Hermit Posted December 26, 2016 Report Share Posted December 26, 2016 Hi all, Looks like I might have a faulty battery. Just over 12 months ago we replaced all 3 120aH AGM's with "AmpTech" brand batteries. The eLite is showing a declining SOC whilst batteries are on the 240v charger, volts are showing about 12.9v (they are usually over 13.2v). I don't want to change all 3 again, only after 13 months, I would assume that only one of the batteries is faulty. Question:- Can I replace only one battery with a different "Brand", i.e. same 120ah capacity and also AGM, but a different Brand? Is this ok to do? Thanks in advance for any advice Rob Currently in Hahndorf Tourist Resort, near Adelaide. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyH Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 Hi Rob, Can I suggest you get in touch with fellow member Chris and Val Marts, they are/reside in the Barossa area. They have just had extensive work done to their electrics by a wiz bang sparky......somewhere near them. He will be able to test and identify the 'faulty' battery and be able to advise you from there. it is a pity you have a problem, when you have replaced all the batteries recently. There is a fair chance Chris will see this post and respond to you directly. Travel safe & happy new year ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcan Posted December 28, 2016 Report Share Posted December 28, 2016 Rob, the key thing is replacing it with the same type and capacity of battery; brand should not be an issue. Your charging system is probably set up for a particular type of battery - in this case the AGM and set for 120 ah. Yes, different batteries have different charging requirements. Having said that - talk to an expert as well! Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 We are only half an hour away from Hahndorf! The expert we have just used is at nearby Mannum. T1 Lithium, Terry Covill 0414 819 826. He is an incredibly knowledgeable and helpful bloke and would advise what the go is. But from our experience it is fine to swap brands. Lord only knows we did it a few times. Have a couple of still very good 120 ah batteries sitting in the shed just come out of our Top Ender after the new lithiums were installed! chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyH Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 Hi Chris, Thanks for the reply, hopefully Rod will be able to make contact with Terry at this crazy time of the year! The batteries you have in your shed....... I hope you have them sitting 'off' the floor? Batteries, do not like sitting on concrete floors.......(just in case you or Val didn't know ?) Cheers and happy new year ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted December 30, 2016 Report Share Posted December 30, 2016 I hope Val already knows this! I will tell him. ? .We are only half an hour away from Hahndorf! The expert we have just used is at nearby Mannum. T1 Lithium, Terry Covill 0414 819 826. He is an incredibly knowledgeable and helpful bloke and would advise what the go is. But from our experience it is fine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Posted December 31, 2016 Report Share Posted December 31, 2016 18 hours ago, TonyH said: The batteries you have in your shed....... I hope you have them sitting 'off' the floor? Batteries, do not like sitting on concrete floors.......(just in case you or Val didn't know ?) Cheers and happy new year ? I have done some checking and apparently this is not so any longer. I have found the following advice: Several folks have told me not to let batteries sit on concrete. Why is that? Is it because the cold concrete would cool the battery too much? Steen Hvidd - Dolan Springs, Arizona Your question is a frequent one. Many people have the impression that when batteries sit on concrete, energy "leaks out" or they are ruined. The short answer is that letting modern batteries sit on concrete does not harm or discharge them in any way. However, this legend is historically based in fact. The first lead-acid batteries consisted of glass cells that were enclosed in tar-lined wooden boxes. A damp concrete floor could cause the wood to swell, breaking the glass inside. The Edison cell (i.e. the nickel-iron battery) that preceded the rubber-cased battery was encased in steel. Those that weren't isolated in crates would discharge into concrete quite easily. Later battery cases used primitive hardened rubber, which was somewhat porous and could contain lots of carbon. A moist concrete floor combined with the carbon in the battery cases could create electrical current between the cells, discharging them. None of this is a problem with modern batteries — safe in their hard plastic shells. In fact, concrete is generally an excellent surface on which to place a battery bank. The electrolyte in a battery sitting on an extremely cold floor with very hot air around it could stratify, causing damage from sulfation; whereas concrete provides good thermal mass to buffer any temporarily extreme temperatures in the battery compartment. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyH Posted December 31, 2016 Report Share Posted December 31, 2016 Great detective work Chris and Val, A day you don't learn something new is a day wasted......so they say! Happy new year to all....stay safe??????? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blinky Bill Posted December 31, 2016 Report Share Posted December 31, 2016 Further to Chris and Val's post; http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/battery.asp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyH Posted December 31, 2016 Report Share Posted December 31, 2016 Hi John, Thanks for the post,I'm certainly up to speed now re battery storage. Happy new year?????? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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