BajaNomad

hydrocaps-- don't waste your money!

astrobaja - 2-27-2011 at 03:48 PM

Hi all,

Just a bit of wisdom aquired the hard way! We bought hydrocaps from Arizona Wind & Sun about 8 months ago. On paper the idea seemed great since our battery system is unvented (12, 495 Ahr 6 volt Crowns). Thought ok the catalytic puck inside the hydrocap reclaims water and minimises watering! I had set the absorb/float voltages according to Crowns recomendations.
The tops of the caps get pretty warm during the absorb cycle and the description on the AW&S site said this was a fair indication of how strongly the batts were charging. Recently I felt a few of them and they were cool to the touch. Sure enough those cells were low on water and the cap felt light like the platinum puck had been used up.
I e-mailed AW&S for a contact, as they no longer carry them,
apparently they were not able to supply them in a timely fashion. I called up this old fella told him about the 10 out of 32 "failed" caps and he went into a tirade with me, no way they can wear out, bla bla bla, do you absorb your batts? Yes of course I said! Well you should never do that , the manufacturures want you to burn out your batteries etc. Anyway I just hung up on him eventually after I was basically not going to get any type of refund!
SO, next batts are going to be AGM or premium surrettes.
Don't get these they wear out way too fast!!

Bob and Susan - 2-27-2011 at 04:10 PM

trojans are failing here

the people are replacing them with the surrettes

same with the caps...the standards are just as good

monoloco - 2-28-2011 at 05:40 PM

I am totally loving my Concorde AGM's.

Bob and Susan - 2-28-2011 at 05:56 PM

how old are they

what are the amp hours

6v or 12v

monoloco - 2-28-2011 at 07:30 PM

8) 305ah 6v, they've been hooked up for about 6 months now.

larryC - 3-1-2011 at 08:22 AM

My last set of Absolyte ll agm's lasted 13years, I sold them after 8 and the next guy had them 5 more. I now have CD tech agm's, 2v 1500 amp hours ea, they are 6 years old and going strong. For me agm's have been great. Just install 'em and forget 'em.
Larry

BajaGringo - 3-1-2011 at 08:44 AM

What system voltage are you running Larry?

astrobaja - 3-1-2011 at 10:15 AM

Cool to hear everybodies loving their AGM's! My Brother in Laws business in San Diego is marine electronics and he got our freinds up at the condor station Concorde AGM's for their solar setup. His reasoning was they are more durable, maintenence free and less suseptable to the colder temps up at the park. I will try to get as much life out of my Crowns but for sure next set will be AGM. Heck if I did'nt waste my $$ on the hydrocaps the cost would have been about the same!

larryC - 3-2-2011 at 08:50 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGringo
What system voltage are you running Larry?


BajaGringo
My system is 12v, just what hqppened to be there when I got the place. As the system grew over the years it stayed 12v. If I was to start over I would probably go 24v. maybe even 48v, but that is alot of batteries to buy to make 48v.
Larry

Udo - 3-2-2011 at 07:48 PM

Larry, do you havea web site link for the CD Tech batteries?

Muchas gracias!
Quote:
Originally posted by larryC
I now have CD tech agm's, 2v 1500 amp hours ea, they are 6 years old and going strong. For me agm's have been great. Just install 'em and forget 'em.
Larry

BCSTech - 3-2-2011 at 09:30 PM

Those AGMs... Worth the money.

So much easier when you don't have to remember to water them.

Bob and Susan - 3-3-2011 at 05:52 AM

agm's...we would need a report in 2 years
i've seen lots fail

monoloco's are only 6 months old
they are still new

longest life has been with flooded batteries here
i'd stay with "tested and proven" technology

as for 12v 24v or 48v

i used to think a 48v inverter would be stronger
i've seen 2 - 48v's fail
i've seen three 24v fail
they're all the same

remember if you use a 48v system and
have 6v batteries you need 8 batteries

if ONE cell in ONE battery fails
ALL the other 7 are useless
until you get another battery
and
its not a good idea to add a new battery to an older bank
it throws the "balance" off

making electricty is a "pain..."

larryC - 3-3-2011 at 10:34 AM

udo
Here is the link: http://www.cdtechno.com/ The batteries I have were removed from the NORAD site on Cheyene mountain, in Coclorado. I met a guy who does this stuff for a living, he replaces storage batteries for large government, and industial facilities. These batteries were the back up power system and he removed 700 of them. Some were less than a year old. He kept about 100 of them and sold them for $100 each. I got 18 of them and sold 12 of them to freinds. They are 2v, rated at 1495 amphours at the 8 hour rate of discharge. Each battery weighs 267#. I don't think CD makes this particular battery any more. I have had these batteries for 6 years now, but the batteries were manufactured in Sept, 03. Anyway, good service for a $600 investment, and as I said they are still going strong. I hope to get another 3 and maybe 5 years out of them.
While I believe that large industrial agm batteries are good, they do have a few disadvanges. For one they are voltage sensative. If you charge them at too high a voltage, you can ruin them pretty quickly. Also they want to be charged in an "absorb" mode for a length of time. To do this you usually need a fairly expensive charge controller. I use the Outback MX60 and the Outback FM80. These controllers and others equivilent to them are in the $500 to $600 dollar range. More money than some people want to spend.

[Edited on 3-4-2011 by larryC]

Udo - 3-8-2011 at 07:54 PM

Thanks for the web site info, Larry.
In my instance, I will be using the AGMs in an RV, along with a large bank of solar panels.
The solar panels have been dropping in price at a steady pace (I think that's because the China has been leading the market in solar panels and they are now starting to make an appearance in the US).
Quote:
Originally posted by larryC
udo
Here is the link: http://www.cdtechno.com/ The batteries I have were removed from the NORAD site on Cheyene mountain, in Coclorado. I met a guy who does this stuff for a living, he replaces storage batteries for large government, and industial facilities. These batteries were the back up power system and he removed 700 of them. Some were less than a year old. He kept about 100 of them and sold them for $100 each. I got 18 of them and sold 12 of them to freinds. They are 2v, rated at 1495 amphours at the 8 hour rate of discharge. Each battery weighs 267#. I don't think CD makes this particular battery any more. I have had these batteries for 6 years now, but the batteries were manufactured in Sept, 03. Anyway, good service for a $600 investment, and as I said they are still going strong. I hope to get another 3 and maybe 5 years out of them.
While I believe that large industrial agm batteries are good, they do have a few disadvanges. For one they are voltage sensative. If you charge them at too high a voltage, you can ruin them pretty quickly. Also they want to be charged in an "absorb" mode for a length of time. To do this you usually need a fairly expensive charge controller. I use the Outback MX60 and the Outback FM80. These controllers and others equivilent to them are in the $500 to $600 dollar range. More money than some people want to spend.

[Edited on 3-4-2011 by larryC]

larryC - 3-9-2011 at 09:38 AM

Udo
Here is a site with excellent prices on solar panels. http://www.sunelec.com/
Check often, or get on their mailing list cause they often have sales with really good prices. Just recently I missed some panels at $1.50 a watt.
larry

Floatflyer - 3-10-2011 at 06:59 AM

Good thread and good info. I recently changed from a 12 v system to a 24 v system. Anguished over batteries and ended up with LTH 6 v golf cart batteries, 12 of them. Will have to keep fingers crossed to see how long they last. Have an Outback MX60 and a Magnum MS4024. System is basically shut down in the summer, water level checked once per month. Retailer in San Jose del Cabo quit selling Trojans due to problems and went to Surrettes, $$$. He has since quit the solar biz.