battery

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gminkovsky
Posts: 210
Joined: Wed 01 Nov 06, 19:58
Your Country: USA, Long Island Sound

battery

Post by gminkovsky »

My batteries are 9 years old. The other day I was barely able to start the engine. Charge controller was showing 12.7 volts, full charge and trickle charging from the solar panel at .3 amp.

So I figured that I need to add distilled water. Opened the batteries compartment and I could hear hissing sounds from battery #2. Checked water level: battery #1 is full, battery #2 is low - very low so the elements are above water. I added water and could still hear hissing boiling sounds coming from battery #2.

Both batteries are connected in parallel without any switches. I filled both batteries with distilled water in May.

Any ideas what this means? Is battery #2 dead? Are both dead? What makes 1 battery run out of water while the other is full?

Thanks,
George
Ipe Piccardt Brouwer
Posts: 64
Joined: Wed 01 Nov 06, 17:17
Your Country: Netherlands, Winkel NH

Batteries

Post by Ipe Piccardt Brouwer »

The boiling battery probably has a short in one cell, effectively turning it into a 10 volt battery which is being overcharged, hence the gassing.
Replace them both.
Ipe Piccardt Brouwer
DF920-28 'Ngalawa', Medemblik
tpaliwoda
Posts: 215
Joined: Fri 03 Nov 06, 3:05
Your Country: USA, Raritan YC, Perth Amboy, New Jersey

Post by tpaliwoda »

George:
You made it nine years on a set on batteries! That is great. I am usually replacing the wet cell every three to four seasons and the gel cell in about six. I tried one of those Optima batteries last season as the starting battery.

Have areal nice solar charge controller that will charge the battery that needs it the most.


I think you are ahead of the battery game.

Ted
Ted Paliwoda
D'Fly 1000 ; HN #1
Nice Tri
Raritan YC, Perth Amboy, NJ, USA
gminkovsky
Posts: 210
Joined: Wed 01 Nov 06, 19:58
Your Country: USA, Long Island Sound

Post by gminkovsky »

Thanks Ipe and Ted. I am now figuring out the best new batteries that will fit in my battery compartment.
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