Re: (ET) battery drainage question

["David Roden" <etpost drmm net>]

Uh-oh, here comes the sermon. ;-)

I've said before on this list that I think battery maintainers do more 
harm 
than good, and this is an example.  A regulated, temperature-compensated 
float charger is better for this purpose than the Landis controller, IMO, 
but it will still cause some water loss and grid corrosion.

If you're not checking a flooded battery regularly, you shouldn't leave it 
connected to a charger.  And if you're checking regularly, it there's no 
need to leave it connected, because you can charge it when it really needs 
it.

That's less frequently than you think, certainly not daily or weekly.  
Unlike an automobile, nothing on an ET draws current when the main switch 
is 
off.  Self discharge is not that huge, perhaps 5-10% per month for flooded 
golf car batteries.  I've used some that had much less than that; it 
depends 
on how much antimony they use in the grids.

How much harm will that cause?  Well, let me ask you, how long do you 
suppose that battery sat on the shelf at the manufacturer, warehouse, and 
dealer before you bought it? Yes, it's best to use a battery regularly, 
and 
charge it fully, but leaving it idle is not as bad as some people believe.

Keep your batteries clean, cool, and dry, and they can sit for a month or 
two without serious loss of charge.  Check them with a hydrometer monthly. 
 
When (if) it says they're at 75-80% SOC or so, just turn on the charger 
for 
a few hours.


David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA

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