Trying to figure out 6 volt batteries

[OldBob]

Originally Posted by Burgeogull

They are golf cart batteries. 235 amp/hr or however that goes. I know nothing about the converter and power center. The dealer told that they should be already charged. I won't be hooking them up until near the end of the month or maybe even May...I'm in Canada and it's too cold and too much snow where I am to even think about camping yet...well...I guess I am thinking about it if I'm already getting ready!! Can't wait!

That's GREAT! If each battery is 235 a/h you'll have 470 a/h to power your system with 4 6v batteries. You can usually tell what brand of converter you have by opening up the power center door (inside the trailer where all the fuses and breakers are). There is usually a sticker that tells the make and model of the converter.

It's been absolutely perfect down here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. We've lived here for 45 years and would never go back to cold weather. I'd never survive!

[Burgeogull]

Originally Posted by OldBob

That's GREAT! If each battery is 235 a/h you'll have 470 a/h to power your system with 4 6v batteries. You can usually tell what brand of converter you have by opening up the power center door (inside the trailer where all the fuses and breakers are). There is usually a sticker that tells the make and model of the converter.

It's been absolutely perfect down here in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. We've lived here for 45 years and would never go back to cold weather. I'd never survive!

I'll check out the converter once I get started!

[Burgeogull]

I got a question now, not that I'll do this but I might... Can I run a small chest freezer on my system...say a 3.5 cu ft on 4 6 volt batteries, 180 watts of solar panel?

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Burgeogull

I got a question now, not that I'll do this but I might... Can I run a small chest freezer on my system...say a 3.5 cu ft on 4 6 volt batteries, 180 watts of solar panel?

For how long?

[Too Tall]

Need to know how many amps it draws.

[Herk7769]

IGLOO 3.5 cu. ft. Chest Freezer in White-FRF434 - The Home Depot

This one is 212 Kw a year or 580 Watts a day.

[Burgeogull]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

For how long?

For 3-4 months of summer. The one I looked at is about the same as the one you attached the link too.

[Herk7769]

Originally Posted by Burgeogull

For 3-4 months of summer. The one I looked at is about the same as the one you attached the link too.

And you just want to use the 4 batteries and the 180 Watt panel, without a generator to recharge the batteries?

1) Solar panels are not 100% efficient and are rated in "full sun" at 90 degrees of sun ray incidence. Properly positioned, this condition only happens on a sunny day for one second on one day during the summer due to the sun angle changing over time and the elevation of the sun changing every day. The only way to get 90 degree incidence at all times is to use a motor driven pedestal slaved to track the sun. (expensive proposition for only one panel).

2) Rule of thumb is you get 80% efficiency on sunny days from a fixed system, and 20% efficiency on shady (cloudy) days. The actual number of Watts is then dependent on where you live as some areas get more sun than others.

3) You will also lose about 10% of what comes in from the panels in the inverter and line loss; converting the DC to AC.

4) Any excess panel output not used by your freezer during the day goes into the replacing what was used at night by your batteries. If your panels are only producing the "planning average" of 5 hours per day, you will be hard pressed to replace what came out of your battery with such a small panel.

5) Since you will be producing only 20% of the day (on average), your batteries must be sized to provide the remaining 80% (without going below 50% of rated capacity) and the panels must provide (after generation losses) the 20% load plus the 80% loss from the batteries.

It would be easier to work backwards from the 580 Watt average daily requirement to find out how much battery bank you would need and how much solar panel you would need to keep the bank healthy and still run your freezer.

[SKnight]

Originally Posted by Herk7769

And you just want to use the 4 batteries and the 180 Watt panel, without a generator to recharge the batteries?

1) Solar panels are not 100% efficient and are rated in "full sun" at 90 degrees of sun ray incidence. Properly positioned, this condition only happens on a sunny day for one second on one day during the summer due to the sun angle changing over time and the elevation of the sun changing every day. The only way to get 90 degree incidence at all times is to use a motor driven pedestal slaved to track the sun. (expensive proposition for only one panel).

2) Rule of thumb is you get 80% efficiency on sunny days from a fixed system, and 20% efficiency on shady (cloudy) days. The actual number of Watts is then dependent on where you live as some areas get more sun than others.

3) You will also lose about 10% of what comes in from the panels in the inverter and line loss; converting the DC to AC.

4) Any excess panel output not used by your freezer during the day goes into the replacing what was used at night by your batteries. If your panels are only producing the "planning average" of 5 hours per day, you will be hard pressed to replace what came out of your battery with such a small panel.

5) Since you will be producing only 20% of the day (on average), your batteries must be sized to provide the remaining 80% (without going below 50% of rated capacity) and the panels must provide (after generation losses) the 20% load plus the 80% loss from the batteries.

It would be easier to work backwards from the 580 Watt average daily requirement to find out how much battery bank you would need and how much solar panel you would need to keep the bank healthy and still run your freezer.

Yep. I was told by a friend that has installed three solar systems to take your calculated daily need, then at minimum double the number of panels, triple if room and budget allows. If you decide you need 200W, then install 400.

The helps overcome the inherent inadequacies of solar. It's still not a fix for a cloudy day, but it's close.

[Burgeogull]

Hmmmm...starting to sound like an expensive proposition!! Think I'll pass on that then. Thanks for the input guys!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[thunderstruck]

Made the jump installed 2 6 volt Energizer group GC2 batteries -
Minutes at 75 AMPS: 122•20 AMP Hour Capacity: 232
in a Century Plastics Heavy Duty Dual 6 Volt Battery Box

[Too Tall]

Originally Posted by thunderstruck

Made the jump installed 2 6 volt Energizer group GC2 batteries -
Minutes at 75 AMPS: 122•20 AMP Hour Capacity: 232
in a Century Plastics Heavy Duty Dual 6 Volt Battery Box

You love it. I have the same.

[Skyliner]

Does the WFCO tell you when the batteries are charged or at least to 90%? Mine doesn't which is why it has been disconnected to be used as an emergency spare when my Progessive Dyn. one is charging using romote pendant which tells me charge status.

[Too Tall]

Originally Posted by TonyD

Does the WFCO tell you when the batteries are charged or at least to 90%? Mine doesn't which is why it has been disconnected to be used as an emergency spare when my Progessive Dyn. one is charging using romote pendant which tells me charge status.

I use the KISS method. A DC clip on amp meter.

[OldBob]

Originally Posted by TonyD

Does the WFCO tell you when the batteries are charged or at least to 90%? Mine doesn't which is why it has been disconnected to be used as an emergency spare when my Progessive Dyn. one is charging using romote pendant which tells me charge status.

No. The WFCO is a piece of junk, at least that has been my experience. In fact I've never seen any of my wfco converters go into boost mode. So, after seeing my battery power going lower and lower each day even while charging them for 8 hours on the generator I changed it out for the Progressive Dynamics. Now...my batteries (2 6v Trojans) recharge properly in about 3 hours of daily charging. Others may have a different opinion about the WFCO. Just my experience.

[ScottBrownstein]

Funny, but in 15 years on both this and other RV forums, I have never heard anyone say anything good about a WFCO converter. They must have a really good volume price to the RV manufacturers. Now, my Georgetown came with a PD, so hopefully the manufacturers are waking up to the problems.

[Burgeogull]

I got a question...My 2000w Honda generator has a battery charging cord that came with it. I have never used it but if I hooked it up to my batteries (4 x 6volt) can I or should I plug the trailer plug into it at the same time? Also is there a danger of overcharging while hooked to the generator?

[ScottBrownstein]

If you have a converter you should rely on that when running the generator. It should be much smarter than the genny battery charger.

[OldBob]

Originally Posted by Burgeogull

I got a question...My 2000w Honda generator has a battery charging cord that came with it. I have never used it but if I hooked it up to my batteries (4 x 6volt) can I or should I plug the trailer plug into it at the same time? Also is there a danger of overcharging while hooked to the generator?

I have a 2000w Yamaha and the 12v charging output is only 8 amps if I remember correctly. For your setup that's barely enough to maintain the charge of those 4 batteries. Rule of thumb is that you charge your batteries at 20% of your amp/hour rating. Since you have 4 6v batteries I can assume you have about 250 amp/hours so you'd want to fast charge at about 50 amps to 95% and then slow charge to 100%.

I have 2 6v Trojans each are 125 a/h. Because I am converting the 6v to 12v I still have 125 a/h. I should then fast charge at 25 amps to 95%. Either use a good battery charger or a good built in Converter to charge the batteries. The Progressive Dynamics converter has enough power to charge the batteries. The WFCO converter will not.

[Burgeogull]

Originally Posted by OldBob

I have a 2000w Yamaha and the 12v charging output is only 8 amps if I remember correctly. For your setup that's barely enough to maintain the charge of those 4 batteries. Rule of thumb is that you charge your batteries at 20% of your amp/hour rating. Since you have 4 6v batteries I can assume you have about 250 amp/hours so you'd want to fast charge at about 50 amps to 95% and then slow charge to 100%.

I have 2 6v Trojans each are 125 a/h. Because I am converting the 6v to 12v I still have 125 a/h. I should then fast charge at 25 amps to 95%. Either use a good battery charger or a good built in Converter to charge the batteries. The Progressive Dynamics converter has enough power to charge the batteries. The WFCO converter will not.

I'm not sure what kind of converter I have, it's the stock one. Didn't really want to buy a new converter. So far I only have 2 of the batteries hooked up. I ran the generator with trailer plugged in for a couple hours or so last week, the gauge inside the trailer said they were fully charged but after running lights and tv etc for a few hours they were down quite a bit. I'm waiting for the weather to warm up before I hook the others.

Also curious why you're swithching back to 12v from the 6v set up?