| Over charging [message #89552] |
Tue, 22 June 2010 17:10  |
rscortezzo
Messages: 49
Registered: January 2007
Location: Green Valley Arizona/ Flo...
Karma: 0
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Hello
I have been plugged into shore power for three weeks.
I do not have maintenance free house battery,and have to replace
the battery acid every week.
Any solutions out there to this problem other than new battery.
Rich Cortezzo
Green Valley AZ
1978 Eleganza II
F389018
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| Re: Over charging [message #89556 is a reply to message #89552] |
Tue, 22 June 2010 17:25  |
fred v
Messages: 999
Registered: April 2006
Location: pensacola, fl.
Karma: 0
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if you still have the OEM buzz box charger then that is what happens. you need to change to a newer charger that monitors the battery.
someone else will chime in with the model number.
Fred V
'77 Royale RB 455
P'cola, Fl
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| Re: [GMCnet] Over charging [message #89560 is a reply to message #89552] |
Tue, 22 June 2010 17:56 |
Douglas Norton
Messages: 191
Registered: April 2008
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You may get a lot better advise than mine, but here goes.
First, I hope you are adding distilled water and not more acid; Usually only water boils off. Second, boiling is usually from charging too long at too high a voltage. If the maximum voltage applied to the battery is from 13.8 to 14.4 volts, not much boiling should occur. You need to check with a good volt meter ($7 at harbor freight; $30 at Radio Shack). You may have a volt meter on your monitor panel. If voltage is too high, you will damage batteries. If your voltage is too low, you can also damage batteries. Thus, the need for a good power supply or charger. Depending on how many average amps you draw, battery chargers are available for under $50. If your 12 volt power supply is putting out high a voltage, consider disconnecting the battery and rechecking voltage with a slight draw in the coach. Usually, under 15 volts will not damage electronic items. Also, if the battery is boiling when your supply working right, the problem may
be a bad battery such as from a shorted cell. Use a hydrometer to check the battery to see if you have a bad cell. Checking with a hydrometer will also help you see if there are other issues.
Check out this link and the links on the site:
http://gmcmotorhome.info/batt.htm
http://www.emarineinc.com/articles/battery_charging.htm
Common causes of battery failure:
Loss of electrolyte due to heat or overcharging
Overcharging with voltages greater than 14.8 volts
Undercharging with voltages less than 13.8 volts
Old age
Vibration
Freezing
Using tap wate
Corrosion
--- On Tue, 6/22/10, Richard B Cortezzo <rscortezzo@cox.net> wrote:
From: Richard B Cortezzo <rscortezzo@cox.net>
Subject: [GMCnet] Over charging
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 3:10 PM
Hello
I have been plugged into shore power for three weeks.
I do not have maintenance free house battery,and have to replace
the battery acid every week.
Any solutions out there to this problem other than new battery.
--
Rich Cortezzo
Green Valley AZ
1978 Eleganza II
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| Re: [GMCnet] Over charging [message #89564 is a reply to message #89552] |
Tue, 22 June 2010 18:23 |
Douglas Norton
Messages: 191
Registered: April 2008
Karma: 0
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Given you are using a good charger/power supply, you will be well served by a good volt meter. It will tell you what your charger is doing and might show a battery problem. With the battery sitting disconnected it will tell you if it is holding a charge and for how long.
From your symptoms, you may have started using a good charger on a bad battery or a sick charger on a good battery. Also if you have corrosion on terminals or connections, that can cause the charger to get wrong voltage information which can cause, undercharging, cycling, and overcharging.
--- On Tue, 6/22/10, Richard B Cortezzo <rscortezzo@cox.net> wrote:
From: Richard B Cortezzo <rscortezzo@cox.net>
Subject: [GMCnet] Over charging
To: gmclist@temp.gmcnet.org
Date: Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 3:10 PM
Hello
I have been plugged into shore power for three weeks.
I do not have maintenance free house battery,and have to replace
the battery acid every week.
Any solutions out there to this problem other than new battery.
--
Rich Cortezzo
Green Valley AZ
1978 Eleganza II
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
_______________________________________________
GMCnet mailing list
List Information and Subscription Options:
http://temp.gmcnet.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/gmclist
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| Re: Over charging [message #89614 is a reply to message #89552] |
Wed, 23 June 2010 10:37 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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| rscortezzo wrote on Tue, 22 June 2010 17:10 |
Hello
I have been plugged into shore power for three weeks.
I do not have maintenance free house battery,and have to replace
the battery acid every week.
Any solutions out there to this problem other than new battery.
|
The problem you are describing is usually caused from over charging. (it also can be caused by a bad cell in the battery)
Batteries are usually charged at 13.8 to 14.2 volts with 14.0 being optimal. The problem is if you leave 14.0 volts on the battery over an extended period of time the battery reaches a state where it can no longer accept the charge. So the charging current is dissipated in heat and this causes gassing or what you call boiling.
The fix to this problem is to install a 3 stage converter such as the Progressive Dynamics line. These converter supplies DC normally at 14.0 volts to everything in the house and also to charge the batteries. At a point near fully charged the PD unit drops the voltage to 13.8 volts for a slow finishing charge. Finally when the battery reaches full charge the PD unit drops back to 13.2 volts which is known as a "maintenance charge". At 13.2 volts you will not get gassing but the battery(s) will still be fully charged when you want to use them. The PD unit does one other thing. Every 21 hours it raises the voltage back to 14+ volts for 15 minutes to stir up the acid and then goes back to 13.2 volts again.
I have had my PD unit for years and I have two 6 volt golf cart batteries for the house system. I leave the coach plugged in and turned on for months. I only check the electrolyte level once a year. It usually takes only a little water to top it off but the amount is not much.
Get a PD unit and throw away the "buzz box" converter that originally came in your GMC. You can buy guaranteed, refurbished units direct from Progressive Dynamics.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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