Renamed: Solar, Inverter, Battery, etc Q & A

[randomq]

I think you mean "in series" to get 24v? Let us know how they hold up and how much you have to water them. What do they mean by "paste"? Is the electrolyte a paste?

[terracore]

No, I have a 12v system for now. I don't know what they mean by paste, it looks liquid to me.

How often do you check the electrolyte? I've been checking it weekly but haven't had to add any water yet, but its only been a few weeks.

I asked the guy at Costco if they ever get the GC-12s returned (like a warranty return) and he said he's never seen it. He also commented that most people buy them for solar systems.

[randomq]

I check it monthly, but unless it's been particularly sunny it seems I only have to top up every 2-3 months.

[kalakoa]

Handle sold separately; I have one for the Interstate 6V GC, looks like these are a ltitle different (4-point attach).

Flooded batteries do have the best cost/capacity ratio, if you don't mind the limited cycle lifetime and monthly maintenance. Outback NC have twice the life, zero maintenance -- and they come with handles.

Other battery technologies tend to be "exotic special-order", and the lifetime cost is about the same, you just pay for more years up front.

[snorkle]

I exclusively use the Adams Crunchy peanut butter available at Cost-U-Less for under $6.00.

[randomq]

snorkle, how many do you need in series for 12v, and what are the amp-hours like?

ETA:

(Food + electricity, don't try at home kids!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjOh1GrpF2w

[terracore]

I've always read that connected batteries should ALWAYS! be of same type, age etc.

Is this "rule" or "law" applicable to every situation, or do batteries wired in parallel get a little leeway? If I hooked an older marine battery (still working great, somehow) with two new flooded type batteries in parallel, what is the best and worst things that will happen (to me, only the worst things will happen).

[MattKarma]

The 2000W 24 amp Samlex inverter was one of the things messed up by the lightning. I was never very satisfied with it anyways, AMP readout never worked, overall was oversized, made too much noise, obvious signs of low-quality design and construction.

quote:

---

Originally posted by terracore

I've always read that connected batteries should ALWAYS! be of same type, age etc.

Is this "rule" or "law" applicable to every situation, or do batteries wired in parallel get a little leeway? If I hooked an older marine battery (still working great, somehow) with two new flooded type batteries in parallel, what is the best and worst things that will happen (to me, only the worst things will happen).

---

I had four interstate 6v connected together for 24v in parallel with 4 Walmart DC29 116AH batteries also in 24V configuration; after about a year the interstate batteries wouldn't hold a charge. I concluded that the reason for this was that the controller was being confused by the different battery types and probably not charging the interstate batteries properly.

The Walmart batteries are still going strong. Less maintenance hassle, but Walmart is always out of them (guess why)


***Still can't figure out how to spell 'car' correctly***

[kalakoa]

The problem with mixing batteries of different size/type/age in ANY configuration is that one or more batteries will be stronger/weaker relative to the rest, and that imbalance causes the bank to constantly push/pull.

A related "rule" is that you shouldn't have more than three batteries (or series-strings of batteries) in parallel.

Buy them as a set, use them as a set, replace (or upgrade) them as a set.

Golf cart batteries work really well for off-grid applications because they're designed to be abused. L16 are also an excellent choice; mine seemed to last longer than the GC. (They are heavier, but handles are included.)

For a few dollars more, Mattos Electric (by Paradise Plants) has 6V sealed gel L16. They also carry a nice sealed 12V 330Ah -- but bring a friend or two, they are almost 200lb.

[terracore]

They had two of the Walmart batteries when I last checked. If Costco had been a dead end it was my backup plan. I've read more good reviews on them than bad reviews.

"the reason for this was that the controller was being confused by the different battery types"

I'm not sure if my charge controllers auto detects, but I programmed them to "flooded" when I switched to the GC batteries. There is probably a way to do it with the LCD menu but I purchased a dongle that allows the charge controllers to be monitored and programmed via smart phone app using wifi. Much easier to program that way.