7 stage "Connect and Forget" intelligent charger

bartman

bartman

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Earlier this year I replaced the original charger for this 7 stage 20 amp intelligent charger from Alpha Batteries. It only connects to the leisure batteries.
It certainly does the job, but whenever I connect the hookup, even when the solar has fully charged the batteries, it always goes through the sequence including a "battery test" followed by a lengthy "recondition" phase, before eventually going to the float charge.
I have two leisure batteries, Banner vented type 135AH . I have them vented using the proper connectors with the tubes going outside via the floor. When on the recondition phase, the charging voltage is about 13.8v . This is resulting in the batteries gassing - I was alerted to this when the CO alarm sounded. There is no smell, it is hydrogen being produced, not hydrogen sulphide. I have now extended the vent tube so that the gas does not sit under the van and come up through the floor vents!
my question is, is this normal when using a multi-stage charger, or does it mean that the batteries are kaput? I should add that the "fault" light on the charger is not coming on.
I would be very grateful for any input/advice from the battery experts on here.
 
I have a 20 amp 7 stage charger from Alpha (likely same one)
Never had a problem thus far (3 x 100ah leisure batteries so slightly over what you have)

I'd be checking state of batteries personally.
 
I use a 7 stage charger for my vehicle battery.

The last couple of times I have charged it, it has done the reconditioning step, which I thought would indicate a problem anyway in that would it try to recondition a healthy battery. The last time (a few days ago) it did the same again. I started the van and the battery was full of power, 2 days later it was flat as a pancake again.

I think the reconditioning only works in the case of a fairly healthy battery which has gone flat - I will be getting a new vehicle battery shortly as mine was pretty old anyway.
 
So what we're saying is that the smart charger shouldn't be going to the reconditioning stage unless the batteries need it. The strange thing is that they've never given us any trouble, we're off grid nearly all the time when we're away, used for watching TV, lighting, etc.
 
All lead acid batteries will gas when charging. That is perfectly normal.

As is the 13.8 volt charge.

I suggest you try another test.

Disconnect the solar panels, or cover them with a blanket or similar, then let the batteries rest for an hour or so.

Then connect the hook up and observe how the charger behaves.
 
bartman said:
Earlier this year I replaced the original charger for this 7 stage 20 amp intelligent charger from Alpha Batteries. It only connects to the leisure batteries.
It certainly does the job, but whenever I connect the hookup, even when the solar has fully charged the batteries, it always goes through the sequence including a "battery test" followed by a lengthy "recondition" phase, before eventually going to the float charge.
I have two leisure batteries, Banner vented type 135AH . I have them vented using the proper connectors with the tubes going outside via the floor. When on the recondition phase, the charging voltage is about 13.8v . This is resulting in the batteries gassing - I was alerted to this when the CO alarm sounded. There is no smell, it is hydrogen being produced, not hydrogen sulphide. I have now extended the vent tube so that the gas does not sit under the van and come up through the floor vents!
my question is, is this normal when using a multi-stage charger, or does it mean that the batteries are kaput? I should add that the "fault" light on the charger is not coming on.
I would be very grateful for any input/advice from the battery experts on here.
Click to expand...

Gassing at 13.8v seem strange, I would not expect noticeable gassing
 
bartman said:
So what we're saying is that the smart charger shouldn't be going to the reconditioning stage unless the batteries need it. The strange thing is that they've never given us any trouble, we're off grid nearly all the time when we're away, used for watching TV, lighting, etc.
Click to expand...

I think (and it is only that) the battery does the reconditioning step if the normal charge fails to reach full charge. Step 5 on mine does a battery test and it only goes to step 6 (reconditioning) if it fails the battery test.

Mine is buried in the garage at the moment I will have a look in the morning.
 
Having checked again, it has now gone to "fully charged". I've now located the instuction leaflet for the charger (should have done that first I hear you all say), and it does say that if at the end of the test stage the battery voltage is less than 13.2v, it will initiate the reconditioning stage for 4 hours. It seems to have done that every time I reconnect the hookup lead, so the inference to draw from that is that the batteries have seen better days. They're just over 3 years old.
I'm monitoring the electrolyte level carefully, because I'm sure that a consequence of gassing at that rate is that it will need topping up more frequently.
Perhaps one answer would be to leave it connected for the duration of this enforced lockdown as it's a fit and forget!
 
Tired batteries definitely stress chargers making them work harder to get less power in.
Any charger that doesn't remember where it was after power interruption is really that 'smart'
I've just bought a couple of Maypole 4A chargers fo family to top up cars every couple of weeks and they claim to be able to deal with being turned on and off at the mains.
I'm not sure if many solar chargers do this and they start up every morning and maybe again during the day?
 
13.7 or so is the float charge,you should get a burst to 14.4 before the drop,but you may have to sit all night to see it. :unsure:
 
TVP Post
I have 2 100 amp batteries and they are quite low...have not had them up to full in a while
Buying this charger as soon as possible
 
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