<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Are you using temperature compensation? It lowers the voltage when its hot.<div>Also, have you considered setting the batteries in a below ground vault? I've had good luck with in floor battery boxes.</div><div>Finally, AGMs and L16s just don't last very long anyway. AGMs maybe 3 years, and L16s I've seen die in under 5 years and we get to 15 below zero.</div><div>My suggestion: temp comp, ground vault, HUP or equivalent cycle life.</div><div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div>R. Walters</div><div><a href="mailto:ray@solarray.com">ray@solarray.com</a></div><div>Solar Engineer</div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><div><br class="khtml-block-placeholder"></div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"></span>
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<br><div><div>On Apr 21, 2011, at 1:22 PM, Starlight Solar, Larry Crutcher wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-family: Helvetica; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-size: medium; "><div bgcolor="#ffffff"><div><font face="Arial" size="2">Hello Battery Wrenches,</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div><div><font face="Arial" size="2">Over the years I have had several battery banks in Baja and Sonora Mexico fail in just 36 to 48 months. These have been L16 or 8D AGM or flooded banks, 24 and 48 volt systems. The charging systems are working properly and programmed to manufacturer recommended set points and discharges are rarely over 30% DoD. Some batteries are only used on weekends, some are discharged daily. I believe what is affecting the short life is the high temperature they live in for 5 months each year. Temps. can hit 115 F in vented battery rooms. I have been thinking about a small air conditioner and insulated battery box to keep the battery at no more than 80 F. There are some portable units that draw about 600 watts and the run time would be very little with a highly insulated enclosure. There is ample power to do this on the home I am changing batteries in now. Has anyone done this and gained longer battery life?</font></div><div><font face="Arial" size="2"></font> </div><div><font face="Verdana" size="2">Best Regards,</font></div><font face="Verdana" size="2"></font><div><font face="Verdana" size="2"></font><p><font face="Verdana" size="2">Larry Crutcher<br><a href="http://www.starlightsolar.com/">Starlight Solar Power Systems</a><br></font><font face="Georgia" size="1"><br></font><font color="#ff0000"><em><font face="Georgia" size="1">powered by<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font><b><font face="Georgia" size="4">S</font><font face="Georgia" size="2">TARLIGHT</font></b></em><font face="Georgia" size="2">™</font></font></p></div>_______________________________________________<br>List sponsored by Home Power magazine<br><br>List Address:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="mailto:RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org">RE-wrenches@lists.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>Options & settings:<br><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/options.cgi/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List-Archive:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org">http://lists.re-wrenches.org/pipermail/re-wrenches-re-wrenches.org</a><br><br>List rules & etiquette:<br><a href="http://www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm">www.re-wrenches.org/etiquette.htm</a><br><br>Check out participant bios:<br><a href="http://www.members.re-wrenches.org/">www.members.re-wrenches.org</a><br><br></div></span></blockquote></div><br></div></body></html>