AGMs in hot climates... [RE-wrenches]

[Warren Lauzon]

<x-flowed>
Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Help us support US Troops – Just Register Here.
http://click.topica.com/caadjGFbz8Qcsbz9JC9a/Permission Data
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Our experience in Arizona has been that the Concordes hold up in hot 
climates better than the MK.
In cooler climates the MK seem to last a bit longer - but not by much.

After years of selling both, our Concorde sales were about 3x the MK, but we 
actually heard of few problems with either with the exception of MK being 
easy to overcharge in 100+ temperatures. We do not usually recommend the MK 
for use here in the desert. They are picky about charging voltages, and many 
people are reluctant to change out their whole charging system to accomodate 
them.

The real question might be - do you reall need a VRLA battery at all? Their 
main advantages are being pretty much non-hazardous, non venting, non 
spillable, and mantenance free. If none of those is really needed then you 
might be better off with a standard flooded such as L16's. The VRLA claim to 
fame - and this includes both MK and Concorde - is NOT long life. They will 
not last any longer than a properly cared for good golf car battery. The key 
word is "maintained".

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern Arizona Wind & Sun, Inc.
Solar Discussion Forum: www.wind-sun.com/forum/index.php
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Travis Creswell, Ozark Solar" <ozsolar at ipa.net>
To: <RE-wrenches at topica.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 9:25 PM
Subject: RE: AGMs in hot climates... [RE-wrenches]


Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Erase wrinkles without Botox! Nexiderm SP is clinically proven to
reduce wrinkles by 68% Click here to start your free trial today.
http://click.topica.com/caadfBNbz8QcscipwODa/Nexiderm
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Jim,

Shouldn't be any problem at all.  You'll want to be very careful about
charge voltage regulation though.  It will be easy to overcharge (and
damage) them the warmer it gets.

Why AGM's?  Most folks tend to use Gel's for the cyclic off grid use and
AGM's for grid tie/back up.

We've left Concorde behind and switched to MK Gel for maintenance free
applications.  We personally have had very few sets of Concordes make it
past 5 years.  Some were abused, some were babied, some off grid, some grid
tied, some in nice cool basements some in steel buildings.  No particular
pattern to the failures which was enough proof to me that they aren't
anywhere near as strong as touted.  Plus they are can be a real hassle to
deal with and we caught them selling direct to end users in my area for the
same price as mine.  That's after I sold 100's of their biggest battery.

The MK sets are all still pretty young so we don't have any feel for how
they will hold up yet. Might be more of the same but it least it won't be
nearly as expensive for the customer.

Good Luck,

Travis Creswell
Ozark Energy Services, Inc.
Joplin, MO




-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Duncan [mailto:ntrei at earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 8:09 PM
To: RE-wrenches at topica.com
Subject: AGMs in hot climates... [RE-wrenches]

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Buy any items from KMART from clothes to tool with a $500 Kmart
gift card. All you have to do is click on the link and recieve
your gift!
http://click.topica.com/caadi1fbz8QcsbAg8QQa/RewardsVenue
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Has anyone got first-hand information about Concord Sun Xtender AGMs in
~90 F summer off-grid situiation? -40 F to +160 F is their operational
range if you believe their www site.
My client doesn't want to have to install an air conditioner in the
insulated power room of an un-conditioned 2000 sqft metal maint.
building since it would have to run off the inverter. Any chance these
batteries are up to that sort of hot Texas weather performance? The
Wrenches archives didn't deal much with high temperature performance of
AGMs, mostly just performance vs. gels.
Thanks
Jim Duncan
North Texas Renewable Energy Inc
Fort Worth, Texas

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Sign up today for a No Annual Fee DiscoverR Platinum Card and get.
0% Intro APR on Purchases & Balance Transfers for 8 Months, Up to
2% Cashback BonusR reward on your purchases & 100% fraud
protection.
http://click.topica.com/caadfzUbz8QcsbAg8QQf/DiscoverCard
-------------------------------------------------------------------

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://lists.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/read

List rules & etiquette: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquette.php

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Personals at Meeting Friends Online.
Find your perfect partner...We're here to help.
Click below to register for FREE and start connecting!
http://click.topica.com/caadkIXbz8QcscipwODf/MeetingFriendsOnline
-------------------------------------------------------------------

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://lists.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/read

List rules & etiquette: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquette.php

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com

Your free subscription is supported by today's sponsor:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Personals at Meeting Friends Online.
Find your perfect partner...We’re here to help. 
Click below to register for FREE and start connecting!
http://click.topica.com/caadkIXbz8Qcsbz9JC9f/MeetingFriendsOnline
-------------------------------------------------------------------

- - - -
To send a message: RE-wrenches at topica.com

Archive of previous messages: http://lists.topica.com/lists/RE-wrenches/read

List rules & etiquette: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/etiquette.php

Check out participant bios: www.mrsharkey.com/wrenches/

Hosted by Home Power magazine

Moderator: michael.welch at homepower.com
--^----------------------------------------------------------------
This email was sent to: michael.welch at homepower.com

EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bz8Qcs.bz9JC9.bWljaGFl
Or send an email to: RE-wrenches-unsubscribe at topica.com

For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit:
http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER
--^----------------------------------------------------------------











</x-flowed>