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Old 12-30-2018, 09:02 AM   #1
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Battery Sulfation

My 4 year old house batteries (4) are sulfating. I keep 50 amp power plugged in at all times while in the garage. Haven’t used the motorhome in 3 months. I am puzzled as to why they are sulfating.

How do I de-sulfate them?

Don
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Old 12-30-2018, 09:11 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by akadeadeye View Post
My 4 year old house batteries (4) are sulfating. I keep 50 amp power plugged in at all times while in the garage. Haven’t used the motorhome in 3 months. I am puzzled as to why they are sulfating.

How do I de-sulfate them?

Don
I thought batteries are only good for 4-5 yrs. Isn't it time you changed them out? JMHO
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Old 12-30-2018, 09:14 AM   #3
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Don,

You most likely have a bad converter/charger. It may not be old, but may have been bad when installed. I just replaced 11yo house bank and only because I was worried. Look Up Progressive Dynamics 94XX smart units or Iota (and I don't remember their series), these both have a part of their cycle that punches the bank so this does not happen, and they will never over charge (another killer) the bank that they are taking care of while you are sitting still.

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Old 12-30-2018, 09:15 AM   #4
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Sulfating happens inside the batteries, between the plates. You can't see it. A equalise routine run from your Inverter/charger could help with that.

If your talking about corrosion on the terminals, that can be from failing batteries causing overcharging or just overcharging due to improper inverter/charger settings.

What voltage are the batteries sitting at, while plugged in ? More then 13.2 to 13.4 will cause gassing.

The float voltage can be adjusted. If its set properly, the BTS or battery temp sensor could be acting up.

An actual voltage reading is the first step.
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Old 12-30-2018, 11:03 AM   #5
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Once batteries are sulfated, it is almost impossible to remove the sulfation. The only way to prevent sulfation is to keep the batteries fully charged and do an equalization charge once a month.
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Old 12-31-2018, 09:06 PM   #6
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Sulfating happens inside the batteries, between the plates. You can't see it. A equalise routine run from your Inverter/charger could help with that.

If your talking about corrosion on the terminals, that can be from failing batteries causing overcharging or just overcharging due to improper inverter/charger settings.

What voltage are the batteries sitting at, while plugged in ? More then 13.2 to 13.4 will cause gassing.

The float voltage can be adjusted. If its set properly, the BTS or battery temp sensor could be acting up.

An actual voltage reading is the first step.
I totally agree! Another cause of overcharging/ battery corrosion is inadequate liquid in cells. Liquid level must cover the plates, and should be up to the split-ring below the cell cap. If the battery ends are bulged, batteries are shot, time to buy new.
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Old 12-31-2018, 09:36 PM   #7
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Equalize. Check charger settings against battery specs. Ensure only distilled water. Dont overfill or let go low in water.
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