I am buying my neighbor's 48v bank of Trojan L16H-AC batteries (eight batteries). They are 435 ah and I'm getting the interconnects and a nice custom made cabinet. Paying the scrap value of $350. These batteries are approx 3 years old but haven't been babied. I'm going to charge them all separately with a 6 volt 20 amp charger to see if the specific gravities are where they should be.

Our current bank is Trojan L16RE-A batteries 325 ah that are five years old (eight batteries in series). They are in good shape.

This Spring we added a second refrigerator and if I want to run both fridges during the winter I will have to take my 325 ah bank down to 60% SOC or lower which I don't want to do. If the 435 ah bank I am buying are in good shape I will switch to those and probably sell my current bank or keep them on a float charge. If they are trashed I'll sell them for the scrap value.

If I parallel the two banks together will I damage the 325 ah bank? I know this is not recommended or ideal but if both banks are fully charged before I put them together can I do this without hurting the batteries?

I'd like to get five more years without buying batteries and then switch to LifePO4.

Thanks.