My battery died

[Trebor English]

Since the late summer of 2016 I have had a 12 volt trolling motor battery as the starter battery and house battery in my Ford Windstar.   It was a Sams Club Duracell 24DCC group size 24 flooded deep cycle battery.  It was $80 and lasted 4 years. 

A month ago it died.  It suddenly became an open circuit.  Without X-rays or a full autopsy I don't know for sure but I think what happened is that there was corrosion of the plus side support structures due to over charging.  The usual slow loss of capacity due to under charging and sulfation was not a problem.  It didn't become a 10 volt battery with one cell shorted.  It didn't run out of water due to lack of attention.

The cheap $15 PWM charge controller is set to 14.4 volts in winter, 14.2 in summer and 13.8 when I am going to be away from the van for an extended time.  It brings the battery up to that voltage and holds it until the sun goes down.  That is enough to keep the battery charged and then, by hydrolysis, make some gas requiring water addition.  Between the specific gravity measurement and the water use I know the battery is regularly getting fully charged. 

The bottom line is that my question about just one battery is answered.  Yes, if your electricity use is low and you have a solar panel you can upgrade the starter battery and use that for starting and other things too.  For $100 to $200 Amazon has several folding 80 to 100 watt solar panel systems.  A rigid 100 watt panel and a PWM controller are under $100.  That plus an $80 battery gets you electricity.  Also use the battery for engine starting and your price can be very low.

I got the biggest battery that fit in the original location under the hood so I had no battery taking up space or making fumes inside.   I did not go to Montreal in January as the deep cycle battery was lower in cranking amps.  Actually, I haven't been to Montreal since 1961.  It gets too cold there for me.  I mostly stay in Florida where cranking amps aren't an issue.  If you frequent cold places make sure your deep cycle battery has the capacity to start the engine in the winter.  I don't intend to disparage Montreal.  It's just that it is the coldest place I have actually experienced.

There is more description in a prior thread
https://vanlivingforum.com/showthread.php?tid=32307

It has been suggested on this forum and other places that I should get a lithium jump starter pack.  I did not do that.  Since the battery went open circuit, like it was removed, a jump starter pack would not have worked.  Since I was over charging the battery this is the outcome I expected.

 

[DLTooley]

Check to see if your controller is busted too.

 

[jonyjoe303]

I always carry a small agm just in case your type situation happens to me. I encountered situations where I tried to jumpstart somebody with jumper cables and it just wouldnt crank over.
At least you got 4 years out of it, my last used 35 dollar battery I bought barely lasted 2 years.

Spare battery (16ah) I always carry around/ plus also a small jump pack. This agm has top/side post so I can remove dead battery and place this in its place.

 

[tx2sturgis]

I think Trebors point was that he got 4 years use (starting AND house loads) out of an $80 battery because he took good care of it.

$20 per year....not bad at all.

:thumbsup:

 

[hugemoth]

Your float voltage may be too low instead of too high. This is from Trojan.

Trojan recommends using the following: For every 1º F below 77º F add 0.0028 volts per cell or for every 1 C below 25º C add 0.005 volts per cell to the charger voltage setting. 1: A 12 volt battery @ 70º F. The recommended charging voltage at 77º F is 14.8 volts.

 

[Trebor English]

Your float voltage may be too low instead of too high. 

The voltage levels I used were intended to be the lowest possible while avoiding the early death due to chronic under charging and sulfation.  I used the hydrometer and water consumption as guides.  I used the Trojan recommended voltage as a starting point then adjusted.  I think the Trojan recommendation is for a system that charges until full then shuts off like golf car chargers do.  My inexpensive charge controller continues as long as the sun is up.

 

[wayne49]

O/T
Quebec gets dark way too early in the winter.
Dark at 3:15 PM local time in Quebec City during American Thanksgiving weekend about ten years ago.
Late risers have about four hours to look around.
Montreal does have night life and an underground.

On/T
Four years for a battery is good.

 

[hugemoth]

Can't argue with a hydrometer. If the battery is getting fully charged daily you've done about all you can do. Do you ever equalize the battery? I get 5 years out of a Walmart group 29 battery with the cheap $15 charge controller set to 14.8 v float, summer and winter.

 

[Trebor English]

The hydrometer never showed any substantial difference between cells so I never did anything special to equalize.

 

[user 37446]

Trebor,

Thanks for posting your success story about the more "minimalist" version of electrical systems/needs. There's so many threads about solar this and lithium that while there are a very few folks posting who simply don't need it all.

I am fortunate to have a FT job where I can charge up small battery packs, 12v LA jump starters and my other electronics by just plugging them in. Then I leave and can go 24+ hours without needing any other power. On the 2 days off, I just conserve and use my 2 HF jump packs if I need 12v fans or USB ports.

While I understand that many dwellers don't like to live without oodles of power, and/or don't have a place to grid charge like I do, it's rare for people to say they don't need all of that to make it.

You and maybe a couple others are the only ones I've read in the last few years (since 2017 anyway) that practice and post about really minimal power usage. If you don't need it you don't have to produce it, with the attendant costs associated.

So thanks for showing the more minimal side of things and how electricals don't have to overwhelm dwellers.