What if I had a 100W mono panel with a 30A PCM charge controller. Like this: http://www.amazon.com/Renogy-100W-Mo...ds=solar+panel
And what if I also had a 105Ah deep cycle battery. Like this: http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/stor...tery-st27dc180
And finally, what if I had them and didn't use them for a long time since it is rare the power goes out and I have generators to keep my fridge and freezer cold during short power outages or to run my wood furnace blower during those times.
Tertiary backup that may very rarely get used. What is the best way to keep the battery? Keep it on the solar anyway and let it maintain? Keep the battery disconnected all the time but once a month hook up to battery charger to "top off"? Store it in my tornado shelter for constant temp?
I have been thinking that it could be sort of a cushion so the little generator wouldn't have to run all the time. e.g. the power is out for a week or two in one of those nice ice storms here in OK with aerial powerlines, so run the generator for a while to charge then run the furnace blower off the battery and if the world goes totally to hell, at least I could move the warm air from the furnace around for a couple hours a day with no power and no fuel for generators. I realize that is all I can hope to get out of the battery running a 3A 12v car radiator fan, and I'm ok with those limitations. I have the funds to get this stuff now, but don't know if I will in the future but don't want to do it if the battery will die all by itself in a year without even using it.
Will leaving a battery sitting without use be worse for it than leaving it on the charge controller (trickle charger) all the time? I have searched and found both are the 'right' way.
Forgive me if there is already a thread that covers this but I searched and couldn't find one. Thanks.
And what if I also had a 105Ah deep cycle battery. Like this: http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/stor...tery-st27dc180
And finally, what if I had them and didn't use them for a long time since it is rare the power goes out and I have generators to keep my fridge and freezer cold during short power outages or to run my wood furnace blower during those times.
Tertiary backup that may very rarely get used. What is the best way to keep the battery? Keep it on the solar anyway and let it maintain? Keep the battery disconnected all the time but once a month hook up to battery charger to "top off"? Store it in my tornado shelter for constant temp?
I have been thinking that it could be sort of a cushion so the little generator wouldn't have to run all the time. e.g. the power is out for a week or two in one of those nice ice storms here in OK with aerial powerlines, so run the generator for a while to charge then run the furnace blower off the battery and if the world goes totally to hell, at least I could move the warm air from the furnace around for a couple hours a day with no power and no fuel for generators. I realize that is all I can hope to get out of the battery running a 3A 12v car radiator fan, and I'm ok with those limitations. I have the funds to get this stuff now, but don't know if I will in the future but don't want to do it if the battery will die all by itself in a year without even using it.
Will leaving a battery sitting without use be worse for it than leaving it on the charge controller (trickle charger) all the time? I have searched and found both are the 'right' way.
Forgive me if there is already a thread that covers this but I searched and couldn't find one. Thanks.
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