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Battery Question [message #131670]

Thu, 23 June 2011 12:39

Jon payne

Messages: 495
Registered: May 2008

Karma: 1

Senior Member

Guys,

I have one of those back up battery systems for my basement sump pump. One of the features of this system is a controller that monitors and maintains the battery. The controller has a series of alarms that are triggered when various faults are detected. Two of which are "BATTERY FLUID LOW" and "BATTERY PROBLEM". When the BATTERY PROBLEM alarm is set it simply states to check the terminals and replace the battery. This alarm has been triggering every other week or so. The terminals are clean and tight and I am able to reset the fault by disconnecting the battery and unplugging the controller.
Well last night the BATTERY FLUID LOW alarm was triggered and when I started to service the battery I noticed that all the cells where low of fluid, as expected, except for one. One cell was completely full to the level that I had previously serviced. So my question is do you think this is the reason the controller is triggering the "BATTERY PROBLEM" alarm? With this one cell having all it's fluid does this mean that cell is dead? I checked the battery voltage and it is 12.6V which I would say is good.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated!

Jon

Jon Payne
76 Palm Beach
Westfield,IN

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Re: [GMCnet] Battery Question [message #131672 is a reply to message #131670]

Thu, 23 June 2011 12:54

James Hupy

Messages: 6806
Registered: May 2010

Karma: -62

Senior Member

At 70 degrees F at sea level with a specific gravity of 1.260 or so, a fully
charged sulphuric acid/distilled water wet cell has an ideal electrical
potential of 2.2 volts DC. What I have just described is an "ideal state of
charge" If there are 6 wet cells in your battery of cells, the ideal
potential could be 13.2 Volts DC. Anything over 12.4 volts should be
considered a fully charged battery in good condition.
Jim Hupy
Salem, OR
78 GMC Royale 403

On Thu, Jun 23, 2011 at 10:39 AM, Jon Payne <embrep@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>
>
> Guys,
>
> I have one of those back up battery systems for my basement sump pump. One
> of the features of this system is a controller that monitors and maintains
> the battery. The controller has a series of alarms that are triggered when
> various faults are detected. Two of which are "BATTERY FLUID LOW" and
> "BATTERY PROBLEM". When the BATTERY PROBLEM alarm is set it simply states to
> check the terminals and replace the battery. This alarm has been triggering
> every other week or so. The terminals are clean and tight and I am able to
> reset the fault by disconnecting the battery and unplugging the controller.
> Well last night the BATTERY FLUID LOW alarm was triggered and when I
> started to service the battery I noticed that all the cells where low of
> fluid, as expected, except for one. One cell was completely full to the
> level that I had previously serviced. So my question is do you think this
> is the reason the controller is triggering the "BATTERY PROBLEM" alarm?
> With this one cell having all it's fluid does this mean that cell is dead?
> I checked the battery voltage and it is 12.6V which I would say is good.
>
> Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Jon
> --
> Jon Payne
> 76 Palm Beach
> Westfield,IN
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Re: Battery Question [message #131678 is a reply to message #131670]

Thu, 23 June 2011 13:25

cbwoodsr

Messages: 1063
Registered: February 2004

Karma: 0

Senior Member

I have had batteries that would check ok on voltage, but when you put a load on them, they go pffft...

CBWood
77 Kingslay
MWC OK
ONLINE PARTS PROGRAM
www.GMCMHParts.com

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Re: [GMCnet] Battery Question [message #131681 is a reply to message #131672]

Thu, 23 June 2011 13:34

Jon payne

Messages: 495
Registered: May 2008

Karma: 1

Senior Member

Thanks Jim.

My real question/concern is about the fluid level in the one cell being full while the remaining cells are equally at the same low level. As you mentioned the voltage I measured would indicate a good state of charge but just don't understand why this one particular cell did not loose any fluid. This is the first time I have seen this in the 5 or so years since I had this battery. I'm just trying to understand a little more about batteries.

Jon

Jon Payne
76 Palm Beach
Westfield,IN

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Re: Battery Question [message #131699 is a reply to message #131670]

Thu, 23 June 2011 15:54

Matt Colie

Messages: 8547
Registered: March 2007
Location: S.E. Michigan

Karma: 7

Senior Member

Jon Payne wrote on Thu, 23 June 2011 13:39

Jon,

The battery is shot.

The cell with the "good fill" is probably shorted and not charging so, it is not hydrolysing (boiling) the water out of the cell.
It is reading 12.6 on a meter because the other cells have been overcharged and the density of the electolyte is high enough to get the terminal voltage close to what it might be with 6 cells.

Matt

Matt & Mary Colie - Chaumière -'73 Glacier 23 - Members GMCMI, GMCGL, GMCES
Electronically Controlled Quiet Engine Cooling Fan with OE Rear Drum Brakes with Applied Control Arms
SE Michigan - Near DTW - Twixt A2 and Detroit

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