Which battery maintainer out of two?

[2515R Dude]

Another question:
I have two chargers/maintainers.
The first one after connecting pretends to disulfate, charge and after it charged the battery to 100% it keeps constantly fluctuating from 13.4V to 13.55V non stop.
The second one does the same but after charging the battery to 100% at ~13.5V it slowly drops to 12.7V and stays there forever.

Which one do you think is a good charger and behaves correctly for winter/long time maintainer?

 

[5030]

Not a clue but I use both 'Battery Tenders' and Yuasa tenders.

Far as I'm concerned that desulfation stuff is phooey anyway.

Plate sulfation is a natural occurrence in ANY flooded cell or AGM battery and the prime reason why batteries fail because as the sulfation increases on the plates, they loose their ability to store the electrical charge and ultimately, the sulfation that does flake of the plates, drops to the bottom of the case and eventually shorts the plates and causes the battery to fail (and why battery manufacturers design the case with a space at the bottom so the sulfate can collect without shorting the plates).

I don't buy into the desulfation stuff one bit.

 

[LittleBill21]

13.2 is the proper float voltage for most batteries.

 

[2515R Dude]

13.2 is the proper float voltage for most batteries.

So, the first one is the correct one and the second is just a fake advertisement?

 

[LittleBill21]

no its prolly a manufacturing issue, I would use the second one, but throw the battery on a equalize charge when you plan to use it

 

[2515R Dude]

no its prolly a manufacturing issue, I would use the second one, but throw the battery on a equalize charge when you plan to use it

The reason i asked all those questions here, i know nothing about the subject, so, please be patient with me.

Second one is producing only 12.7V contrarily to what you say 13.2V is better. Also, it fluctuating, in my understanding it is the floating charge which is whole gimmick, isn't it?

However, i have concern if leaving the battery the whole winter under fluctuating 13.4v-13.55V would all the electrolyte evaporate?

 

[LittleBill21]

The reason i asked all those questions here, i know nothing about the subject, so, please be patient with me.

Second one is producing only 12.7V contrarily to what you say 13.2V is better. Also, it fluctuating, in my understanding it is the floating charge which is whole gimmick, isn't it?

However, i have concern if leaving the battery the whole winter under fluctuating 13.4v-13.55V would all the electrolyte evaporate?

13.4 should not be a issue, I would check the water, but that voltage should not cause gasing.

float charge means a certain voltage level, which is a reduced voltage from the charging level, to reduce the amount of water lost in the battery. This is not a gimmick,

the pulsing during a desulfating cycle is questionable how effective it is in keeping the plates clean, again i would use both, 12.7 is still better then nothing.

 

[Cycledude]

Have you load tested the battery ?
I suspect your battery might be going bad.
I am a firm believer in chargers with built in desulfurization mode.
Exactly what chargers do you have ?

 

[2515R Dude]

13.4 should not be a issue, I would check the water, but that voltage should not cause gasing.

float charge means a certain voltage level, which is a reduced voltage from the charging level, to reduce the amount of water lost in the battery. This is not a gimmick,

the pulsing during a desulfating cycle is questionable how effective it is in keeping the plates clean, again i would use both, 12.7 is still better then nothing.

Ok, let me summarize what i understood and correct me if i'm wrong again.
1. Both chargers are good but the first one with 13.4v-13.55V is slightly better
2. The fluctuation in the maintenance stage has questionable benefits but does not have any ill effect on a battery.
3. Both of them safe to leave connected for long period of time like 6 month while my boat is not used or tractor when not used for long time

Have you load tested the battery ?
I suspect your battery might be going bad.
I am a firm believer in chargers with built in desulfurization mode.

Yes i have, all of them 100% good, the oldest one is less than 4 YO, the rest are from 6 month old to 2YO. I have 12 of them in all my machines.

The reason i ask all the question, previously i had only two chargers and in the OFF time every first of the month i was running among my batteries charging them. It became old very quick when i got more and more toys, so i started buying chargers and noticed all of them perform differently, i connect a simple voltmeter to monitor the progress.
Hence the questions, which way is the right way.

 

[LittleBill21]

1 yes
2 fluctuation is a non issue.
3 yes its fine, but always check the water after several months to get a base pattern on/if there is water loss.

 

[2515R Dude]

1 yes
2 fluctuation is a non issue.
3 yes its fine, but always check the water after several months to get a base pattern on/if there is water loss.

Great. Thanks

One more, if the electrolyte level is low should I add acid or distilled water?

 

[LittleBill21]

Great. Thanks

One more, if the electrolyte level is low should I add acid or distilled water?

water

 

[tomterr17]

Another question:
I have two chargers/maintainers.
The first one after connecting pretends to disulfate, charge and after it charged the battery to 100% it keeps constantly fluctuating from 13.4V to 13.55V non stop.
The second one does the same but after charging the battery to 100% at ~13.5V it slowly drops to 12.7V and stays there forever.

Which one do you think is a good charger and behaves correctly for winter/long time maintainer?

I have always used a CETK, MKS 5.0 for my JD 4310 (cold weather model), it's a little more money but I also have five other units (different models) for other vehicles and never had a problem with any of them. Cars (older car ,sports car), zero turn mower, 4wheeler, back up generator. Paul C.

 

[wb3czi]

Not a clue but I use both 'Battery Tenders' and Yuasa tenders.

Far as I'm concerned that desulfation stuff is phooey anyway.

Plate sulfation is a natural occurrence in ANY flooded cell or AGM battery and the prime reason why batteries fail because as the sulfation increases on the plates, they loose their ability to store the electrical charge and ultimately, the sulfation that does flake of the plates, drops to the bottom of the case and eventually shorts the plates and causes the battery to fail (and why battery manufacturers design the case with a space at the bottom so the sulfate can collect without shorting the plates).

I don't buy into the desulfation stuff one bit.

I worked for the Navy for decades dealing with large flooded cell batteries - you can almost DOUBLE the life of a battery by using EDTA. It's able to dissolve the sulphate and return it to metalic lead. It works so well that BMW includes it in the electrolyte in their new motorcycle batteries (which get forgotten over the winter.) You MUST dissolve the powder in distilled water then ad an ounce or two of the solution to each cell as EDTA will not dissolve in an acidic environment.

 

[5030]

I have no idea what EDTA is????

Actually I do now. I went on a reading spree and found out and all the scientific articles I read stated the effects of the addition of EDTA are at best temporary and are best uses in older flooded cell batteries where sulfation is pronounced and..

There is a more widely accepted and more readily available alternative...

Epsom Salt dissolved in hot distilled water and added to the existing electrolyte in a flooded cell battery.

Again, interestingly, all the scientific papers I read, they all claimed the effects of EDTA or Epsom Salts were temporary at best.

 

[ritcheyvs]

In my experience, "Battery Minder" is the best maintainer/slow-charger. Periodically, Northern Tool has a good sale price.
I use these on all vehicle batteries that are dormant. In most cases I permanently install the "pigtail" to the battery to facilitate connecting. In my tractor for example it pokes out so I can connect the maintainer without opening the hood.

 

[wb3czi]

I have no idea what EDTA is????

Actually I do now. I went on a reading spree and found out and all the scientific articles I read stated the effects of the addition of EDTA are at best temporary and are best uses in older flooded cell batteries where sulfation is pronounced and..

There is a more widely accepted and more readily available alternative...

Epsom Salt dissolved in hot distilled water and added to the existing electrolyte in a flooded cell battery.

Again, interestingly, all the scientific papers I read, they all claimed the effects of EDTA or Epsom Salts were temporary at best.

Howdy! I intentionally ommited the scientific name for fear of scaring the younger generations When you eat anything that is processed (most everything) by machinery, you get a miniscule dose of EDTA added to the foodstuffs because microscopic bits of metal are constantly wearing off ... In the body it's a "chealating" agent, attaching to metals which are flushed out.
In much higher doses it will help with heavy-metal poisoning and has been successfuly used to remove calcium deposits (also a METAL) from veins & arteries! Cardiologists don't discuss the procedure, at all. Ever.
Epson's salt is magnesium SULPHATE - I don't understand how it can work on lead SULPHATE except perhaps magnesium being a MUCH more active metal, the ions exchanged might leave a plating of magnesium on the surface of the lead plates increasing the conductive area? Need a chemist here.
Anyhow, our single, 2.2 volt cells (the size of a medium dog crate) worth OMG amperes get a dose of EDTA infused water whenever the cells out-gas under equilization charging. We series the cells for 12, 27, 54 volts for various projects. These cells have been in use (off & on) for at least 40 years! I started using EDTA in my own batteries with good results - YMMV
Joe

 

[stevem5215]

Can I buy EDTA on Amazon ? That's the big question!

 

[5030]

Can I buy EDTA on Amazon ? That's the big question!

Sure can, I just checked.....

 

[5030]

After reading quite a few scientific dissertations on the subject, I've come to the conclusion (from reading them) that Epsom Salts work just as well. Scientists know better than I do, I guess. Hard to read and getting around all the big words...lol
I will admit that flooded cell batteries are getting expensive (like everything else today) but I've had good luck with mine as a rule but I never buy bargain store batteries either. I usually get between 5 and 7 years out of a battery but I keep them charged, check the water level in them regularly and keep the terminal posts clean and bright.

Also read that some battery manufacturers are adding EDTA when they manufacture them what I wasn't able to decipher was which manufacturers are and which aren't.

Storage batteries for me, I consider them a consumable, just like headlight bulbs and I don't expect them to last forever.