[RE-wrenches] Battery load tester purchase advice?

[Dan Fink]

Esteemed Wrenches; My customer's saga of failing Trojan LC-16s continues,
unfortunately. It's 8 Trojan L-16 P AC in series/parallel for a 24v bank I
think I have strong warranty claim on at least one battery. Trojan's
warranty claim form requires a series of tests, including using a load
tester "approved" by Trojan (whatever that means). to put a load of 25 amps
on each battery and time down to 1.75 volts per cell, specific gravity
checks, etc.

This situation is worth purchasing a load tester I think. I'd like one that
can do 2v, 6v and 12v batteries. Searching online, 6/12v seems common, not
seeing anything that can do 2v other than the Fluke BT series, which is way
out of my off-grid price range. And I'm not seeing an automotive variety
where you can set the load amperage.

Anyone have product advice for something that they use and like? Any help
appreciated.

DAN

PS---backgrounder and images.......................

Numbering the batteries 1-2-3-4 left to right:

~Battery #2 was installed as a replacement only one month ago (July 2017)
and has a late 2016 date code. The 2 hot cells have such low Specific
Gravity that they don't register on the hydrometer or refractometer.

~Battery #3 was installed as a replacement in mid 2016. I found the cause
of the problem that killed the original battery (the entire bank was
installed 2014), an incredibly poorly crimped interconnect cable from
AltEdirect (I posted here about it then). They offered to replace the cable
(thanks, folks) but it's of more value to me in teaching my hands-on solar
college classes.

~Battery #3 has a 2013 date code, implying to me that it sat on the self
for almost 3 years before the distributor dumped it on me as a one-off.
Next time, I will demand the same date code on each battery.

~Battery #1 has NO date code. First time I've seen that.

~In any case -- all the problems seem to be on only the outer parallel
string. So the customer approved a complete re-cable, and I'm going to
build them all myself after the expensive AltE cable fail.


Dan Fink
Professor of Solar Energy Technology, Ecotech Institute
IREC Certified Instructor™ for:
~ PV Installation Professional
~ Small Wind Installer
Executive Director, Buckville Energy
NABCEP Registered Continuing Education Providers™
970.672.4342
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