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Old 08-18-2014, 02:30 PM   #61
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Come to think of it, I probably connected the positive first ( reversing what I did to disconnect ).
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Old 08-18-2014, 02:38 PM   #62
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Cap-It installed my brake controller. When they installed they omitted a fuse and omitted waterproofing the wires to the truck's 7 pin. The brake controller shorted out and drained the truck battery while parked. I was in the Okanagan and Ford had a 2 week waiting period for service. I went to the Battery Doctor in Kelowna and they informed me that I had a phantom draw on my battery and the best bet was to disengage the neg terminal when parking over night. That worked fine until I could get to Ford and have it all fixed. I too noticed a small spark when reconnecting to the neg terminal.
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Old 08-18-2014, 03:02 PM   #63
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Originally Posted by Brian B-P View Post
I saw the same issue: the Sears link is redirected for those of us in Canada to a generic entry page, rather than the intended battery page. Of course, the intent was to suggest a battery that might be available locally here, and store stock is often not the same as the online catalog... it might be worth checking (in person).
Probably a moot point but this is the battery in question.

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Old 08-18-2014, 03:33 PM   #64
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The key is to get the battery desulphated and then KEEP it desulphated. While the Battery Tender (TM) is a "smart" trickle charger, it DOES NOT have the capability to desulphate.

The real key is to not let the battery sulphate in the first place. Don't let your batteries sit for weeks or months with less than a full charge.

On another note, battery electrolyte in flooded batteries, over time, stratifies. That is, it become more dense at the bottom of the cell, which is the main reason for the 'equalize' charge on solar charge controllers. The higher equalization voltage causes the electrolyte to gas for a time, mixing the electrolyte and removing the stratification.

We have to assume that if the electrolyte is more dense at the bottom of the cell, it is less dense at the top. Effectively the top of the plates are in a lower state of charge than the bottom, possibly leading to sulphation on the upper surface of the plates.

Stratification of the electrolyte is also the reason that you don't read the first pull into the hydrometer, but cycle it a few times to mix the electrolyte.
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Old 08-18-2014, 03:40 PM   #65
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If there is current flowing when you disconnect a terminal, you risk a spark between the cable connector and the terminal... and that is true with either terminal.
Very good point. Thanks.

I always kill everything before I do battery work.

I have never had a battery explode on me, but I witnessed one. Fortunately I was there to help the guy to the eyewash station.
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Old 08-18-2014, 04:00 PM   #66
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Perhaps a bit off topic Jamie, but if I hooked up 4 Trojan T-125's together, that'd give me some impressive amp hours, would it not? Only concern is the weight.
Hotfishtacos runs four 6 volt batteries.
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Old 08-18-2014, 04:06 PM   #67
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I'm not about to prove anybody wrong so I just disconnected the negative first ( and the trailer was off shore power. When I reconnected, negative first ), there was a small spark at the terminal.
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Come to think of it, I probably connected the positive first ( reversing what I did to disconnect ).
Good - that's the safest procedure: only handle the positive terminal when the negative is disconnected.

The spark on connecting the negative would be due to some load (a light, the propane or CO detector, whatever...) being on when the connection was made. A master disconnect switch minimizes this arcing and contains it within the switch, so it is inherently safer. Of course, another switch is more hardware and more connections; there is always a compromise between desirable features and undesirable complexity. I have a master disconnect in my motorhome but not in my trailer; I would likely put one in a new trailer (even if my chosen model didn't come with one).
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Old 08-18-2014, 04:32 PM   #68
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Probably a moot point but this is the battery in question...
Ah, good old Die Hards. Sears doesn't make batteries, of course, but in the past they have been careful to specify good quality products in their house brands, which included Craftsman (tools) and Die Hard (batteries). More recently, Sears Canada got out of the auto service business, so the tire and battery departments here are run as franchises of various tire retail chains (Kal Tire, in the case of my closest Sears)... still selling the Sears house brand batteries. A few years ago I searched for the best battery for my van (the starting battery, not a deep cycle) and at the time the best choice for me was a Die Hard, knowing that it was made by East Penn, and chosen as the most readily available way for me to get the right size and type of battery.

I don't have any idea who makes that Die Hard deep-cycle... or who makes the battery Baglo found at Canadian Tire.

So, whether it is Sears, Canadian Tire or WalMart, the retailer's house brand name hides the actual battery manufacturer, and you are depending to some extent on the retailer to choose well to protect their reputation.
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Old 08-18-2014, 04:38 PM   #69
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Three words: hydrogen gas, spark
Thanks for the info.

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Old 08-18-2014, 04:48 PM   #70
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I don't have any idea who makes that Die Hard deep-cycle... or who makes the battery Baglo found at Canadian Tire.
That's true. It's really hard to tell. There are only four larger companies that make most batteries. East Penn Deka, Johnson controls, AC Delco and Exide. Exide is going bankrupt and Johnson Controls (Kirkland, Optima and Interstate) moved production to Mexico and their product quality has suffered because of it. Duralast from Autozone and Sears Die Hard are essentially the same battery, since their made in the same plants.

Then you have the smaller independent battery manufacturers like Trojan, which make excellent batteries, and don't make them for other labels. I'd go with something like the latter, but it's strictly a personal preference.
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Old 08-18-2014, 05:30 PM   #71
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That's true. It's really hard to tell. There are only four larger companies that make most batteries. East Penn Deka, Johnson controls, AC Delco and Exide. Exide is going bankrupt and Johnson Controls (Kirkland, Optima and Interstate) moved production to Mexico and their product quality has suffered because of it. Duralast from Autozone and Sears Die Hard are essentially the same battery, since their made in the same plants.

Then you have the smaller independent battery manufacturers like Trojan, which make excellent batteries, and don't make them for other labels. I'd go with something like the latter, but it's strictly a personal preference.
Actually, ACDelco batteries are made by Johnson Controls as well. Though Johnson does have production in Mexico, the plant in St. Joe Missouri and maybe some of is still in production.

Also, same plant does not mean same product. Johnson Cotrols, Exide, and East Penn all make batteries for other companies. Some companies buy the off the shelf products and relabel them. Other companies have the manufacturer build to spec and do random line testing to maintain quality.
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Old 08-18-2014, 06:28 PM   #72
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Actually, ACDelco batteries are made by Johnson Controls as well. Though Johnson does have production in Mexico, the plant in St. Joe Missouri and maybe some of is still in production.

Also, same plant does not mean same product. Johnson Cotrols, Exide, and East Penn all make batteries for other companies. Some companies buy the off the shelf products and relabel them. Other companies have the manufacturer build to spec and do random line testing to maintain quality.
All true. My point was that I personally prefer a battery where I know who made it, i.e., smaller company. But, not always true I admit. I've had really good luck with Deka AGM batteries in my vehicles, and they are of course made by East Penn.
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Old 08-24-2014, 09:38 AM   #73
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Does anyone know what a "normal" discharge rate for deep cycle batteries with no load would be? Mine seem to lose charge faster than I would think with the disconnect off and I'm wondering if there is still some drain. But then I haven't been able to find any info on how fast they discharge on their own - just sitting unconnected. I suppose I should use my meter and see if it shows any current draw from the batteries with the switch off.
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Old 08-24-2014, 11:05 AM   #74
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Give us an example of the discharge rate. You shouldn't see much difference in, say, a week or two or even more.

Also, is your reference starting point a number like 12.6v or a higher number shown after charging?

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Old 08-24-2014, 11:32 AM   #75
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Ron, I have only been monitoring it for a few days. With the dual 6v Interstate Batteries (which mine are), Interstate says these are the "State of Charge":

100% 12.84
90% 12.72
80% 12.64
70% 12.56
60% 12.48
50% 12.20

I waited the 2 hours after charging and had 13.03v, then 5 hours later 12.82 - both of which seem very good. But then after another 17 hours it was 12.74 - about 90% charged. Then after another 24 hours it was essentially the same 12.72. All with the disconnect off.

Perhaps it is very normal to drop that 10%, as it alway seems like that last 10% from 90% to 100% is very hard to get into and keep in any batteries? I notice it with my laptop computer too - that first 10% drop is much faster than any further ones. Maybe this is quite normal with batteries as they age also. I have been very careful to never draw below about 60%, but even then they are still aging.

(FYI my digital handheld multi-meter is rated at 0.8% accuracy )
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Old 08-24-2014, 03:21 PM   #76
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Well, the battery experts might chime in and correct me but I don't consider those first two readings to be "real" because I've always believed after charging there's a surface charge that give an extra high reading. I've found that you can dissipate it by turning on a small load for a few minutes. After that the reading you get is your usable voltage.

The fact that is stabilized over the 24 hour reading seems pretty good.

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Old 08-24-2014, 04:00 PM   #77
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Ron, thanks for that input. I have read that you are exactly right, that a small load needs to be applied, and then I have also read to let it sit 2 hours and another that says 12 hours. You'd think with a technology as old as lead-acid batteries that scientific testing would have provided some very precise answers by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case. Every "expert" site seems to have slightly different methods for most everything about batteries.

I think I'm going to just conclude that these Interstates are still doing pretty well for being over 4 years old. (But my curiosity will drive me back down to the shed with meter in hand I am sure.)
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Old 08-30-2014, 10:02 AM   #78
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After a week with the disconnect switch off, the combined 6v battery voltages drain at 0.01v per day.
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