Quote:
Originally Posted by Wavery
1st..... 80AH (not cca "cold cranking amps") of battery gives you about 40AH before the battery must be recharged @ around 12.5V-12.2V or slightly less. If the battery drops below 12V it should be immediately disconnected. Damage occurs below 12V. Below 10.5 volts, the batter will be permanently damaged and will never be able to accept a 100(% charge. If you let the battery get down to 6.5V, the damage "can" be so severe that the battery "May not" be able to even reach 12.5V>
OK...... having said all that, I would recommend taking that battery back to Walmart and ask for a new one. They probably will give you no hassle.
To properly charge your battery, charge the new one fully when you get it installed. After charging, let the battery rest over-night then check the voltage the next day. It should rest above 12.7V for a few days.
When you are using the battery, check the voltage often and don't let it get below 12.2V (ever) before recharging. When you charge the battery, your voltmeter will only show the "Surface charge" of the battery. It takes several hours for that surface charge to "soak in". Checking the voltage right after charging is very deceiving.
If you start charging when your battery is at 12.2V (basically "0" state of charge), your charger will put out around 50A (or whatever your TM controller max is) for a very short period of time (maybe 10 minutes, then the charge rate tapers off until it is putting out around 10A. This means, if you have used 50% of your battery's capacity (around 40AH), it would take 4 plus hours of charging before you are back to 100%, charging at 10A.
If you are running your generator for 1-hour, your voltmeter will show a very high surface charge (maybe even "Full"). In reality, you have put maybe 12 AH of charge in a battery that wants 40AH of charge to be fully charged. I would recommend charging for 1 hour in the morning and check the voltage just before dark or 1 hour before the end of generator hours. If the voltage is 12.5V or below (and it will be), charge for another hour (at minimum). See how that works out for you. Most people that boondock go with around 200AH of batteries and charge twice a day or have solar panels.
Hope this makes some sense and helps you.
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Thank you so much for taking thr time to write this out. It' is very helpful especially being that I am a newbie weekend boondocker. I just installed a USB and voltmeter to keep am eye on the battery.
Did what you said and returned the battery being that I probably damaged it letting it go down to 6.5 volts. And Walmart gave me a bit of a heard time which is surprising but they did replace it. They said they can't replace the battery if thier battery tester shows a good battery which it did. I will share this with my wife so she can be aware of this as well.