Max voltage to set on charger

[pelissima]

This is about the max Voltage to be reached during Bulk phase of your charger.
In our case we consume say 100Amps daily served by 3x100AmpH sealed marine batteries –calcium is written somewhere- in one bank, fed through Victron 12V 30A. If I set it at the recommended 14.4V, then by the time this happens everyone around us is asking to turn off the Honda already in use for 3-4 hours, and omitting the Absorption phase. I was wondering if a better approach might be to set the charger to 14 or 14.1V and spend some time in absorption phase (where voltage remains at the set value, and amps decreasing ) . I guess it also depends on the type of battery, but Googling on WINNER only brought any sort of winners but not batteries. So before entering the trial and error zone I am interested on the value you have set yours and of course comments on the above.
Rgds to all
George

 

[boatmike]

Well. 14.4V is the right maximum voltage to set your charger at for sealed batteries certainly. Lead acid could be as high as 14.8 but you will boil sealed batteries at this so no higher than 14.4. Dropping the voltage will only result in you running the genny for longer defeating your object. Have you thought about alternative charging methods like solar or wind? Much quieter and in Greece you would get good value from solar I would have thought.

 

[halcyon]

The problem is likley to be charger output, at high volts. We always rated at average amps at max volts, but I have come across amps at 11 volt, amps 13 volt, there is RMS and peak amps, also if you have 3 outputs you get less from the service output.
Check what your amps are into the service battery, if only down to 25 amp then that gives 4 hours plus running for your 100 amp hour. So solar may well be the answer.

Brian

 

[jkim1]

I thought that 14.8 was the max for lead acid and anything over that will boil. I set my max charging voltage to 14.7.
Is 14.4 the definative max voltage at the battery terminals.
thanks and regards

 

[ccscott49]

Maximum charging voltage for lead/calcium acid batteries, is 15.2 volts, as set in my studer battery charger, (automatic on dip switches) I was unaware of this and wondered why my last set, died after two and a half years, I reset the dip switches and my new set have lasted five years so far and show no signs of degradation, with the new charge voltage. I did query this voltage and was told that it was most certainly correct?? Lead acid I agree, 14.7, but some chargers will whack in more than that in the bulk stage, to keep the current up.

 

[boatmike]

Without knowing the exact type of batteries he has I was generalising and still say 14.8 is the maximum a lead acid battery should take recognising that with even this will rely on the owner monitoring electrolyte levels often and topping up as required. With any form of sealed battery the advice is normally to not exeed 14.4 volts to avoid damage. I don't know what type of battery you have precisely and you may well be right if the manufacturer approves but it's very high for any normal boat battery.

 

[alant]

Not being a sparks, will not the voltage regulator prevent any 'over charging' & subsequent boiling?
Surely any charging system (mains or gen) should be controllable to prevent this. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif