Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Am I in DANGER? ......Battery issue that I need help with!

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Am I in DANGER? ......Battery issue that I need help with!

    Installed two heavy duty 6 volt maintenance free cart batteries wired together for 12 volts in my trailer that is hooked up to two 100 watt panels thru an inverter. I charged and disconnected batteries from the the solar panels as trailer was kept inside my shop this winter so both batteries had no connections to them. I just went out to reconnect the system and check the batteries and both battery cases are sucked in and the tops of the batteries are really warped. Any ideas? Voltage is at 13.5 volts. I don't understand why the battery case is all warped on top. Could it be I tightened the hold down to much? Batteries are sitting on a rubber battery mat and was not exposed to heat or freezing. Any help would be appreciated.

  • #2
    Why did you take them off the charger? Sounds like your batteries got put away hot and sealed for whatever reason. When they cooled formed a vacuum. Just a WAG.
    MSEE, PE

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by Sunking View Post
      Why did you take them off the charger? Sounds like your batteries got put away hot and sealed for whatever reason. When they cooled formed a vacuum. Just a WAG.
      I guess I should have put a battery maintainer on them though they are still at 13.5 volts. The batteries have round vent style caps on top. I have just never seen this happen to a battery before, almost like it created a vacuum but with nothing connected to them I find it strange.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Badlands View Post
        I guess I should have put a battery maintainer on them though they are still at 13.5 volts. The batteries have round vent style caps on top. I have just never seen this happen to a battery before, almost like it created a vacuum but with nothing connected to them I find it strange.
        Only ways I know of for that to happen, vacuum, is to put away a hot liquid that has been sealed, and then cooled. Or sealed at high altitude, and taken to lower altitude.

        Just hate it when I use to flight to high altitude cities and have the ole hair gel, toothpaste, or KY Jelly spew all over when you open it in the hotel. Think would learn, just got back to Bouquet last week and had it happen again dang it. KY all over the walls, Wife, and I.

        Seriously I am stumped. I have heard of LiPo and lithium cells do that because they are sealed, but never a open vented FLA . Interesting. Let me do some research.
        MSEE, PE

        Comment


        • #5
          never heard of that happening before. Can you get the caps off and see what fluid levels are like ?
          Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
          || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
          || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

          solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
          gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

          Comment


          • #6
            The first thing to determine is whether they are really sealed batteries (i.e. AGM or GEL) or just FLA which are "maintenance free" in the sense that they have extra depth of electrolyte above the plates and the cell caps are really hard to remove.
            If the former, they were probably overcharged, vented, and then pulled a vacuum when they were taken off charge and the vents closed again.
            If the latter, then the gas vent holes in the hard to remove caps may have gotten plugged, again causing a partial vacuum as the batteries cooled.
            SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by inetdog View Post
              The first thing to determine is whether they are really sealed batteries (i.e. AGM or GEL) or just FLA which are "maintenance free" in the sense that they have extra depth of electrolyte above the plates and the cell caps are really hard to remove.
              If the former, they were probably overcharged, vented, and then pulled a vacuum when they were taken off charge and the vents closed again.
              If the latter, then the gas vent holes in the hard to remove caps may have gotten plugged, again causing a partial vacuum as the batteries cooled.
              If they are AGM or Gel in a plastic case would explain it.
              MSEE, PE

              Comment


              • #8
                Yes, They are AGM Batteries! So when I charged them for the winter I must have overcharged them and they pulled a vacuum when they cooled then. So is there any reason for concern? They just look bad, I don't want to spend another $350.00 on new batteries if I don't have to since these are only 1 year old.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by Sunking View Post
                  KY all over the walls, Wife, and I.
                  I have heard of that happening...

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Badlands View Post
                    Yes, They are AGM Batteries! So when I charged them for the winter I must have overcharged them and they pulled a vacuum when they cooled then. So is there any reason for concern? They just look bad, I don't want to spend another $350.00 on new batteries if I don't have to since these are only 1 year old.
                    There are descriptions of expansion, damage to internal parts and even splitting of the case on overcharging and over-temperature (120 def F, I think). It's interesting that you didn't notice deformation when you stopped charging, but there was enough of a vacuum to cause it.

                    As to whether this is a concern - sounds like a ? for an AGM battery engineer. Of course the company will tell you to replace them. I know what I would probably do, based only on conjecture. That and $1.59 will buy you a cheap coffee.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      I've seen this happen when sealed batteries that have froze over the winter. Liquid expands when it freezes to ice and the vents release the pressure. Then in the spring when they thaw the cases calapse from the vacuum. Keeping them on at least a maintenance charge would have kept them from freezing.

                      WWW

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Living Large View Post
                        I have heard of that happening...
                        Sure that is not remember it happening?
                        MSEE, PE

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          One way to find out. Give them a good charge to and use them. Hopefully it will expand them again just do not count on it.
                          MSEE, PE

                          Comment

                          Working...
                          X