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Old 08-24-2013, 07:41 AM   #1
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6V house batteries are deformed after 6 months use!!

We have a new-to-us 2003 HR Endeavor 38 PST diesel.
We installed four new 6V sealed house batteries (from Sams Club, I think they are Deltas) about 7 months ago -- the service date on them was about 6 months prior to that.

I run the generator 3-4 hours every 6 weeks or so to keep everything charged. I also had the coach plugged into our house for about 5 months continuously.

Well, I happened to look at the batteries yesterday, and the tops of the batteries are WAVY -- they are deformed, as though something is going wrong with them inside.

The chassis batteries (2-12V, also new and the sealed type, different brand) are NOT deformed. They were replaced at the same time as the house batteries.

What is going on?
Is this bad?
Should I bring them back for replacement?
Is there a problem with my charger?

Appreciate any advice. We're planning on taking a shake-down trip, and I certainly don't want this kind of a problem.
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Old 08-24-2013, 07:47 AM   #2
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Any pics would help.
Was the battery fluid low? If so, they may have cooked.
What do they meter at?
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Old 08-24-2013, 08:10 AM   #3
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Sounds like over charge I would check the wiring of the battery banks to make sure that it is correct as I have them hooked together wrong.
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Old 08-24-2013, 08:12 AM   #4
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correct the last to read I have seen them hooked up wrong.
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Old 08-24-2013, 08:17 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by CampDaven View Post
Any pics would help.
Was the battery fluid low? If so, they may have cooked.
What do they meter at?

Sounds like over charge I would check the wiring of the battery banks to make sure that it is correct as I have them hooked together wrong.
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These are sealed batteries, so can't check fluid level.
When I would check the voltmeter in the coach, the house batteries would read about 13.4V, and the chassis batteries about 12.8. They never read near 14V.

I will get out there and take pics to post.

Regarding hookups, I took a picture of the old battery wiring before I unhooked them, and I replaced the new batteries using the pictures as a reference. However, it still is possible that I done-did it wrong. I will recheck. Is there a convenient diagram for me to follow? (It's four-6V batteries.)

Thanks.
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Old 08-24-2013, 09:28 AM   #6
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batteriesinaflash.com/wiring-your-battery-bank-in-series-parallel-and-series-parallel

This should help
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Old 08-24-2013, 09:57 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wb7auk View Post
batteriesinaflash.com/wiring-your-battery-bank-in-series-parallel-and-series-parallel

This should help
Thanks Art.
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Old 08-26-2013, 10:51 PM   #8
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Quote:
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Thanks Art.
real fast check. treat as two sets of two batteries we will call them battery A and battery B


each set has negative post of battery A going to positive post of battery B .

Set 1 positive post of Battery A will connect to Set 2 positive post of Battery A
Set 1 Negative post of Battery B will connect to Set 2 Negative post of battery B

The Coach positive cable will connect to one of the sets Positive terminal on Battery A

The Coach negative cable will connect to one of the sets Negative Terminal on Battery B

see clear as mud
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Old 08-27-2013, 05:13 AM   #9
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Yep, the batteries are hooked up correctly.
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Old 08-27-2013, 07:21 AM   #10
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The first thing I noticed is you said they were sealed. Are these 6v deep cycle AGMs? If not, never heard of a sealed 6v deep cycle before.

At 13.4v under charge, things seems normal. The real test would be to remove them from charging and load for about 4 hours, then see if they will hold at 12.6v, which is a fully charged battery at rest.

Of course since they are almost new, a trip back to the dealer is in order for them to look at and load test.
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Old 08-27-2013, 09:31 AM   #11
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The first thing I noticed is you said they were sealed. Are these 6v deep cycle AGMs? If not, never heard of a sealed 6v deep cycle before.

At 13.4v under charge, things seems normal. The real test would be to remove them from charging and load for about 4 hours, then see if they will hold at 12.6v, which is a fully charged battery at rest.

Of course since they are almost new, a trip back to the dealer is in order for them to look at and load test.
J&C,
Yes, they are 6V deep cycle AGMs.

I have removed them from charge and load for several days (I turn off the main switches) when I leave the MH (it's on a storage lot). They appear unchanged when I return.

I'm nopt sure of the expertise at Sam's Club -- the staff seem to be more of the Salesmen-type, rather than knowledgeable about batteries. They can only tell me what batteries I can use, based on the model/year of truck or car. With RVs, they don't have a clue.
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Old 08-27-2013, 10:18 AM   #12
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Is the charger set to charge AGM batteries?
The reason I ask is if not the charger will be over charging them.
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Old 08-27-2013, 03:07 PM   #13
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Quote:
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Is the charger set to charge AGM batteries?
The reason I ask is if not the charger will be over charging them.
I did set it to AGM when I installed them. HOWEVER, i'll have to recheck, as I got some instructions from a snotty-kid-technician from Xantrex one time, who instructed me on setting from the inside panel -- and to "disregard anything else anyone might have told me..." I think I even wrote down his name.

Will check about AGM setting.
Thanks.
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Old 08-28-2013, 02:47 AM   #14
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Just curious here. For some reason I thought that agm batteries come with a chart for how much voltage to charge with and something about maintaining the correct temp for them. Could you have overcharged them. I believe that one of the symptoms of not charging correctly is they lose their ability to hold a charge.

Your sams carries sealed AGM batteries in 6 volt for golf carts that must be cool ours only carry the regular golf cart batteries that are non sealed
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