Longevity, Care and Maintenance of your Battery
Temperature affects battery performance and life span. Higher temperatures increase a battery’s storage capacity but decrease longevity. Lower temperatures prolong the battery’s life but decrease its performance. A battery that delivers 100 percent capacity at 80 degrees Fahrenheit will provide only 60 percent capacity at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, and voltage will drop to 12.2 volts, reducing the battery’s performance.
The most common cause of lead-acid battery failure is sulfation. Sulfation is the formation of sulfate crystals on a battery’s lead plate that occurs slowly over time as the battery undergoes numerous charge and discharge cycles. The rate of sulfation greatly increases if a battery is overcharged, undercharged, stored in a discharged state, or the electrolyte level drops below the top of the lead plate, exposing the plates to air. Proper conditioning of a battery immediately after discharge will help minimize sulfation.
The electrolyte level in a flooded battery should be maintained to prevent sulfation. How quickly a battery loses water depends on how many charge and discharge cycles it undergoes, charge rate and how deep the state of discharge. Generally, battery electrolyte levels should be checked once a month. Batteries should be completely charged before maintenance begins because the electrolyte level changes depending on the level of charge.
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How a battery is charged plays a key role in maximizing its life. Trailer batteries are charged by the trailer’s electrical converter/charger applying DC current. Some converter/chargers use single-stage charging, which provides a single constant voltage to the battery.
Single-stage charging is slow and may cause overcharging or undercharging, decreasing a battery’s life. Multistage chargers, sometimes called smart chargers, use three or four stages with varying voltages or amperages to charge and maintain batteries. Multistage charging is faster than single-stage and is capable of charging batteries to their maximum capacity without overcharging.
Once batteries are charged, a maintenance charge keeps them topped off. Some multistage chargers have an equalizing cycle that applies high voltage at a low amperage to help remove sulfation from the battery plates and make sure all the batteries’ cells are equally charged.
When performing wet-cell battery maintenance, make sure the area is well ventilated, and wear rubber gloves and goggles. Begin by removing the battery’s vent caps. Each battery cell should be filled to 1⁄8 inch below the plastic vent tubes. Avoid overfilling the batteries, which might cause the electrolyte to overflow. Only distilled water should be used. Tap water contains dissolved minerals and impurities that can coat the plates and inhibit the chemical reaction that normally occurs in a battery, resulting in decreased performance and a shortened battery life.
Battery terminals should be cleaned to remove corrosion. Start by removing the negative cable, followed by the positive cable. A mixture of one cup of baking soda and one gallon of water or a commercial spray-on terminal cleaner can be used. An old toothbrush or a small, stiff wire brush is useful for scrubbing. If a spray cleaner is used, follow the instructions on the can. After cleaning, rinse the terminals with water and reconnect the positive terminal, followed by the negative terminal. Then seal with a battery-terminal sealant spray, available at auto-parts stores, to deter future corrosion.
As an alternative to manually removing vent caps and filling each cell, watering systems are available from companies such as Trojan and Flow-Rite. These systems allow remote filling of all batteries from a single hose without overfilling. This can be a real time-saver, especially if reaching the battery caps is difficult.
Trailer owners often overlook proper off-season storage of batteries. If the trailer’s shorepower cord is plugged into an electrical outlet and is equipped with a multistage charger, the batteries will be kept properly charged and require only periodic fluid-level checks. Most OEM converter-chargers will provide only a float charge, which will not condition batteries properly. If it is not possible to keep the trailer plugged in, the batteries should be kept fully charged, removed from the trailer and stored in a cool, dry place. This is particularly important in cold climates where a discharged battery is likely to freeze.
Batteries in storage must still be maintained. Lead-acid batteries will discharge over time, even if they are not being used. The rate of self-discharge depends on the batteries’ design and the temperature. Flooded batteries have higher self-discharge rates than VRLA batteries. Higher temperatures increase self-discharge, which is why batteries should be stored in a cool place.
The Battery Council International recommends that batteries in storage be given a freshening charge if voltage drops below 12.4 volts for a 12-volt battery or 6.2 volts for a 6-volt battery. Battery voltage can be checked with a multimeter set to DC volts or with a hydrometer (see “Battery Testing” on page 39). Batteries should be given a full charge immediately after they are reinstalled on a trailer.
Maintenance chargers keep batteries charged while in storage and are simple to use. Just plug the charger into a household outlet and connect the charge cables to the battery terminals. Like the charger in your RV, maintenance chargers are available as either a constant-voltage charger or a multistage charger. Multistage charging ensures that batteries are fully charged without overcharging.
Lead-acid batteries are the heart of an RV’s 12-volt DC electrical system, and with proper care and maintenance should provide years of service.
Source: www.trailerlife.com