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electrical:batterycide

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Battery murder

Battery murder (or Batterycide) is the murder of batteries by newbs (new users), poor quality chargers, etc. The term is commonly used by SternWake: “my goal here is to prevent batterycide.”1)

It is so common for new RVers to wreck their first set of house batteries that some recommend using cheap Costco golf cart 6v batteries as sacrificial lambs to the learning process.2) As the RVers learns more they would invest in better quality batteries.

murdering flooded lead-acid

Flooded lead-acid (FLA) batteries are generally robust but they can be killed.

  • leaving them at partial state of charge, resulting in irreversible sulfation
  • discharging too deeply. Maximum discharge should be 50% depth of discharge.
  • allowing the cells to get low on distilled water. Check them 1x/month or so until you learn their personality.

murdering AGM

AGM have benefits but are easier to murder.

  • overvoltage
    • Incorrect Absorption setpoints. AGM is commonly Absorped at ⇐ 14.4v while FLA is commonly Absorped higher (at 14.7v-14.8v). Check your manufacturer's recommendation and do not exceed it. Overvoltage causes irrepairable damage by outgassing, and AGM cannot be topped off again like FLA.
    • Equalization. Do not equalize AGM!3).
  • the lead-acid list above

murdering lithium

  • overvoltage. 13.8v is a safe upper limit and will charge the bank completely. Some experienced folk use slightly higher voltages for faster charging but it must be terminated quickly as the bank approaches 100% state of charge.
  • long periods of 100% state of charge; cease all charging at 100% and only charge that high if you know some loads will be applied immediately. Lithium chemistries do not care about partial state of charge so use that to your advantage.
  • exposure to high heat
  • attempting to charge at below freezing
  • poor quality BMS
  • high [dis]charge rates without BMS
electrical/batterycide.1505143570.txt.gz · Last modified: 2020/10/11 19:48 (external edit)