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Horror video - not for the weak stomach


sirweste

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A caution here, this video contains graphic content that all viewers should find harrowing

 

https://youtu.be/qlzOaWBJOoU

 

so a change of circumstances have meant I’ve only been back to the boat on occasions, no longer a full-time live aboard. I was watching the TV the other night when the inverter went off due to the battery bank dropping to 11.something volts, this surprised me as the solar should have given me enough for that evening based on experience. So investigation the next evening and I discovered the horror!!

 

I immediately went out and bought water, as the 3 L I had didn’t make much of an impact! In the end I put around 17 L into the six Trojan T – 105 I have. 
 

i’ve tried to keep them on charge and not drawdown from them for about a week now, I’m now back living abroad so I’m running the generator whenever I am there in the evening and then solar is pumping through the day.

they bubble intermittently when on charge and I’ve noticed the voltage readout on the SmartGauge isn’t a steady voltage when on charge. It used to sit rock steady at either 14.7 or 14.8 depending on temperature, now it fluctuates between 14.45 and 14.6
 

any advice on what I could do to revive them as best as possible? Thanks for any advice on help to rejuvenate them as best as possible. 

 

setup is:

3 pairs of T105 (about 6 years old)

Mastervolt Mass Combi 100a

EU22i genny 

400w solar

Edited by sirweste
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I think the best thing to do to revive them is to get some new ones! I think you have done major damage. On the other hand, I haven't topped up my T105s for over a year. That is because they are sitting in the garage, and in the boat we have lovely LiFePO4 batteries that never need topping up!

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30 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

I think the best thing to do to revive them is to get some new ones! I think you have done major damage. On the other hand, I haven't topped up my T105s for over a year. That is because they are sitting in the garage, and in the boat we have lovely LiFePO4 batteries that never need topping up!

Is there any life left in them Trojans and would you want to get rid of them?

 

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55 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

I think the best thing to do to revive them is to get some new ones! I think you have done major damage. On the other hand, I haven't topped up my T105s for over a year. That is because they are sitting in the garage, and in the boat we have lovely LiFePO4 batteries that never need topping up!

 

Like Goliath asks, are you interested in selling them?

 

If so, try ebay.... :D

 

 

 

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8 hours ago, Goliath said:

Is there any life left in them Trojans and would you want to get rid of them?

 

Well they were fine when I took them out a year ago.  I have charged them a couple of times. 7 years of leisure use, on shore power when we are not on the boat.

Two are in my caravan which leaves 2 going spare in the garage. Only problem is that is in Aberdeen which is a long way from anywhere in Englandshire. You could have them if we could work out how to get them to you.

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1 hour ago, nicknorman said:

Well they were fine when I took them out a year ago.  I have charged them a couple of times. 7 years of leisure use, on shore power when we are not on the boat.

Two are in my caravan which leaves 2 going spare in the garage. Only problem is that is in Aberdeen which is a long way from anywhere in Englandshire. You could have them if we could work out how to get them to you.


It looks like I might be using your marina at odd times over the coming months, so we may have a common ground to meet or exchange goods. 
 

I’m willing to pay you something for them. 

I shall Google T105’s later today, and check the size of them and do a bit of research before I commit. I’ve only ever dealt with sealed batteries. 👍

 

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1 hour ago, Goliath said:


It looks like I might be using your marina at odd times over the coming months, so we may have a common ground to meet or exchange goods. 
 

I’m willing to pay you something for them. 

I shall Google T105’s later today, and check the size of them and do a bit of research before I commit. I’ve only ever dealt with sealed batteries. 👍

 

Ok. Next visit is likely to be mid-September so no rush. T105s do like to be charged at a fairly high voltage around 14.8v or so. Oh and they do use water! The 2 I have when combined are a nominal 225Ah at 12v, but no doubt the actual capacity will be less. They are more tolerant of discharging to say 40% SoC than most.

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2 minutes ago, nicknorman said:

Ok. Next visit is likely to be mid-September so no rush. T105s do like to be charged at a fairly high voltage around 14.8v or so. Oh and they do use water! The 2 I have when combined are a nominal 225Ah at 12v, but no doubt the actual capacity will be less. They are more tolerant of discharging to say 40% SoC than most.

Yes, I’ve had a quick read up on them and I see they like a high charge. 
I’m not sure I’d be able to give them the boost they’d require. 

I’m weighing up the pros and cons to having them. 


But firstly this’d be a way to test out the potential for a better battery bank before committing to the expense of buying new. 
 

I’ll get back with some questions, when I’ve thought them through. 
 

👍

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After a bit of thought, the batteries could probably be used better by someone else. 
 

I thought it might be a good idea to go down the Trojan route because they  have such a good reputation but I’m not so sure I could easily ‘slot’ them into the system I have, or even make use of them as an auxiliary bank. 

They’d be interesting to have and use so I could learn more about the workings of batteries.
And my set up, if I am correct will only charge at 14.2v max

 

I think I’d be better waiting and upgrading to lithiums when I have the funds.  
 

Thanks for considering passing them on to me. 
Maybe there’s someone else out there who’d take them off you. 

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17 hours ago, nicknorman said:

I think the best thing to do to revive them is to get some new ones! I think you have done major damage. On the other hand, I haven't topped up my T105s for over a year. That is because they are sitting in the garage, and in the boat we have lovely LiFePO4 batteries that never need topping up!

Thanks for the reply.
I assumed this would be the case, however I don’t have a grand spare to spend on replacement. Also with life changing at the moment I’m not sure how much to invest into the boat. 
 

Am I to assume that there is nothing to be done for them then? All damage is irreparable and their current state is it. I wasn’t expecting to be able to ‘fix’ then, but I was hopeful that I might be able to partially fix them. 
 

cheers again for the reply

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You only show topping up (should I say refilling) one cell and if the rest did not take similar amounts it would suggest that the one cell has internal shorts. If so PERHAPS taking that cell and it's pair out of circuit and the remaining pairs might keep you going. If all cells were that dry then I am afraid it looks like a new set.

 

However, I am far from sure why Trojans are so well thought of. As far as I know they use lead antinomy plates and the recommended charging voltage is well above that technology's gassing voltage. Hence, the need for an automatic watering system or regular topping up. I think that in your attempts to provide the charging voltage they seem to need you have caused the gassing that eventually dried them out,. If it is just one or two cells that were dry then take those batteries out of service and see if the rest will serve. Personally I would buy some lead calcium batteries from a known brand. The voltages you are using should not cause such a degree of gassing.

 

 

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As per Tony's post above, normal charging at the reported voltage should not cause that amount of water loss. Our Trojans are now 7 years old and working well. When cruising they are charged at 14.8V and only require a little topping up every couple of weeks. If I filled them and allowed the water level to go down to just above the plates I could probably change the topping up frequency to once every few months.

 

In addition to the suggestions above I suggest carefully looking at the charging regime. Is the solar entering equalising mode automatically? Is the solar charging voltage going higher than reported in the warm weather?

 

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15 minutes ago, Bee said:

Just out of interest, do sealed batteries ever need topping up? daft question maybe but I really would like to have a look inside to check without having to crowbar the tops off.

Yes, and arguably it is a major cause of sealed battery failure.

 

Long answer, be they flooded cells or AGMs all those I have seen use lead calcium plates that have a higher gassing voltage than lead antinomy. LC typically starts to gas around the 14.7 volts so with a typical modern alternator regulated voltage of around 14.5 to 14.6 volts they gas far less. Sealed batteries also tend to have a greater volume of water above the plates so will go far longer without needing to be topped up than lead antinomy batteries. My open ell lead calcium leisure batteries never needed topping up over 6 or so year BUT as soon as you get a cell starting to short any type tends to dry out rapidly, but they then require replacing. Unless you drill holes in the cell lids you can not top up sealed batteries. This is why I am sceptical about automatic equalization from chargers or a solar controller if you have sealed batteries. Some sealed batteries are equipped with catalytic venting that recombine the H & O produced while gassing back to water.

 

 

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Sorry - haven't read all they technical responses but ....

Long, long ago (!!!) I used to use a product called Bat-aid. One tablet - think paracetamol on steroids - per battery cell I'd swear used to revitalise aged car batteries (dynamo - told you it was long ago 😁). 

Google Granville Bat-aid. Apparently Hallfrogs still sell it. Surely, anything that doesn't work wouldn't still be for sale 50- odd years on ......

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4 minutes ago, Opener said:

Sorry - haven't read all they technical responses but ....

Long, long ago (!!!) I used to use a product called Bat-aid. One tablet - think paracetamol on steroids - per battery cell I'd swear used to revitalise aged car batteries (dynamo - told you it was long ago 😁). 

Google Granville Bat-aid. Apparently Hallfrogs still sell it. Surely, anything that doesn't work wouldn't still be for sale 50- odd years on ......

 

A bit like Duckhams Acoids, Holts Piston Seal Amtech and such like. They may have some effect for some time, usually a short time period, and also and a tendency to make things worse after that short time. Hope springs eternal and don't the marketeers play on it.

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