Question for the inverter pros

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NV_

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I have a 16 battery bank (6V) connected to a Trace 3.?k inverter. The batteries are about 4.5 years old and have taken a beating but have been nothing but dependable.

Unfortunately, the last few days, the inverter hasnt been able to "stop charging" the batteries causing them to overheat and let off a lot of fumes. I have been manually shutting off the inverter to stop them from completely dying from overcharge. I have removed every single cable and made sure the terminals on them and the batteries are clean and in good shape but the inverter keeps "charging" even after the batteries are fully charged (doesnt even enter float mode)...

I know my batteries are most likely "dying" (and not showing enough amperage to the charger for it to stop on its own) but I would like to ask someone who knows exactly how the trace inverter charger works, how do I set the inverter to expect a lower amperage/voltage so that it can switch off automatically?

I dont plan on being in the country for more than a year so I would like to make them last that time without anymore added investment.

BTW, I did try using EDTA (the imported kind) a few months back but didnt notice any improvement, then this happened...
 

Andy B

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Old and Tired

Sounds to me as if the batteries have sulphated from age and prolonged useage and have then shorted out the bottoms of the plates with lead sediment. This will create a situation where the charger will continually charge the batteries as this dead short situation drains the batteries very rapidly. You can try draining all the acid from the batteries and washing them out with a waterhose (high pressure stream is best) and refilling them with new acid. You'll get a little more use from them but I'd replace them. It's time.
 

NV_

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Thanks for the quick reply!

Some cells in a couple of the batteries do seem to be in far worse shape (from visual inspection) than the others.

Is there a way to figure out if a battery is "shorted" (multimeter, applying a load, etc) so that I can remove those batteries from the bank?
 
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Rocky

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NV_ said:
Thanks for the quick reply!

Some cells in a couple of the batteries do seem to be in far worse shape (from visual inspection) than the others.

Is there a way to figure out if a battery is "shorted" (multimeter, applying a load, etc) so that I can remove those batteries from the bank?
There comes a time, even after using EDTA, that batteries come to the end of their lives, and you no doubt need new ones.
You may be able be able to cheat a while longer by turning the charge rate down a bit and setting the total amperage of your collective batteries down to the minimum, so as to fool the inverter into expecting less amperage, but I believe the switching system that turns the charger rate down, as the batteries charge up, is more based on voltage tham amperage.
Call MrMike for good deals on new batteries.
 

AZB

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Jan 2, 2002
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Mr.Mike has some nice high quality batteries for cheaper price. Here is a secret: they are made by trojan but cost only 60 dollars / unit as compared to batteries that say trojan on the label and costing 90 dollars / unit.
Mr.mike's store is right on top of American Airlines office in santiago on Av. bartolome Colon. Please send him a PM.
AZB
 

Andy B

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Electrical shorts create heat

It's real easy to tell which cells/batteries are shorted: they get hot when being charged due to the direct short across the bottom of the plates. You can't see that far down into the cells, but if the top of the plates that you can see look corroded and worn you can bet the bottoms are as bad or worse.

With your batteries being as old as they are it's best just to replace them and not fool around with the washing and new acid trick unless you're desparate and can not get replacements.
 

NV_

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Thanks, by the looks of it at least half of my 16 battery bank is shorted out... would reducing my bank to 8, help those other 8 batteries that are clinging on to life, last longer? Spending another 500USD on this inverter would definitely put ME out of my misery... lol

Are there any other ways to determine which batteries are shorted other than by touch?
 

Andy B

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Won't hold a charge

Those that are shorted won't hold a charge nor handle a load. They will also be lower on water than the good batteries. Although feeling the heat is a reliable method, the only way to tell for sure is to invert and drain them. Those that are badly worn will have a grayish-red looking sediment drain out when you wash them with the hose. By removing the bad batteries from the system you will prolong the life of the other batteries as they won't be pounded to death by the inverter trying to charge the system with the old batteries still in it.

By the way, it goes without saying that the shorted batteries are pulling the system down rapidly as they soak up amperage from the good batteries. Remove them and the system should function much better and last longer between charges.
 

Rocky

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221 said:
is true sine to inverter users?
As important as owning a Rolls Royce, rather than Honda Accord, and the price reflects it.
Some electric and electronic devices do not operate perfectly with regular inverters. The most common symptom being the buzz you hear in fans, as the motors do not react well to the square waves.
You might have buzzes in stereo equipment, tape decks can be prone as well, but for the most part, one does not notice the difference on other equipment.
If you're filthy rich and want the very best, go for it.
Otherwise, just owning a decent inverter system is luxury enough.
 
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