Breaking in procedure for new fla batteries and sg of electrolyte

[earthrealm]

Hello, am new to the forum, registered to ask this question as i searched through the forum as a guest, but didnt see a specific answer.
hope to stay and contribute afterwards

so, i bought 4 new 12v 220ah flooded luminous batteries [indian battery - not very popular]
so the sg seems to be low hovering between 1.225 and 1.255.
i have tried charing and desulphating them for some time now, and the sg is steady at 1.255 now, still doesnt get to the sweet spot of 1.275 and above.
secondly the voltage drops quickly and settles at 49.2 after about 1hr on a 120w load, the batteries are connected in series to a 4kva must power inverter with flooded battery charging capability and equalization option.

my question is: am wondering if this behaviour is normal, secondly is the sg normal for a brand new battery [manufactured 07/2016], or i need to remve the old electrolyte and pour new electrolyte?..if yes whats the sg of the fresh electrolyte i should introduce?. its a bit confusing

[Sunking]

Before anyone can possible help you must have at least a panel wattage of 1200 watts, with a 30 amp MPPT controller, minimum 3 Kw generator with a commercial powered AC 30-amp 48-volt battery charger. Otherwise there is nothing anyone can do to help you,

OK assuming you meet the minimum requirements to support a 48 volt 220 AH battery Crank up the generator, set the Charger to 64 volts, and walk away. After about 6 to 10 hours start checking SG. If SG fails to reach target level after 24 hours call the battery manufacture for warranty replacement.

For a 48 volt 220 AH battery your panel wattage can be no lower than 1200 watts and can go as high as 2200 watts. 1800 watts is perfect. So if I had to guess you do not have a generator with a charger. A Genny and Charger is mandatory for an off-grid system to allow you to do routine EQ charges and cover your butt for cloudy days. .

So there is your answer until you provide more info. As of now you should know what the problem is.

[inetdog]

Have you looked at the normal SG value specified by the manufacturer for those batteries or are you just basing your expectation on general FLA battery information?
In some cases batteries intended for use in very hot climates will be equipped with a lower SG electrolyte formulation.
And are you using a temperature compensated hydrometer for your measurement?

[Sunking]

In some cases batteries intended for use in very not climates

Did you mean hot?

[inetdog]

Yup. Thanks.

[earthrealm]

Thanks for the responses.
i am using grid power to charge the batteries now, as sunlight isnt very good in my neck of the woods at the moment.
the inverter can output 31amps, and when set on desulphate mode, cranks out about 61.6v. thus have left it permanently on desulphate mode for about 7hrs now, the sg increased from 1.225 to 1.255.

scoured the web, not seen any data on the battery for electrolyte sg, nope not using a temperature compensated hydrometer
i have 1500w panels hooked to a 60amp mppt charge controller [24v setup], so i believe that should be adequate.

thanks once again for the tips

[Sunking]

7 hours is nothing, and desulfate is baby jibber jabber marketing non sense. You want to Equalize at the battery manufacture recommended EQ voltage for up to 24 hours. In lieu of no manufactures directions EQ at 62 volts. Your Charge Controller Daily Charge voltage should be 59 volts

Secondly if you are not getting much sun, could mean your temps may have dropped. SG and voltage drops with Temp, and the only way to know is with Temp Corrected Hydrometer. They are less than $10.