Trojan Boat Forum

Does anybody here equalze their batteries? My TruCharge three bank battery charger has this function and the manual recomends doing this often. It's a manualy controlled function that brings the voltage up to over 16 VDC for a couple hours. All loads must first be disconnected and my guess is that acid would be spitting out all over the bilge.

The following is a quote from the Trojan Battery web site:

"Equalizing is an overcharge performed on flooded lead acid batteries after they have been fully charged. It reverses the buildup of negative chemical effects like stratification, a condition where acid concentration is greater at the bottom of the battery than at the top. Equalizing also helps to remove sulfate crystals that might have built up on the plates. If left unchecked, this condition, called sulfation, will reduce the overall capacity of the battery.

Many experts recommend that batteries be equalized periodically, ranging anywhere from once a month to once or twice per year. However, Trojan only recommends equalizing when low or wide ranging specific gravity (+/- .015) are detected after fully charging a battery. "


Any Thoughts?

Mine dose it automaticly but I do not think its for a couple of hours .

I would do it ever few months or so .

i also have trojans in my boat. i do monitor the specific gravity on occassion and i have equalized batteries in my golf cart which also has trojans. the boat hasnt needed it yet. i performed this function as the trojan manufacturer suggested. i figure they should know about the battery they are making. i have also read somewhere that equalizing is detrimental if performed to often. these batteries will last a long time at least the ones i have had in the past have and i expect these to perform that well too.

When you guys equalize your batteries, do you disconnect the loads? I'm just wondering what the higher voltage will do to my electronics even if there turned off.

I don't equalise mine as I make sure they are charged back to 100% each recharge cycle and not discharged below 50% (12.2V), and have not seen any ill effects over 4 seasons... and the batteries seem to work like new each season. I follow the protocol of not mixing batteries and having one battery per charge leg. I use 1 marine starting (sealed lead acid) for each engine and an AGM house battery for the heavy loads.

My charger manufacturer Xantrex says:

WHEN TO EQUALIZE
It is best to check with the battery manufacturer's recommendations before equalizing since each manufacturer has slightly different suggestions on how often and how long to equalize their batteries. But, as a general rule, it is a good practice to equalize batteries after every 10 or 12 deep discharge and re-charge cycles. For batteries in constant discharge and recharge usage, this would mean about every two weeks. For periodic users, it would mean about two or three times a year. For seasonal users, this could mean at the beginning and end of the season. When using a battery monitor such as a Link 2000, equalizing should be done when you notice the Charge Efficiency Factor (CEF) begin to drop.

My house bank is made up of 6 volt T105 Trojan batteries that I've used for 6 seasons now. The DC electrical system is designed to operate well within the 50% capacity range while on the hook for a weekend. This past season however I found that I had to run the generator a little more often to keep them charged up while on the hook. While the boat is in winter storage, I do a maintenance charge on the batteries once a month but the last time I checked them, one of the 6v batteries was down by 2v. I was wondering if it was because I was not equalizing them.

what?

Paul, I'm thinking that you may be nearing the end of the service life of one or more of those batteries, especially if you're discharging them to 50% and then charging each time you're out. Suggest you contact Trojan to find out their recommendation on service and cycle life for those batteries. I'm a big fan of cheap-o Maxx 29 Marine Deep Cycles from Walmart. I use three of the group 29 12v 125ah batteries, two in parallel for house bank and one dedicated to engine. I replace them every 3-4 years because the run about $75 each and they still are in good shape.

Paul wrote:While the boat is in winter storage, I do a maintenance charge on the batteries once a month but the last time I checked them, one of the 6v batteries was down by 2v. I was wondering if it was because I was not equalizing them.

Could be but you could also have one cell failing which will not be corrected by equalising... can you check the voltage of each cell of that battery?

You might be right Randy, I've cycled thes batteries about 180 times over the years and it might be time to replace them. As Trojan F32 stated I may have a bad cell. These batteries are now out of the boat and I'll be dropping them off at the battery shop where they were purchased for inspection. If they check out OK the shop then services them, which includes equalizing, for $10 per battery. I'll get them back within a couple of days then just leave them sit for a couple months. If at this time I find that they have held their charge, then back in the boat they'll go. If not then I'll replace them before launch.

Thanks for all the replies.

Well, after two attempts at equalizing these batteries, specific gravity is now equal in all cells however the batteries are simply not holding their charge. So after 6 seasons of service, I replaced them this past weekend with another pair of Trojan T105's. The battery shop was surprised that I got this much time out of the last set under this type of use. Hope this new set lasts as long.

I'll be entering into my 1st season with house batteries and trying to figure out what some real life experience has been on the hook.

I have two small 12v refrigerators which I would love to get a weekend out of (or at least one). I'm looking into an inverter option as well to possibly get some quick microwave usage. Rest would be TV and lights.

Any feedback appreciated.


Bob

BobCT wrote:I'll be entering into my 1st season with house batteries and trying to figure out what some real life experience has been on the hook.
I have two small 12v refrigerators which I would love to get a weekend out of (or at least one). I'm looking into an inverter option as well to possibly get some quick microwave usage. Rest would be TV and lights.
Any feedback appreciated.
Bob

My real life experience on my setup is unlikely to have any bearing on yours... so I can offer some feedback based on how you have the batteries setup and the frig draw.
So how are the batteries wired, what size and model are they, same info on the frigs--- the manufacturer info will supply the normal draw over a period of use.
Microwave use? Can you do it with some other means... butane/propane burner etc? Microwaves via Inverters are an inefficient use of battery power.
How much TV usage? Is it 120V or 12V? New or old style TV... these can be a surprisingly high load over time.... remember they draw power even when off.
If the batteries, deep cycle, have enough AmpHr rating you should be able to do it... so lets look at the specs etc: I requested above.

Hey guys...

not sure if anyone has seen this link...

can be pretty helpful when calculating power needs and battery choice.

http://www.boundlessoutfitters.com/Batt ... -s/129.htm



Paul

This is another that I use...

easy calculator to use for figuring out the battery draw of an AC and/or DC appliance.

http://www.supercircuits.com/resources/ ... -Converter



Paul