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12-10-2006, 07:03 AM
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#1
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Layton
Posts: 1,048
M.O.C. #666
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battery water
The 'maintenance free' batteries have no easy way to replace water from what I can see. Anyone know the secret, if there is one?
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12-10-2006, 08:19 AM
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#2
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Troy
Posts: 1,980
M.O.C. #808
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I guess if it is really a 'maintenance free' it is sealed and requires no water. If it is not maintenacce free and needs water, the easiest way is to use a nasal spray bottle. When empty, clean it out, use di water, and you can squeeze a little into each cell as needed. However, if your cells are empty, do not add water and seek out the leak, probably needing a replacement battery. (hows that for an edit)
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12-10-2006, 09:37 AM
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#3
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,703
M.O.C. #5751
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Maintenace free means it's sealed and you cannot add water to it. However, if you have a battery that requires water, both my RV and boat maint books say use distilled only, not tap or bottled water. No minerals in distilled.
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12-10-2006, 09:40 AM
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#4
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Cooper
Posts: 1,230
M.O.C. #3029
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Bert said it correctly!!
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12-10-2006, 10:04 AM
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#5
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Cedar Rapids
Posts: 4,876
M.O.C. #1944
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by Emmel
I guess if it is really a 'maintenance free' it is sealed and requires no water. If it is not maintenacce free and needs water, the easiest way is to use a nasal spray bottle. When empty, clean it out, I use tap water, and you can squeeze a little into each cell as needed. There will be some people giving different advice on as to what kind of water to use so make up your own mind. As long as you charge the battery after putting in water it will by chemical breakdown turn to acid.However, if your cells are empty, do not add water and seek out the leak, probably needing a replacement battery.
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Never use tap water in a wet cell battery. Use distilled water only. That comes from my childhood--which is a looooong time ago. There's something about the minerals in tap water that can destroy the battery cells.
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12-10-2006, 12:01 PM
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#6
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Montana Master
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Fallon
Posts: 6,064
M.O.C. #1989
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Is this going to be a "light bulb" thread? LOL I'm with distilled water for batteries that require it. When Ed and I got married we made a deal, I'll rub his back at night and he takes out the trash and keeps the battery filled with water. As a single parent, I lost 2 batteries in my cars by not keeping the water filled.
Happy trails..........................
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01-22-2007, 11:18 AM
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#7
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Buford
Posts: 285
M.O.C. #6735
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The batteries lose water by being constantly overcharged by the power converter. A battery disconnect will save the water and the battery when you are connected to shore power turn the battery off after the first or second overnight stay. If the battery is good one overnight charging will top off the charge. Turn it back on before you pull out! It operates the oh no safety brake!
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01-22-2007, 01:35 PM
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#8
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Montana Master
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Wappingers Falls
Posts: 1,303
M.O.C. #6263
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No DI water!!! Not sure you can get it anyway...that stuff we use at work all the time and De-Ionized water is very reactive to many materials including metals which is what makes a battery function.
Chuck
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01-22-2007, 01:37 PM
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#9
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Montana Master
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location:
Posts: 1,568
M.O.C. #4890
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With the IQ4 smart charger, 6 months of plugged into shore power and no water is needed. If I do have to add, it is always distilled water like the other posters. A good deep cycle battery should have removable covers, at least all the ones I have ever owned had a cover.
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01-22-2007, 01:46 PM
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#10
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Clearwater
Posts: 10,917
M.O.C. #420
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I know of no deep cycle battery that is maintenance free and all deep cycle batteries have removable caps. Distilled water is the only water or liquid that shoulde ever be added to a wet cell battery. I check ours at least once a month and add distilled water as needed. Never ever let the water get so low that the plates are exposed.
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01-22-2007, 02:41 PM
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#11
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Montana Master
Join Date: May 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,703
M.O.C. #5751
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The IQ4 Smart Charger is the way to go...here's where I got mine. Was $25 several months ago: http://www.solarseller.com/
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01-23-2007, 03:58 AM
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#12
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Montana Master
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Weatherford
Posts: 1,383
M.O.C. #9
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If there are caps that appear to not be removable (as opposed to no caps at all), get out the old trusty flat blade screwdriver and pry them off.
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01-23-2007, 05:15 AM
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#13
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Montana Master
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 578
M.O.C. #718
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OK, lets start a real war.LOL kevin said to turn off the Batt when you are on shore power for a day or two. What do all of you think? should I turn mine off or not?
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01-30-2007, 01:49 PM
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#14
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Montana Master
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: New Market
Posts: 831
M.O.C. #375
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We may be in for trouble, but we just keep ours connected all the time. I do keep the water checked monthly. I am sure some of the full-timers can offer more advice. We are just out for a few weeks/month at the time.
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01-30-2007, 04:05 PM
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#15
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Buford
Posts: 285
M.O.C. #6735
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Overcharging batteries is almost as bad as over discharging battery until the voltage down to below 10.6 volts. Permanent damage is done to battery by letting the cells run dry (low water) by most campers built in battery charger. Once the battery is fully charged the campers charger continues to put excess power to the battery. That energy converts the water in the cell to Hydrogen and Oxygen gas. That is the reason for the battery vents to prevent a buildup of the explosive gases in the battery compartment. In addition when any lead acid battery including deep cycle is discharged below the 10.6 volt level damage to the battery is done. There are commercial chargers that the telephone company uses that maintains the battery at a float charge level that does not damage their batteries. They are very expensive though.
I looked at the IOTA converter and the battery charging module. The numbers they claim look good and they are doing it the right way. Have you ever put a voltmeter on your batteries to see if it is float charging the battery once full charge is reached?
My Montana came equipped with a Parallax Power Components series 500 Power Center. It continually overcharges my battery. I turn the battery switch off which I had to install to save my battery from the charger when hooked to shore power. The IOTA charging current adapter won't work on my power converter otherwise I would be first in line to get one.
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01-31-2007, 01:04 AM
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#16
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Manakin-Sabot
Posts: 371
M.O.C. #5540
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I know I have to be connected to my batteries when on shore power because that is in part how my Inverter recharges the batteries. Here are a couple of sites with good information about batteries for further research.
http://phrannie.org/battery.html
http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/
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01-31-2007, 01:50 AM
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#17
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Montana Fan
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Turlock
Posts: 177
M.O.C. #6034
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How doe's one know what type of converter/charger is in the 5th wheel ?
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01-31-2007, 12:40 PM
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#18
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Established Member
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Lynchburg
Posts: 21
M.O.C. #1655
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Just FYI, Optima (I think that't spelled right) makes a maintenance free deep cycle battery. It's the commercial with the demolition derby and he uses the battery in the car then puts it back in his truck. Totally sealed and can be mounted side-ways, upside down, or any other orientation you choose. It was one of the first items we replaced and have been extreamly pleased with its performance. Costs a bit more than others, but the added performance requires parting with a bit of the green stuff.
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