Overcharging my leisure batteries with a solenoid?

[glennski]

Hello! I have a question to ask you all about the solenoid that is hooked up in between my starting and rear house batteries in my van.

Does anyone know if you can overcharge house batteries with a solenoid by driving too much? Say I'm on a two week road trip and am driving way more than I'm actually using my leisure batteries. Is it possible to damage my already fully charged house batteries by driving that much? The solenoid is going to be my primary way of charging my batteries, but I also don't want to be damaging them. I have a battery bank of 2 Trojan T125+ 6v batteries with a 240 amp hour capacity. If anything I can use my shore power hookup with my 2000w inverter / charger.

Thanks for the help! I just found out about RTR and I couldn't be more excited to meet all you amazing people that inspired me to get a van in the first place! See you there!

 

[29chico]

Hello! I have a question to ask you all about the solenoid that is hooked up in between my starting and rear house batteries in my van.

Does anyone know if you can overcharge house batteries with a solenoid by driving too much? Say I'm on a two week road trip and am driving way more than I'm actually using my leisure batteries. Is it possible to damage my already fully charged house batteries by driving that much? The solenoid is going to be my primary way of charging my batteries, but I also don't want to be damaging them. I have a battery bank of 2 Trojan T125+ 6v batteries with a 240 amp hour capacity. If anything I can use my shore power hookup with my 2000w inverter / charger.

Thanks for the help! I just found out about RTR and I couldn't be more excited to meet all you amazing people that inspired me to get a van in the first place! See you there!

Since the bank is in the back of the van the important question is what size wire is in the circuit in question? That and the total length of said circuit can be plugged into an online voltage drop calculator along with 1 amp of current flow as you are concerned about when your bank is fully charged. Do that and let us know what the voltage drop is and then we can take this a bit farther.

 

[SternWake]

Generally the opposite is more of a concern.

The alternator is controlled by a voltage regulator, the VR sends out enough juice to alternator field terminals, keep the alternator making enough juice to maintain a voltage.

This voltage is generally inadequate for recharging a depleted battery bank.

YOu can see if your house batteries are being overcharged by using a voltmeter and a hydrometer.

if all cells are 1.275 or higher, and your driving voltage is 13.8v or higher, then some overcharging is happening.

BUt Unless the batteries are 100F and the voltage 14.2, the actual damage to the batteries from being held at 13.8 when 13.X volts would be ideal, is minimal.

Perhaps Instead of 1275 total cycles, you would get 1258 instead.

Be more worried that your alternator/ voltage regulator combo instead never gets the batteries to full, as this takes a long time. Charging 80% to 100% takes no less than 3.5 hours at Absorption voltage.

Your vehicle is not going to allow an absorption voltage in the mid 14's for any considerable length of time, and A digital voltmeter will show this.

Concerns of overcharging when driving are almost non existent, but a voltmeter will prove it, or prove otherwise, but otherwise requires a hydrometer too.

 

[glennski]

Concerns of overcharging when driving are almost non existent, but a voltmeter will prove it, or prove otherwise, but otherwise requires a hydrometer too.

That's what I figured. I've been monitoring my volt meter regularly, but I'll keep a closer eye on it with what you said in mind. Thanks for the input!

 

[MrNoodly]

It's no more likely to overcharge your house batteries than it would overcharge your vehicle battery. To your vehicle charging system, it's all just one big battery.

 

[glennski]

It's no more likely to overcharge your house batteries than it would overcharge your vehicle battery. To your vehicle charging system, it's all just one big battery.

Well that makes sense haha


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[highdesertranger]

what they all said^^^^^^. more likely to under charge then over charge. see you at RTR. highdesertranger