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Routine Battery Charging.

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vintageandclassicrepairs:
Hi All
In recent times I know of three total loss garage / workshop fires directly linked to battery charging  :bang:
Last Winter I was visiting a friends workshop an he showed me a top brand maintenance charger, it had shorted internally so then the battery current melted the leads until luckily one burned through, Luckily the leads were not lying on anything flammable
Now I will only charge batteries outdoors

John

vtsteam:
If a battery has been badly discharged, personally I would try first giving it about a 20 hour rated  capacity charge. In other words about a 5 amp charge on a 100 AH battery. I'd check the voltage (disconnected) in 15 minutes after letting it rest for 5, and if it looked to be accepting a charge, continue charging.

If it wasn't, I'd check the cell voltages by probing through the fill holes. If one was low, it probably has a shorted cell. If all were about the same, I'd probably do what Andrew did, which is up the charge rate to try to stir up the electrolyte in case there was sedimentation. But only for a few minutes, keeping an eye on it. Then return to the 20 hour rate.

Not saying that's based on any good authority, just what I'd do.

Long term trickle charged batteries, I personally believe, benefit from an occasional initial 15 minute long 3 hour rate charge (ie ~30 amps on a 100AH batt) to stir up the electrolyte and prevent sediment compaction. Then return to the normal rate.

I lived on a cruising houseboat for a few years with an Heart Interface (brand) inverter and it did just that periodically to extend the life of the deep cycle lead acid cells aboard.

awemawson:
Jeff,

I have several of those small solar panels that you mention but I gave up with them when the tractors and other plant were all outside. We never got enough sun,  but there was always plenty of wind to dash them to the ground despite the retaining magnets that I fitted. Now of course they are in the tractor shed, so no sun anyway.

To add to Steve's comments above I believe in a fairly hard discharge every now and again to keep them on their toes before they return to float charging. My big generator (2 x 12 volt batteries so 24 volt for starting) has a float charger that tops them out a 27 volts which seems to be an accepted figure, but of course the engine alternator take them higher than this when running - about 28.5 volts iirc)

AdeV:
I have an 15 month old Halfords car battery that got left for 6 months. It's totally dead, even putting 24v across it with my big old Clarke charger has failed to revive it. Fortunately, alone amongst all of my batteries, I actually have the purchase receipt for it, so I can at least get it replaced for free!

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