Hydrocaps in general [RE-wrenches]

[Windy Dankoff, Dankoff Solar]

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I also have a Solar Boost 50 controller, set to about 29.6, with a 
single string of Surrette 1200 AH cells. I also have it connected to 
an external shunt (the main battery shunt that also feeds my 
TriMetric), so it REALLY knows what actual (net) current the battery 
bank experiences, and responds to that. That's a great refinement.

I add water every summer, just to stay ahead of necessity. I could 
probably go another 6 mo. before the plate tops get exposed.

As batteries age, they lose more water, so some day they may get 
thirsty every summer!

Hydrocaps are good for standby systems with a simple charging scheme. 
They are not good for RE home systems that have extreme variations in 
charge current. The owner of Hydrocap, George Peroni, has always been 
totally straight about this. He makes you tell him exactly what 
charge current range the batteries will experience. If he sizes the 
caps for the highest possible current (not to overheat), they won't 
be effective during relatively low charge rate. They have their place 
in the world, but just aren't optimum for many of our systems.

Windy


Allan Sindelar wrote:
>....
>My dozen little golf carts only get filled with water every six months, with
>a one-kilowatt array and a SB50 set to charge to 29.6V. I'm generally right
>above the tops of the plates about then. So I am wondering how big of a
>problem watering batteries when they need it really is.
>
>Allan at Positive E

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