I thought placing batteries directly on a concrete surface was a sure-fire way to ruin batteries. Is this not the case with the deep cycle batteries vs your standard vehicle battery?
We have 16 GC2 (golf car) batteries. They are 6v each. Since our system runs at 48v, we need multiples of 8. So we have 2 parallel strings of 8. Each string holds about 210 Ah (amp-hours) at 48v. So we have a total of 420Ah. Of course, due to the natural aging process and the damage I've caused to these batteries due to poor maintenance, they don't have that capacity anymore. There isn't a really easy way to measure their capacity, either.
Sadly, no. We do supplement with a generator quite often because we have added a significant amount of load since we designed the system. We really could use another eight batteries and another 6-9 solar panels if we wanted to get totally away from the generator. We live a fairly "normal" lifestyle. We have a microwave, full size refrigerator, several computers, fans, two water pumps and a swamp cooler that we use when it starts getting hot.
Kinda. These batteries are a special type called Deep Cycle. They are made differently than car or truck batteries. While car or truck batteries will work, they will have an extremely short life when used in this application. That said, there are larger deep cycle batteries. And yes, I could use those for more capacity. However, I'd still need to have more solar panels to charge those batteries. When I replace these batteries, I will likely replace them with the larger capacity ones, but get half as many. That would give me the same capacity that I have now with some room to grow when I get more solar panels.
I subbed. Maybe you can check my channel out too? So... do you cover the batteries after filling with distilled water? if so with what? if not, what happens when it rains out? you were concerned with getting the tops wet when you were pouring in the water into the cells so what happens if that all gets wet during a storm or does it not matter? I would like to see videos on how to set this up AND is it more cost effective then doing solar power? I think it may be more maintenance? but i do not know. thank you
The batteries have caps that allow them to breathe but not allow stuff to get inside. When it rains, they get wet, just like the battery in your car might get wet when you hit a big puddle. No harm if the caps are on securely. When I was pouring the water in and spilling some, I was more concerned with accidentally washing some contaminants INTO the cells by accident. Also, distilled water is cheap, but I am 60 miles from the nearest supply. I don't want to waste any and find out that I had just one more battery to fill and ran out. I've had that happen. It's frustrating. I mentioned in another comment that I plan to do an entire series on how to properly plan and purchase a solar system. Then there will be one on building that system. There's a lot to learn. Solar power is usually far more expensive than grid power. There are two main reasons to have solar (or wind, for that matter) over grid power: 1) You are so far from the nearest grid power that it would be cost-prohibitive to pay the power company $30,000 PER MILE to bring power to you. 2) You have a philosophical reason to be off grid. In our case, it's #2. I have a telephone pole with grid power right on my property. It would probably cost us about $1500 to get grid power installed here, yet I have over $10k worth of equipment, and I have to watch my power use. We decided that we wanted to live a smaller, simpler life out in the desert, so we deliberately chose to go off-grid.
Thanks for this video... it's the only one I found that actually fulfilled my need to know the actual "how to" fill batteries.
Can you add acid to the batteries if you have added too much water which resulted in overflowing during charging?
Please do it with a good and safe safety glasses
When the water level drops is that a sign the battery needs to be replaced?
No! Keep an eye on it fill level as needed I’ve had mine golf cart batteries since 2008 all it still good because I maintenance them
I thought placing batteries directly on a concrete surface was a sure-fire way to ruin batteries. Is this not the case with the deep cycle batteries vs your standard vehicle battery?
Nope. That hasn't been true since they started putting batteries in plastic.
th-cam.com/video/KDR43E5Uxw4/w-d-xo.html
How many batteries do you have now? How much can they store? What type are they? Thanks!
We have 16 GC2 (golf car) batteries. They are 6v each. Since our system runs at 48v, we need multiples of 8. So we have 2 parallel strings of 8. Each string holds about 210 Ah (amp-hours) at 48v. So we have a total of 420Ah.
Of course, due to the natural aging process and the damage I've caused to these batteries due to poor maintenance, they don't have that capacity anymore. There isn't a really easy way to measure their capacity, either.
The Ratrace Losers Thanks for the reply! Is that enough for a typical day's worth of your use? Do you have to supplement with a generator?
Sadly, no. We do supplement with a generator quite often because we have added a significant amount of load since we designed the system. We really could use another eight batteries and another 6-9 solar panels if we wanted to get totally away from the generator.
We live a fairly "normal" lifestyle. We have a microwave, full size refrigerator, several computers, fans, two water pumps and a swamp cooler that we use when it starts getting hot.
can you use LARGER batteries like say for a truck or?
Kinda. These batteries are a special type called Deep Cycle. They are made differently than car or truck batteries. While car or truck batteries will work, they will have an extremely short life when used in this application.
That said, there are larger deep cycle batteries. And yes, I could use those for more capacity. However, I'd still need to have more solar panels to charge those batteries.
When I replace these batteries, I will likely replace them with the larger capacity ones, but get half as many. That would give me the same capacity that I have now with some room to grow when I get more solar panels.
I subbed. Maybe you can check my channel out too?
So... do you cover the batteries after filling with distilled water? if so with what? if not, what happens when it rains out? you were concerned with getting the tops wet when you were pouring in the water into the cells so what happens if that all gets wet during a storm or does it not matter? I would like to see videos on how to set this up AND is it more cost effective then doing solar power? I think it may be more maintenance? but i do not know. thank you
The batteries have caps that allow them to breathe but not allow stuff to get inside. When it rains, they get wet, just like the battery in your car might get wet when you hit a big puddle. No harm if the caps are on securely.
When I was pouring the water in and spilling some, I was more concerned with accidentally washing some contaminants INTO the cells by accident. Also, distilled water is cheap, but I am 60 miles from the nearest supply. I don't want to waste any and find out that I had just one more battery to fill and ran out. I've had that happen. It's frustrating.
I mentioned in another comment that I plan to do an entire series on how to properly plan and purchase a solar system. Then there will be one on building that system. There's a lot to learn.
Solar power is usually far more expensive than grid power. There are two main reasons to have solar (or wind, for that matter) over grid power:
1) You are so far from the nearest grid power that it would be cost-prohibitive to pay the power company $30,000 PER MILE to bring power to you.
2) You have a philosophical reason to be off grid.
In our case, it's #2. I have a telephone pole with grid power right on my property. It would probably cost us about $1500 to get grid power installed here, yet I have over $10k worth of equipment, and I have to watch my power use.
We decided that we wanted to live a smaller, simpler life out in the desert, so we deliberately chose to go off-grid.
ahhh ok thank you. that makes sense. i will look forward to your series :)