the batteries are at 80% at which time the charger slowly reduces its current output, which we call the absorption phase. 

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