AGM
Battery
Maintenance
Battery
Maintenance
Problem:
Don't you just love off the grid glamping in your motor-home? Just pull up when and where you want and you have everything at your finger tips. Water, power, all the comforts of home. Just bliss.
Bliss that is, until you have battery problems and all of a sudden, you go from serene to tempest. The batteries are not performing, as you all of a sudden have no power. Every thing has shut down. Lights not working. TV dead. Your slide-out won't come in and the piezo ignition will not ignite your gas stove. What on earth has gone wrong?
Simples, the AGM batteries have reached below 10.5 and so the system has been shut down. That is, if your lucky enough to have a system that recognizes the batteries dis-charge to 10.5. Some don't and you actually go well below this low voltage warning and then ruin your batteries for good.
Yes, that's right. Ruined! You can not allow the battery to fall below 10.5. Optimum is 11.4 volts. After this things begin to head south. Now not all is lost. If you have the said system as I do in my Winnebago, it will shut down immediately as soon as it hits 10.5 volts.
This will allow you then to head home, or head for power where by you can follow the maintenance schedule over a 3 day period and return your batteries to good health. ON THE PROVISO of course, that your problem with your batteries is that you just let them run down to far.
This will not fix dead batteries due to poor condition. So here we go............. the MAGIC FORMULA...............
Don't you just love off the grid glamping in your motor-home? Just pull up when and where you want and you have everything at your finger tips. Water, power, all the comforts of home. Just bliss.
Bliss that is, until you have battery problems and all of a sudden, you go from serene to tempest. The batteries are not performing, as you all of a sudden have no power. Every thing has shut down. Lights not working. TV dead. Your slide-out won't come in and the piezo ignition will not ignite your gas stove. What on earth has gone wrong?
Simples, the AGM batteries have reached below 10.5 and so the system has been shut down. That is, if your lucky enough to have a system that recognizes the batteries dis-charge to 10.5. Some don't and you actually go well below this low voltage warning and then ruin your batteries for good.
Yes, that's right. Ruined! You can not allow the battery to fall below 10.5. Optimum is 11.4 volts. After this things begin to head south. Now not all is lost. If you have the said system as I do in my Winnebago, it will shut down immediately as soon as it hits 10.5 volts.
This will allow you then to head home, or head for power where by you can follow the maintenance schedule over a 3 day period and return your batteries to good health. ON THE PROVISO of course, that your problem with your batteries is that you just let them run down to far.
This will not fix dead batteries due to poor condition. So here we go............. the MAGIC FORMULA...............
Process:
RESET YOUR BATTERIES
That's right folks. If you have just run your batteries down, and not ruined them by neglect then you are able to reset your batteries by following the process to the T .
RYDE BATTERIES(WHOLESALE)P/L.
39 CHURCH STREET,RYDE 2112
Ph: (61) 2 98073933. (61) 2 98795422. Fax. (61) 2 98073700.
ABN: 47 003 949 531
WINNEBAGO : Suggested Customer Battery Maintenance Schedule ...
|) Battery Maintenance whilst vehicle is in service
Your Remco battery is a dry non spill-able deep cycle battery which will
never require you (to open or add water to .)
Some minimal maintenance by you whilst you are using the vehicle will
help ensure a longer battery life .
On a monthly basis it would be beneficial if you inspected your batteries to
ensure batteries are clean and still secure in their bracket and the terminals
are both clean and tight .
Doing the above will ensure that whilst alternator and battery charger are
performing correctly the batteries will be kept in the best state of charge that
is possible and thereby provide you with the best battery life that is possible.
2) Battery Maintenance whilst vehicle in storage.
To ensure battery is maintained in a full state of charge please on a monthly
basis use your on board automatic charger to top up charge lost through
natural battery self discharge when idle..…
It is important for you not to allow your batteries to drop below a terminal
voltage of 10.5volts and it is far preferable for you to keep the terminal
voltage above 11.4 volts to ensure yourself maximum battery life…
In the unfortunate situation that you inadvertently allow the terminal
voltage to fall below the above levels for reason such as forgetting to charge
monthly or by the mistake of leaving something on whilst vehicle is not in
use such as light or appliance etc then
YOU MUST TAKE CARE TO
FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING RECHARGE REGIME SO THAT YOUR
BATTERIES ARE ALLOWED TO RECOVER FULLY.…
The PROCESS MUST TAKE 3 DAYS.…
1) TURN YOUR ONBOARD CHARGER ON FOR 4 HOURS
ONLY
...then turn it off and leave for at least 12 hours,...Day 1
2) Day 2 repeat the above exercise by TURNING YOUR ONBOARD
CHARGER ON FOR 4 HOURS
and again turning it off for at
least 12 hours.....Day 2
3) Day 3 repeat the exercise by AGAIN TURNING THE CHARGER
ON FOR 4 HOURS ...disconnect it for 8 hours THEN CONNECT
IT AGAIN AND THIS TIME LEAVE IT ON TO FULLY
RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES OVERNIGHT…
BY TAKING THE TIME TO FOLLOW THE ABOVE PROCEDURES IN
THE EVENT OF YOU ALLOWING YOUR BATTERIES TO RUN
DOWN TOO FAR YOU WILL GREATLY INCREASE THE LIFE YOU
WILL ATTAIN FROM YOUR BATTERIES .....…
REMEMBER ALWAYS IT IS BETTER TO FOLLOW THE
SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE PROVIDED AT THE
TOP OF THIS LETTER THAN TO ALLOW THE BATTERIES TO
OVER-DISCHARGE AND THEN HAVE TO FOLLOW THE ABOVE
CHARGE REGIME.…
RESET YOUR BATTERIES
That's right folks. If you have just run your batteries down, and not ruined them by neglect then you are able to reset your batteries by following the process to the T .
RYDE BATTERIES(WHOLESALE)P/L.
39 CHURCH STREET,RYDE 2112
Ph: (61) 2 98073933. (61) 2 98795422. Fax. (61) 2 98073700.
ABN: 47 003 949 531
WINNEBAGO : Suggested Customer Battery Maintenance Schedule ...
|) Battery Maintenance whilst vehicle is in service
Your Remco battery is a dry non spill-able deep cycle battery which will
never require you (to open or add water to .)
Some minimal maintenance by you whilst you are using the vehicle will
help ensure a longer battery life .
On a monthly basis it would be beneficial if you inspected your batteries to
ensure batteries are clean and still secure in their bracket and the terminals
are both clean and tight .
Doing the above will ensure that whilst alternator and battery charger are
performing correctly the batteries will be kept in the best state of charge that
is possible and thereby provide you with the best battery life that is possible.
2) Battery Maintenance whilst vehicle in storage.
To ensure battery is maintained in a full state of charge please on a monthly
basis use your on board automatic charger to top up charge lost through
natural battery self discharge when idle..…
It is important for you not to allow your batteries to drop below a terminal
voltage of 10.5volts and it is far preferable for you to keep the terminal
voltage above 11.4 volts to ensure yourself maximum battery life…
In the unfortunate situation that you inadvertently allow the terminal
voltage to fall below the above levels for reason such as forgetting to charge
monthly or by the mistake of leaving something on whilst vehicle is not in
use such as light or appliance etc then
YOU MUST TAKE CARE TO
FOLLOW THE FOLLOWING RECHARGE REGIME SO THAT YOUR
BATTERIES ARE ALLOWED TO RECOVER FULLY.…
The PROCESS MUST TAKE 3 DAYS.…
1) TURN YOUR ONBOARD CHARGER ON FOR 4 HOURS
ONLY
...then turn it off and leave for at least 12 hours,...Day 1
2) Day 2 repeat the above exercise by TURNING YOUR ONBOARD
CHARGER ON FOR 4 HOURS
and again turning it off for at
least 12 hours.....Day 2
3) Day 3 repeat the exercise by AGAIN TURNING THE CHARGER
ON FOR 4 HOURS ...disconnect it for 8 hours THEN CONNECT
IT AGAIN AND THIS TIME LEAVE IT ON TO FULLY
RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES OVERNIGHT…
BY TAKING THE TIME TO FOLLOW THE ABOVE PROCEDURES IN
THE EVENT OF YOU ALLOWING YOUR BATTERIES TO RUN
DOWN TOO FAR YOU WILL GREATLY INCREASE THE LIFE YOU
WILL ATTAIN FROM YOUR BATTERIES .....…
REMEMBER ALWAYS IT IS BETTER TO FOLLOW THE
SUGGESTED MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE PROVIDED AT THE
TOP OF THIS LETTER THAN TO ALLOW THE BATTERIES TO
OVER-DISCHARGE AND THEN HAVE TO FOLLOW THE ABOVE
CHARGE REGIME.…
Problem No.2
If you have to replace your battery, or batteries due to having been run down too far and if they are not recoverable then what does one do?
Some folk have more than 1 battery as I do. Have read some folk have 6 batteries. Now when one has more than one battery the batteries are called a bank. The bank of batteries are linked in line, so that means there is a linked cable that runs from negative of one battery to the negative of the next battery. The same with the positive. There is a positive link from one battery to the next.
If you have 6 batteries in your bank then you will have each one linked to the next one in line. So the problem N0.2 is, what happens when you have a battery failure with one of the six in your bank? Or if you have say, only 2 in your bank, what do you do if a problem arises in one battery? The battery gets tested and one battery has had a catastrophic failure for what ever reason, so what do you do?
You often read on the FB pages and the like that the poster writes they have 2 batteries in a bank, one failed and the battery was replaced in the bank, and now all is OK. They never replaced the other battery as it was tested and it appears to be OK.
Then there will be great debate, advising the poster that that was incorrect and they should have replaced all batteries. So what is correct and what does one do?
"When troubleshooting a battery bank set up with a series or parallel circuit and one of the batteries is faulty, it will pull all the other batteries down. For example, if one of your batteries has dropped down to 8V, you may notice that the other batteries within this bank will have low voltage ratings as well. To troubleshoot this, you’ll need to disconnect and perform a full test on each battery individually. The battery with the lowest rating will be the faulty battery that needs to be replaced." (https://www.aussiebatteries.com.au/blog/how-to-troubleshoot-deep-cycle-battery-issues/)
Now if you are away and can not get a new battery asap, you can isolate the dead battery. This might allow you to continue till you get the opportunity to replace all your batteries.
Replace all your batteries, I hear you say! Well yes. If one battery in a bank has become defective, then the others are also on their way. A bank of batteries, is only as good as the weakest battery. So if your bank is a couple of years old and one battery fails, and you replace the failing one, then the new battery will align itself to the older batteries. This is because the linked batteries are looked as one large battery on the whole.
So, 2 x 100 ah AGM's is effectively, 1 x 200ah AGM.
So you can see, if one is old and lower in capacity, the link will then cause the new battery to act as the old battery in the bank. Hence why you will be advised to replace all batteries in a bank.
In the case of six batteries in a bank, you can isolate the dead battery, and just run on 5 in a bank, till you feel the need to replace all batteries. Buying you some time , and immediate expense. This of course will not work on 1 or two batteries. So you will be required to replace both.
If you have to replace your battery, or batteries due to having been run down too far and if they are not recoverable then what does one do?
Some folk have more than 1 battery as I do. Have read some folk have 6 batteries. Now when one has more than one battery the batteries are called a bank. The bank of batteries are linked in line, so that means there is a linked cable that runs from negative of one battery to the negative of the next battery. The same with the positive. There is a positive link from one battery to the next.
If you have 6 batteries in your bank then you will have each one linked to the next one in line. So the problem N0.2 is, what happens when you have a battery failure with one of the six in your bank? Or if you have say, only 2 in your bank, what do you do if a problem arises in one battery? The battery gets tested and one battery has had a catastrophic failure for what ever reason, so what do you do?
You often read on the FB pages and the like that the poster writes they have 2 batteries in a bank, one failed and the battery was replaced in the bank, and now all is OK. They never replaced the other battery as it was tested and it appears to be OK.
Then there will be great debate, advising the poster that that was incorrect and they should have replaced all batteries. So what is correct and what does one do?
"When troubleshooting a battery bank set up with a series or parallel circuit and one of the batteries is faulty, it will pull all the other batteries down. For example, if one of your batteries has dropped down to 8V, you may notice that the other batteries within this bank will have low voltage ratings as well. To troubleshoot this, you’ll need to disconnect and perform a full test on each battery individually. The battery with the lowest rating will be the faulty battery that needs to be replaced." (https://www.aussiebatteries.com.au/blog/how-to-troubleshoot-deep-cycle-battery-issues/)
Now if you are away and can not get a new battery asap, you can isolate the dead battery. This might allow you to continue till you get the opportunity to replace all your batteries.
Replace all your batteries, I hear you say! Well yes. If one battery in a bank has become defective, then the others are also on their way. A bank of batteries, is only as good as the weakest battery. So if your bank is a couple of years old and one battery fails, and you replace the failing one, then the new battery will align itself to the older batteries. This is because the linked batteries are looked as one large battery on the whole.
So, 2 x 100 ah AGM's is effectively, 1 x 200ah AGM.
So you can see, if one is old and lower in capacity, the link will then cause the new battery to act as the old battery in the bank. Hence why you will be advised to replace all batteries in a bank.
In the case of six batteries in a bank, you can isolate the dead battery, and just run on 5 in a bank, till you feel the need to replace all batteries. Buying you some time , and immediate expense. This of course will not work on 1 or two batteries. So you will be required to replace both.
Solar Set Up:
When you are off grid, or glamping away in the bush etc. You will find that you will need to top up your batteries. Solar panels are the way to go. Whether on the roof or portable. So the question will arise, how much solar do I need? That is like asking how long is a piece of string. What you need to know is the overall amp hours you use and then match the battery set up to that need. Once that is worked out, the solar is simple.
If you have 200ah of battery then you need a minimum of 400w solar panels. The rule of thumb is twice as much solar to the battery used.
Now another good rule is to work your battery needs and have a battery bank to match. Knowing that the recommended use of the battery power should ideally be only 20 percent of overall capacity. So if you have 200ah of battery bank. Then you in real ideal terms have 40ah's of battery per day as long as you are able to recharge those batteries back to full 200ah, via electricity or solar.
There are so many variables to get the right mix. I like to keep things very simple. I also know and have very good expectations of my motorhome. I know it is nothing more than glamping. I do NOT expect to use a hair drier. Or crank up my Nespresso Coffee Machine. I have no need to run my air-conditioner whilst out free camping. When I am out and about I use the very basics in comfort. I like to keep things really simple.
OK, so for a little more help in finding out your needs and how to meet them I came across a nice little website of a company in Victoria. I have no affiliation nor have I had the need to use them as yet. However I have read through a lot of their stuff and it looks real good.
There are calculators for solar. Calculators for your battery needs. They also have a wonderful FAQ's page with drop down info with every question. Do have a read and educate yourself, and before you know it you will be well informed and able to make good economic and safe decisions.
When you are off grid, or glamping away in the bush etc. You will find that you will need to top up your batteries. Solar panels are the way to go. Whether on the roof or portable. So the question will arise, how much solar do I need? That is like asking how long is a piece of string. What you need to know is the overall amp hours you use and then match the battery set up to that need. Once that is worked out, the solar is simple.
If you have 200ah of battery then you need a minimum of 400w solar panels. The rule of thumb is twice as much solar to the battery used.
Now another good rule is to work your battery needs and have a battery bank to match. Knowing that the recommended use of the battery power should ideally be only 20 percent of overall capacity. So if you have 200ah of battery bank. Then you in real ideal terms have 40ah's of battery per day as long as you are able to recharge those batteries back to full 200ah, via electricity or solar.
There are so many variables to get the right mix. I like to keep things very simple. I also know and have very good expectations of my motorhome. I know it is nothing more than glamping. I do NOT expect to use a hair drier. Or crank up my Nespresso Coffee Machine. I have no need to run my air-conditioner whilst out free camping. When I am out and about I use the very basics in comfort. I like to keep things really simple.
OK, so for a little more help in finding out your needs and how to meet them I came across a nice little website of a company in Victoria. I have no affiliation nor have I had the need to use them as yet. However I have read through a lot of their stuff and it looks real good.
There are calculators for solar. Calculators for your battery needs. They also have a wonderful FAQ's page with drop down info with every question. Do have a read and educate yourself, and before you know it you will be well informed and able to make good economic and safe decisions.
Resources :
www.aussiebatteries.com.au/blog/how-to-troubleshoot-deep-cycle-battery-issues/
Solar 4 RV's
www.solar4rvs.com.au/buying/buyer-guides/faq-the-basics/
www.aussiebatteries.com.au/blog/how-to-troubleshoot-deep-cycle-battery-issues/
Solar 4 RV's
www.solar4rvs.com.au/buying/buyer-guides/faq-the-basics/
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