How much battery damage did I do?

[acadianbob]

Well, my ADD (attention deficit disorder) caught up with me. I winterized the trailer and used the water pump to distribute the antifreeze. Then I forgot to disconnect the battery. I noticed it about 2 weeks later and the battery charge was extremely low. I charged it up again with a smart charger. Everything seems to be fine but . . . . the question is; How much damage did I do to the battery in terms of its ability to hold a charge and in terms of its longevity.

It's a nice Group 30 Trojan 12 volt. Expensive. I'm so mad at myself.

[VinceU]

Voltage will remain near full, amp hours will certainly suffer due to permanent transfer of lead. A hydrometer can help predict how much loss., may not be too bad due short duration.

[The Big Toe]

Originally Posted by acadianbob

Well, my ADD (attention deficit disorder) caught up with me. I winterized the trailer and used the water pump to distribute the antifreeze. Then I forgot to disconnect the battery. I noticed it about 2 weeks later and the battery charge was extremely low. I charged it up again with a smart charger. Everything seems to be fine but . . . . the question is; How much damage did I do to the battery in terms of its ability to hold a charge and in terms of its longevity.

It's a nice Group 30 Trojan 12 volt. Expensive. I'm so mad at myself.

You probably didn't hurt it at all. It's a Deep Cycle, they're built to be discharged and recharged..... Though taking it down as far as you did is not recommended

http://www.batteriesnorthwest.com/ba...hool.cfm?TID=2

An overly discharged battery may need to be cycled a few times before it can recover fully. If a battery begins to heat before coming up to a full state of charge, it may be necessary to discharge the battery and recharge it a few times. This charge and discharge cycle may help the current acceptance of the battery and facilitate its recovery to a usable condition.

[Brentf]

A Trojan will take that better than most. They are supposed to withstand an occasional 80% discharge and can last 7 or 8 years with 50% discharge cycles.

[Brentf]

Also a deep cycle and a golf cart battery are two different things. Marine/deep cycles are hybrids, golf cart batteries have a different plate design. The golf cart batts last twice as long so in the end they are cheaper. For an RV there is really no reason to use anything other than a golf cart battery except because your dealer stuck you with a cheap marine/deep cycle batt.