[C320-list] Battery Selector Switch

[Orlando.Duran at AveryDennison.com]

There's no constant 'life span' for wet cells...use a specific gravity meter to check 'em out. Measuring voltage is not the way to find out where in their life span they are. There are many methods of prolonging battery life--Read Nigel Balder's 12v book...
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Regards,
OD

Sent from my BlackBerry Wireless Handheld


----- Original Message -----
From: Robert Seastream [robert.seastream at comcast.net]
Sent: 05/20/2007 03:31 PM
To: C320-List <c320-list at catalina320.com>
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Battery Selector Switch

I've heard reports of 5 years lifespan to a whopping 11 years lifespan. 
  Now I'M worried, because my boat is a 2002.  Only remarkable 
occurrence is that I recently charged them to a trickle charge in 
drydock; one week later the voltmeter said they were at about 12 volts 
resting.  This voltmeter (however crude) indicates that's about 75% 
charge.

Bob Seastream
Intuition, hull 906

On May 20, 2007, at 5:48 PM, stevelgross wrote:

> If your batteries are Lead acid cells and more than 5 or (with luck} 6 
> years
> old, they are at the end of their life. Lead acid cells tend to die a 
> rapid
> death at that age.  The plates become coated with sulfate and won't 
> hold a
> charge.
> We had a similar experience on the eave of a 100 mile boat move.  We 
> turned
> off the shore powered battery charger the prior evening and woke in the
> departure day AM, finding batteries would not turn over the engine.  
> We were
> fortunate that the marina crew was able to install replacements prior 
> to our
> departure.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com
> [mailto:c320-list-bounces at catalina320.com] On Behalf Of 
> Vpweikel at aol.com
> Sent: Sunday, May 20, 2007 3:44 PM
> To: c320-list at catalina320.com
> Subject: [C320-list] Battery Selector Switch
>
> We had what I call a strange and unexpected occurrence while anchored 
> out
> this weekend.
>
> Before retiring for the night, I was careful to put the selector 
> switch on
> battery #2 only so that in case the battery bank was drawn down, I'd 
> have
> battery #1 for a back-up to start the engine.
>
> As I expected, the anchor light and a few other small miscellaneous 
> uses
> drew the battery down low enough that the engine would not crank ( I
> purposely
> turned the reefer circuit off ).  Feeling good about the back-up plan, 
> I
> switched over to battery #1 and turned the key.  Nothing !  Both  
> batteries
> were
> down.
>
> I know for a fact that the batteries are at least 5 years old since I  
> have
> not replaced them.  The boat is a 1996 and for all I know the  
> batteries
> could
> be 10 years old which is well beyond the normal expected life  span.  
> But
> that
> doesn't explain to me satisfactorily why both banks were  discharged 
> with
> the
> selector switch set to #2 only.  Surely, even a tired,  old battery 
> would
> hold charge for 14 hours - but maybe I'm wrong.
>
> Has anyone experienced this ?
>
> I'm beginning to think that something must be wired wrong or the 
> selector
> switch failed.  This was the first real "test" of the system that we  
> have
> done.
>  Any suggestions on how to make the proper checks of the system  both 
> switch
>
> and house wiring ?
>
> I am planning on replacing the batteries soon.  At the moment, I  just 
> think
>
> this should not have happened given the precautions that were  taken.
>
>
> The good news is that, the new portable 1200 Watt generator was 
> on-board
> and
> in 30 minutes running time the batteries were topped up enough to 
> start the
>
> engine and get us underway.
>
>
> Paul Weikel
> Second Chance
> #361
> Georgetown, MD
>
>
>
>
> ************************************** See what's free at
> http://www.aol.com.
>
>
>



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