Battery

[outdoors5]

Thanks for all the past help.  Everyone's input has been great!  Here is the latest issue. :eek:

I tried to charge my battery with a smart charger (Schumacher 2/12/25 amps -recommended on this fourum) and it said the battery was at 80%.  I put it on 12amps and it proceded to go up to 100% within 5 minutes or less; seemed too fast???  A few hours later I rechecked the battery and my charger said the battery was back to 80%.  The smart charger said the battery was at 12.5 volts and a seperate volt meter read 12.52 volts.  I then repeated the charge at 2 amps and the same exact thing happened.  I have since tried this a few more times with the same outcome.

What does this mean?  Is the battery not good or is it ok for short usage?  Is there any other meaning to this?  Is there something else to be done?

[tlhdoc]

Was it cold out?  Over the winter when I top off my batteries (kept in the house and put outside to charge) I never get a full charge.

[outdoors5]

Yes it is cold here in New England.  At night it is below freezing with 15 inches of snow on the ground.  Day times are high 30's outside.  However, the battery is stored and charged in the garage which is above freezing but ceratainly not heated.  Is 80% charge normal in these conditions?

[mike4947]

Best way is to take the battery to a local auto parts store and have it checked out.

Temperature does make a difference in battery capacity, but I'm thinking if the battery is original to the trailer which would make it between 5 & 6 years old it might be time to replace it. The store will tell you.

[tlhdoc]

Yes it is cold here in New England. At night it is below freezing with 15 inches of snow on the ground. Day times are high 30's outside. However, the battery is stored and charged in the garage which is above freezing but ceratainly not heated. Is 80% charge normal in these conditions?

I think it is just the cold.  My batteries are in the house stored above 60 degrees F, and when I put them outside on the back porch to charge them over the winter they do not show a full charge.  In the spring with when things warm up they show a full charge.  I do go back and do a slow charge after the charger does the more powerful charge, just to max the charge out.

[wavery]

I do agree that the temp is probably why you are experiencing a lower rate of full charge. However, you might want to invest in a hydrometer.

That is a tool that will really help you understand what is going on inside your battery. Remember, your 12v battery is really made up of 6- 2v batteries that are all connected together. If one of those 6 - 2v cells is bad, it will draw down the other cells.

The hydrometer will give you a health report on each cell, individually.

http://www.rpc.com.au/reindex.html?http://www.rpc.com.au/products/batteries/accessories/hydrometer/hydrometer_faq.html

[SpeakEasy]

The responses of some here have caused me to have a question of my own.

Should I avoid charging my battery indoors? Whassup with that?

[chasd60]

The battery will give off poisonous/explosive hydrogen gas while charging and charging in a living space is not recommended. If you are charging the battery in a 70 degree room, then the voltage measurements should be taken at the same temp. A good smart charger will also have temperature compensation and charge at a higher voltage when the charger and batteries are both cold.
 
My B&D charger has temperature compensation, battery recondition mode and equalization mode. The recondition mode uses high frequency pulses to break up any sulfation that has formed on the plates. The equalization mode helps "boil" the electrolyte and keeps the concentration equal throughout the cell.
 
My recondition mode runs for 24hrs then the charger drops back into float mode.
 
I picked mine up at WalMart but the HUSKY brand at Home Depot is the same and they are both made by Vector. My smart Schumacher charger is now my standby charger because the new one is a little smarter.

[GemmySan]

chasd60,

Would you please provide the model number of the charger you found at WM.  My present charger died and I'm looking for something.

Thanks

[wavery]

chasd60,

Would you please provide the model number of the charger you found at WM.  My present charger died and I'm looking for something.

Thanks

You might want to check this out, if you are an eBayer:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=6018436168&ssPageName=MERC_VIC_ReBay_Pr4_PcY_BIN_Stores_IT

I've purchased 2 from this guy. They are both brand new in a sealed box and both check out perfectly.

[GemmySan]

Thanks for the tip.  I'll definitely look into that.  

[chasd60]

chasd60,
 
Would you please provide the model number of the charger you found at WM. My present charger died and I'm looking for something.
 
Thanks

These are the Black and Decker chargers at WalMart. I got the 2/10/25A Charger with a 75A boost. You might want to check them out. They have some with lower charging values as well. Like I said, they have them for less at Home Depot with the Husky brand name. I would just get one from Home Depot if I were to do it over.
They look like the image below except with the Black and Decker colors at Walmart. The chargers from Ebay are the same as the Schumacher chargers at WalMart. The difference those and the B&D is that you do not have equalization mode and you cannot manually invoke the recondition mode with the SpeedCharge or Schumacher.

[GemmySan]

Thank you for the info chasd60.  I think I will take a look at all the different models and make a decision.  I appreciate everyones responses.