Alternative Power sources - battery not taking a charge

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battery not taking a charge

Bill Wilson

2005-11-24, 11:21 am

I have a 12-volt Interstate deep-cycle battery I use for an electric
fence charger.
I charge the battery with a 6-amp trickle charger every few weeks. The
battery has never shown below 12.5 volts prior to charging. I tried to
charge last night, and it didn't gain anything. Voltmeter shows 12.75
and hydrometer is showing less than that. Battery is less than 6 months
old. What can I do and what could have been done better?

2005-11-24, 12:21 pm

Bill Wilson wrote:
> I have a 12-volt Interstate deep-cycle battery I use for an electric
> fence charger.
> I charge the battery with a 6-amp trickle charger every few weeks. The
> battery has never shown below 12.5 volts prior to charging. I tried to
> charge last night, and it didn't gain anything. Voltmeter shows 12.75
> and hydrometer is showing less than that. Battery is less than 6 months
> old. What can I do and what could have been done better?

Well, remember the old troublshooter's law:

"Always Start With the Stupid Stuff".

Have you checked out your battery charger? What voltage and amperage is
it putting out now? Might be that it can't do the job...

Remember, too, that it's alot colder now than it was six months ago,
and even a "few weeks ago" during your last charging sesson. Was the
battery warm when you tried to charge it?

DJ

samc

2005-11-24, 7:21 pm

Bill Wilson

2005-11-24, 8:21 pm

samc wrote:

>
> the last time I had this prob the charger had blown a diode . check the
> output from the charger .

Charger is putting out 6 amps, 13.5 volts.............

nospam.clare.nce@sny.der.on.ca

2005-11-24, 11:21 pm

On Thu, 24 Nov 2005 17:35:25 -0600, Bill Wilson
<mrbillwilson@hotmail.com> wrote:

>samc wrote:
>
>
>Charger is putting out 6 amps, 13.5 volts.............

IF the charger is putting out 6 amps of current at 13.5 volts the
battery IS taking a charge. That's what is absorbing the 6 amps. The
charging voltage should come up higher than 13.5 - usually to over
14.2 when the battery reaches full charge. If the battery is a 90 amp
hr unit, at 6 amps it takes all of 15 hours to recharge. Sinse a 6 amp
charger will taper off as the charge comes up, particularly if the
voltage does not get above 13.5, it will take SIGNIFICANTLY longer to
reach a full charge.

JoeSP

2005-11-25, 11:21 am

"Bill Wilson" <mrbillwilson@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:dm5ir701o0b@enews2.newsguy.com...
> samc wrote:
>
>
> Charger is putting out 6 amps, 13.5 volts.............

More stupid stuff to check: is the output DC or AC? If it's AC, that's a
blown diode rectifier.

Nick Hull

2005-11-26, 6:21 pm

In article <1132848707.116730.199350@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com>,
"DJ" <dj_macintyre@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Bill Wilson wrote:
>
> Well, remember the old troublshooter's law:
>
> "Always Start With the Stupid Stuff".
>
> Have you checked out your battery charger? What voltage and amperage is
> it putting out now? Might be that it can't do the job...
>
> Remember, too, that it's alot colder now than it was six months ago,
> and even a "few weeks ago" during your last charging sesson. Was the
> battery warm when you tried to charge it?
>
> DJ
>

Another 'stupid' thing, many chargers are switchable 6/12 volt. Check
the switch.

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