Batteries

[langtoonrover]

what i would like to know is how long does it take for a 110ah battery to fully charge,

[Lefthand Down]

From flat about 2 days. Which charger do you have and what amperage does it charge at?

 

Keep an eye on the voltage and when it gets to 14. 2 volts it be probably done to a turn.

 

Do you have a multitester and what does it read at the moment?

[DeadMeatUK]

If it was at 0Ah (if that's even possible?) it would take 110 hours to charge on a 1A battery charger 110/1=110. If it was a 5A charger then 110/5=22 hours. .. so divide the Ah capacity of the battery by the output Amp of the charger and that is a very simple effective way of charging on a cheep non-sensing charger.

[langtoonrover]

bought this charger out of halfords a few years back now, it says on the face of the charger, for 1800cc cars and over,will charge 12volt batteries, when using on a battery, yellow light comes on saying charging just above that, there is another window that turns green when fully charged, what im afraid off is that i might overcharge it,

[DeadMeatUK]

On the label (probably on the back) there will be the output current, what is it?

[Lefthand Down]

what I'm afraid off is that i might overcharge it,

 

Buy a multi-tester and take away the guess work. When the voltage reds 14. 2 volts it is ready.

Like this one. .... http://www. maplin. co. uk/domestic-multimeter-37279

 

The picture show a switch and it is only needed to set it on 20 volts to test your battery. (set it on 0 when not in use.)

 

Every caravan owner should have one to test the voltage. (It contains a PP3 battery and when it needs replacing it just needs a screwdriver to get at it)

[daisymaisy]

Terry, Jim had his tester with him at Linwater when in working in Jimmy's van, wish you had mentioned about the battery then

[langtoonrover]

the battery was flat when we got back mary,

[langtoonrover]

lefthand down took your advice and got a multitester, present reading is 13. 85 so ive got a bit to go yet, thanks for all your help

[David 38]

bought this charger out of halfords a few years back now, it says on the face of the charger, for 1800cc cars and over,will charge 12volt batteries, when using on a battery, yellow light comes on saying charging just above that, there is another window that turns green when fully charged, what im afraid off is that i might overcharge it,

Mine is like that, instruction for mine says green means charged and maintaining.

So with mine no worries.

[Guest]

Here are some words about battery charging which will hopefully give you some idea of what's happening (or what should be happening) and what you should be measuring once you've gone out and invested in a digital multimeter

 

 

Lead acid charging uses a voltage-based method and the ideal current is about 10% of the battery capacity (ie 11amps for a 110a/h battery). The charge time of a sealed lead acid battery is 12–16 hours,. With higher charge currents and multi-stage charge methods, the charge time can be reduced to 10 hours or less; however, the topping charge may not be complete. Lead acid is sluggish and cannot be charged as quickly as other battery systems. Smaller capacity chargers will take longer.

 

Lead acid batteries should be charged in three stages, which are

[1] constant-current charge - usually at the maximum current of the charger when the voltage of the battery will rise to the maximum voltage that the charger will deliver (approx 14. 4v), this phase applies the bulk of the charge and takes up about half of the charge time

[2] topping charge where the maximum voltage is maintained and the current slowly decreases, this stage provides saturation and completes the charging stage

[3] float charge when the battery current has dropped to a predetermined level and the charger voltage is then switched down to about 13. 6-13. 8v, this compensates for losses caused by self discharge

 

If you monitor your battery during charging you should see the voltage gradually rise up to approx 14. 4 (constant current phase) and then stay there for some time (topping phase) and then it should suddenly drop to about 13. 8v (float phase) - this is usually when the "charged" light comes on

 

 

The battery is fully charged when the current drops to a pre-determined level or levels out in stage 2. The float voltage must be reduced at full charge.

During the constant-current charge, the battery charges to 70 percent in 5–8 hours; the remaining 30 percent is filled with the slower topping charge that lasts another 7–10 hours. The topping charge is essential for the well-being of the battery and can be compared to a little rest after a good meal. If deprived, the battery will eventually lose the ability to accept a full charge and the performance will decrease due to sulphation. The float charge in the third stage maintains the battery at full charge.

The switch from Stage 1 to 2 occurs seamlessly and happens when the battery reaches the set voltage limit. The current begins to drop as the battery starts to saturate, and full charge is reached when the current decreases to about 3% of the rated current although a battery with high leakage may never attain this low saturation current, and a plateau timer takes over to initialize the charge termination.

The correct setting of the charge voltage is critical and ranges from 13. 8 to 14. 7 volts. Setting the voltage threshold is a compromise, on one hand, the battery wants to be fully charged to get maximum capacity and avoid sulphation on the negative plate; however an over-saturated condition causes grid corrosion on the positive plate and induces gassing.

To make this more difficult, the battery voltage shifts with temperature. Warmer surroundings require slightly lower voltage thresholds and a cold ambient prefers a higher level. Ideally chargers exposed to temperature fluctuations should include temperature sensors to adjust the charge voltage for optimum charge efficiency. If this is not possible, it is better to choose a lower voltage for safety reasons. The following table compares the advantages and limitations of various peak voltage settings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

13. 8 to 14. 1volts

Maximum service life; battery stays cool; charge temperature can exceed 30°C (86°F).

Slow charge time; capacity readings may be inconsistent and declining with each cycle. Sulphation may occur without equalizing charge.

 

 

 

14. 4 to14. 7 volts

Faster charge times; higher and more consistent capacity readings; less sulphation.

 

 

Battery is subject to corrosion and gassing. Needs constant water. Not suitable for charging at high room temperatures, causing severe overcharge.

 

 

Once fully charged through saturation, the battery should not dwell at the topping voltage for more than 48 hours and must be reduced to the float voltage level. This is especially critical for sealed systems because these systems are less able to tolerate overcharge than the flooded type. Charging beyond what the battery can take turns the redundant energy into heat and the battery begins to gas. The recommended float voltage of most 12 volt lead acid batteries is 13. 5 to 13. 6v. Manufacturers recommend lowering the float charge at ambient temperatures above 29°C (85°F).

 

Not all chargers feature float charge. If your charger stays on topping charge and does not drop below 13. 8 v, remove the charge after 48 hours of charge.

 

Lead acid batteries must always be stored in a charged state. A topping charge should be applied every six months to prevent the voltage from dropping below 12. 6volts

 

Measuring the open circuit voltage (OCV) while in storage provides a fairly reliable indication as to the state-of-charge of the battery. A voltage of 12. 6v at room temperature reveals a charge of about 90 percent. Such a battery is in good condition and needs only a brief full charge prior to use. If the voltage drops below 12. 6, the battery must be charged to prevent sulphation. Observe the storage temperature when measuring the open circuit voltage. A cool battery increases the voltage slightly and a warm one lowers it.

 

Using OCV to estimate state-of-charge only works when the battery has rested for a few hours, because any charge or discharge agitates the battery and distorts the voltage

[langtoonrover]

morning all, the reading on the multimeter reads 13 . 28 this was achieved on normal charge . there is another setting on the charger which says fast charge, question is what one do i use, or do i have to collect all my lemonade bottles together to buy another charger, anyway i really appreciate all your help, thanks guys

[dreadly]

Personally I use a 9amp Halfords smart charger and try to bring a battery back ASAP so they do not get damaged through sulphation.

A good quality smart charger is a good investment i think. ..

 

I bought mine before knowing too much about the whole process, but in retrospect I know exactly the charger I would get next time around. And the beauty is that smart chargers are fully automatic, you just connect and leave until you next require the battery.

 

If you can find enough lemonade bottles --> http://www. amazon. co. uk/Multi-8-Stage-Battery-Charger-Conditioner/dp/B005O8YG44/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1336900852&sr=8-6

 

Yes, it's expensive. .. But it is the Rolls Royce of chargers.

Edited May 13, 2012 by dreadly

[Guest]

You might find that switching the charger to fast charge will increase it's output voltage up to about 14. 4 and inhibit the switch down to float (if your battery is sitting at 13. 28v after a day or so on the charger then it's gone into float mode, but its a bit on the low side, ideally it should be about 13. 5-13. 6) try switchting to fast charge and see what happens, the voltage should creep up to 14. 4ish and then sit there, if that's the case then leave it on for about 6 hours (the battery will start gassing (listen carefully and you can hear it bubbling or you can see it if you can get the lids off) - MAKE SURE ITS IN A WELL VENTLATED SPACE AND NO NAKED LIGHTS, CIGARETTES ETC. ONLY CONNECT & DISCONNECT THE CHARGER WHEN ITS SWITCHED OFF.

 

ONCE THE CELLS START GASSING DONT LEAVE THE BATTERY COOKING AT OVER 14 VOLTS FOR MORE THAN ANOTHER 6-12 HOURS as it should be just about charged

 

another way of seeing whats happening is to put the the multimeter in series with the battery on the 10 AMPS range - you can then see what charging current is flowing. During the initial phase the current should approximate to the charger's rated output and then slowly taper away as the battery get nearer to 100%, there should be a definite "step down" in both current and voltage when the charger switches to float mode.

 

Going back to your original question - how long does it take to charge a 110 battery, depends on a lot of things, state of battery, depth of discharge, voltage & current rating of the charger and temperature, Using a decent 10amp multistage automatic charger it should be about 12-16 hours. A decent 5 amp multistage will take 24-36 hours. Generally it should be less than this as you should never let the battery discharge to less than 50%

[langtoonrover]

matelodave,thank you for the information, its standing at 13 38 just now, doesn't want to go any higher, i switch the charger off when we go to bed, been on 3 days now, but they are not full days, any way going to put it on fast charge top window will turn to green immediately, =ready will let you know how i get on, but there is one thing for sure I'm getting another battery, next month got a m o t to contend with

 

i meant battery charger lol

[OWOMW]

Here are some words about battery charging which will hopefully give you some idea of what's happening (or what should be happening) and what you should be measuring once you've gon out and invested in a digital multimeter . ............................

 

 

 

I've just fitted a replacement solar panel to my van and I was curious to know about the performance of solar panel regulators in the context of your post. In effect the regulator is doing the same job as a battery charger but as it's connected all the time (during daylight hours) it needs to have a final "float" charge to avoid cooking the battery.

The spec of my regulator says

 

Equalization voltage (60 minutes) 14. 8v

Boost voltage (60 minutes) 14. 4v

Float voltage 13. 7v

Low voltage disconnect 11. 1v

Low voltage reconnect 13. 1v

 

Does this fit in with recommended voltages and times ?

The maximum output from the solar panel is 17. 5v and 2. 35A

[Guest]

Looks OK. As you'll be charging every day the timers should ensure that the batteris don't get a daily overcharge but I would suggest that you do keep an eye on the electolyte levels and keep them topped up.

[Crow424]

bought this charger out of halfords a few years back now, it says on the face of the charger, for 1800cc cars and over,will charge 12volt batteries, when using on a battery, yellow light comes on saying charging just above that, there is another window that turns green when fully charged, what im afraid off is that i might overcharge it,

Hi there,

I have a Halfords Fully Automatic Battery Charger which I use on my AH 110 leisure battery. The charger is switched to Standard and the other switch is set to Other. I switch it on once a month and it displays charging light as you say above. When the battery is charged the green light comes on again just as you say. I forget about it sometimes and all it does is keep the battery up to charge just like the top up trickle in the van. Been doing it this way for a few years now with same battery and it hasn't leaked or got hot to touch. I went a spell when I forgot to switch on for topping up the charge ( found out just before I went on holiday, the lights on 12v weren't working) the battery was charged up approx. 18hrs later in time for departure. I just use the battery indicator in the van as a check to see if it's level is okay. Not very techy but works for me.

Waffle session over