John Palmer
Senior Member
Hi, From a vintage trailer guy located in Santa Ana, CA. It's good to see lots of activity here.
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Post by John Palmer on Mar 11, 2014 20:35:14 GMT -8
I just spent the last "four days" camping, and sleeping on my battery!
Might be better to come inspect my work first, LOL.
I hear your work is beautiful John... I'd like to see some of it some time.  You have already shot film on one of "my former trailers" at Big Bear this past year, a 1953 Aljoa. |
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mobiltec
5K Member
I make mistakes so you don't have to...
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1954 Jewel In Progress...
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Post by mobiltec on Mar 12, 2014 7:23:03 GMT -8
I hear your work is beautiful John... I'd like to see some of it some time. You have already shot film on one of "my former trailers" at Big Bear this past year, a 1953 Aljoa. I don't remember an Aljoa being there unless it was the trailer with no paint. There was no one home at that one and I wasn't sure what it was. No shots of the inside. Was that it? |
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Mar 21, 2014 10:05:11 GMT -8
Mobiltec, I have to ask: Where did you hear that those Harbor Freight batteries can be run down dead with no damage, or that they don't gas? There's nothing on HF's site claiming that, and I don't believe such a battery has ever existed... The deeper you discharge a battery, the more lead sulfate is deposited on the plates. The more often this is done, the less sulfate is converted back to pure lead during each charge, and the less surface area of clean lead is available for the reaction. The less surface area, the less charge it can accept. To eliminate that problem they'd have to come up with a totally different technology...
As for gassing folks, ALL lead-acid batteries gas during charging, sealed or not. As Scotty would say, "Ya cannae change the laws of physics!" They all use the same chemical reaction, and one of the products of that reaction during charging is gassing. Sealed batteries are just charged at a lower voltage, which keeps gassing to a level that is less than the pressure setting of their relief valves (look at the battery mfgr's charging specs, don't listen to the salesman who would love to sell you AGMs). If you overcharge a sealed battery long enough, by say charging it at wet battery voltages like 14.8v, it will gas like a wet battery, and eventually it will blow the safety valves at the very least, ruining the battery, if not spraying acid all over. A plain ol' wet battery won't gas any more than a sealed one if charged at lower sealed-battery voltages. The lead-acid reaction generates a certain amount of gas per amount of ingredients per joule of energy per time unit, and nothing can change that.
What you're doing, when you use sealed batteries, is accepting slower charging, less capacity-per-pound, higher prices, and the inability to add water or accurately check the state of charge (with a hydrometer), in return for slightly less risk from gassing (more risk, if you charge them at wet battery voltages). 'Taint worth it, in my book.
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Post by vikx on Mar 22, 2014 21:49:26 GMT -8
I totally agree with Cowcharge on this one. After a lengthy discussion with the battery salesman, I got no guarantee that their AGM or sealed batteries wouldn't gas. They say the "shouldn't" but not "WON'T". I really asked questions in several forms and got the same vague response...
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Post by bigbill on Mar 23, 2014 4:16:07 GMT -8
Batteries listed as acceptable for taking on a commercial airliner are not supposed to gas properly charged (explosion proof). The difference is that a glass acid mat sealed battery won't put off the access gas a standard wet cell battery does. I made the same arguments that cow charge does until my wife ended up with an electric wheel chair and an electric scooter. Then I got a lot smarter about batteries and the advancements made in recent years. Although they do have to be charged at a lower rate. Also they are more sensitive to long periods of inactivity. My experience with them is if they run completely down they are done but they can be run very low and will recharge fine. Also much more compact and lighter in weight. They are getting more reasonable in cost every day. They are coming down while wet cell batteries have doubled in price over the last few years. Another advantage is a sealed battery can be mounted sideways, upside down, or any other way you can think of with no problem. The best prices I have found are on Amazon.
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