House Batteries/Battery Minder

ichn2go · 08-06-2006, 02:19 AM

This may have already been addressed but,

I keep my coach plugged into AC when in the driveway. My House Batteries stay charged and I use a Battery Minder on the Coach Batteries.

Can I use the Battery Minder occasionally to desulphinate the House Batteries while plugged into 30ampAC or unplug first and then use the Battery Minder or not a good idea?? Thanks for your replies. Good Miles

ichn2go · 08-06-2006, 02:19 AM

This may have already been addressed but,

I keep my coach plugged into AC when in the driveway. My House Batteries stay charged and I use a Battery Minder on the Coach Batteries.

Can I use the Battery Minder occasionally to desulphinate the House Batteries while plugged into 30ampAC or unplug first and then use the Battery Minder or not a good idea?? Thanks for your replies. Good Miles

smlranger · 08-06-2006, 02:42 AM

Hey Jim:

John Canfield or one of the other battery experts will hopefully respond but I did read in the manual for my inverter/charger that we can use the 'Equalize' mode to de-sulfate the house batteries. I also use the battery minder on the chassis batteries but wasn't sure it had enough 'umphf' to handle the three house batts.

John_Canfield · 08-06-2006, 08:07 AM

Jim - if you have the Dimensions inverter/charger I think it automatically shifts into an equalization mode after 5 charge cycles or something like that. Equalization is a planned "overcharge" of 15 to 15.5 volts for 3 or 4 hours. The recommendation for equalization is once a month and it shouldn't depend on the number of charge cycles like the Dimensions does.

I don't know what the Battery Minder is - is that an external and portable charger? Does it have a specific equalization setting or option?

Don't think it matters what amperage the coach is plugged into.

smlranger · 08-06-2006, 03:23 PM

John:

Battery Minder:

http://www.rvupgradestore.com/index....ROD&ProdID=306

Little guy is supposed to automatically desulfate batteries. I use one on my chassis batteries and they stay fresh...turn the key and 'vroooom' the CAT starts to purr.

John_Canfield · 08-06-2006, 04:55 PM

Gary - it looks like a nifty device. I have never heard of pulse charging for equalization but apparently it does work (I checked another source). So back to Jim's question... we still don't know if he has a Dimensions inverter/charger. If he does, that will do an equalization charge. I don't remember if you can turn that feature off in the Dimensions. If you can turn it off, I think would just use the Battery Minder to keep the batteries in good shape.

I think my chassis batteries are in sad shape and probably very sulphated. I might just switch them to AGM when it bothers me enough to open the wallet way up

smlranger · 08-06-2006, 05:59 PM

I believe the system in my rig (referred to in the documents as Heart Interface) is Xantrex. I do have to manually tell the system when to start the equalization process.

From the best I can tell, my chassis batteries are the originals...Champion maintenance free. They still seem strong.

ichn2go · 08-06-2006, 11:03 PM

John, I have to tell my system to start equalizing also. I have the Xantrex the same as Gary's.

Nother question, Is equalization and desulphination the same thing? Big words here.

JD Allen · 08-07-2006, 06:19 AM

I wrote to the technical rep at Battery Minder and I asked them if I could run a Battery Minder while my motorhome was plugged in to shore power. Their answer was that it is OK to have a motorhome plugged in to shore power and also have a Battery Minder hooked up and charging the battery.

Right now I have a Battery Minder plugged in but I'm not on shore power. I'm going on a trip this next weekend so I will move the motorhome onto level ground on Wednesday and plug in shore power then.

John_Canfield · 08-07-2006, 08:27 AM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ichn2go:
John, I have to tell my system to start equalizing also. I have the Xantrex the same as Gary's.

Nother question, Is equalization and desulphination the same thing? Big words here. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>A Xantrex - wow! Nice!

Equalization is the action that reduces sulfation. Equalization forces lead sulphate off of the plates and back to the electrolyte solution.

Rapid Ray · 08-07-2006, 11:36 AM

I have been using the Battery Minder on my toad when it is in the garage and not being used. Battery stays fully charged. My motor home chasis battery had a two cells that were marginal, so while camping and hooked to shore power I attached the battery minder. The result of doing this shows that the chasis battery has improved. I wish I had AC power where I store the MH.

Freddy · 08-07-2006, 12:32 PM

I bought a Battery Minder when I had a boat. For several years in a row I had to buy a new battery every summer. I never had to buy another battery after using the Minder for several winters.

Now I use it on the coach and chassis batteries by grounding to one of the hold down clamps, and to the terminal where all three positive cables come together. So far it's worked, and my batteries are at least two years old.

It's been so hot here that I've had to check and add distilled water every week to week and a half. I filled them last week before heading off to AL. We were gone for 5 days. Today - the sixth day since adding water - I had to add more to bring them back up to level.

JD Allen · 08-07-2006, 05:28 PM

OK, I'm home now and I can look up the message I got from the tech rep at Battery Minder.

Here is what he said,

"There is no harm leaving the BatteryMINDer on with another charger,
inverter, alternator, however other chargers should be disconnected when
maintaining the batteries. This gives the desulphation process a chance to
work and will prevent over-charging."

If you want the desulphation process to work you must disconnect other chargers but it will not hurt Battery Minder to leave it connected while another charger, inverter, or alternator is operating.