Golden Jubilee
Posts: 5211
Joined: Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:28 pm
Location: Lyman, IA
Re: My batteries keep dying and won't recharge!
It takes about 10 hr to fully charge a discharged battery, and most of the time it will be charging at only a few amps.
I run deep cycle batteries in my truck for heat and cooling at night, I only dis charge to 50% or less and it still takes 10 hr of running to re charge.
If you are charging, cranking and dis-charging and not fully re chargeing in between it is very quick ruin what was a good battery.
I would put a charger on and monitor, the battery should never get hot, (above 100 deg) but might get warm and you get some "gassing" from the cells. If possible check with a hydrometer and watch the Spf gravity of the electrolyte, and stop charging when it ceases to rise after two consecutive reading taken an hr apart.
You don't want to charge much above 20 amps with a battery of that size, slow and long is much better than fast and hot.