[RE-wrenches] cycling flooded batteries is not necessary

[Dan Fink]

This thread has been quite riveting for me over the last few days!

Over the last couple decades in my remote mostly off-grid area here.we
have seen quite a passel (perhaps the proper group term might instead
be a "thud,"  "deadweight" or "boat anchor") of different battery
types.

My personal observations (and my aching back) say:

~Cycling flooded lead acid batteries when new, either PbSb or PbCa, to
"bring them up to full capacity" is an urban legend and is actually
deleterious to battery life; not necessarily so with other more exotic
battery types that PV folks don't use and can't afford yet (lithium
ion etc) -- all a new flooded battery bank needs is water and a proper
initial equalization cycle;
~PbCa batteries have the amazing property of using very little water.
The ones we've used (C&D) also have a very large sludge pit at the
bottom, and clear plastic sides so you can watch it build up. Woe to
the homeowner that replaces Ca with Sb and doesn't follow the NEW
maintenance guidelines for Sb (water them only every year or two with
Ca, not so with Sb)
~The difference in cycle life between 2 volt batteries and 6 volt is
huge. Just the difference in sludge pit capacity per amp-hour is big,
maybe that's part of it. On that note;
~L-16s have only one advantage over T105s IMHO, other than portability
for the 105s - you don't need as many parallel strings to get the same
capacity, and parallel strings cause all kinds of unforeseen problems
creeping up on the unwary owner;
~And, if you need a huge battery bank, 2 volt cells are the way to go.
For all of the above reasons. And if you are paying for a big bank of
2-volt cells to make 48 volts, you can probably afford a system
maintenance contract too.
~If the system is owner-maintained and not installer-maintained, avoid
AGMs gels etc at all costs. Most folks just don't understand. If we
can do all the system programming, and lock the owner's know-it-all
buddies, cousins, inlaws and outlaws out of the system, AGMs are
great. If some unauthorized know-it-all "tweaks" a controller setting
somewhere for their buddy over a few beers, watch out!

-- 
Dan Fink,
Executive Director;
Otherpower
Buckville Energy Consulting
Buckville Publications LLC
NABCEP / IREC accredited Continuing Education Providers
970.672.4342 (voicemail)

On Sat, Feb 18, 2012 at 2:37 PM,  <toddcory at finestplanet.com> wrote:
> to reiterate wrenches:
>
> two battery manufacturers (surrette & trojan) have both stated there is NO
> NEED to cycle floating, flooded lead-antimony batteries. i have heard this
> urban legend for some time and it is nice to finally have it put to rest as
> an incorrect myth.
>
> todd