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To make home energy generation cost-effective, it will pay dividends if you learn how to recondition rechargeable batteries, and pay attention to correct deep cycle battery maintenance. The following 5 tips should help you to achieve this.
1. Limit the depth of discharge to less than 70%.
Deep cycle batteries are designed to endure repeated deep discharge cycles. Even so if you limit this to 70%, leaving 30% residual charge, this will reduce greatly the speed at which the plates become contaminated, (a process that is called sulfation.) If you do this, the length of time that the unit will give good service will be extended significantly.
2. When fully discharged, recharge as soon as possible.
If the power cells become flat, then as soon as you can you should recharge them. In their fully depleted state these kinds of batteries deteriorate rapidly.
3. Do not under or over charge.
Repeated undercharging will increase the rate at which contaminants build up, and overcharging can lead to the fluid evaporating. Both of these problems will reduce service life and can cause damage. Your system will include a circuit to prevent overcharging, so overcharging will only become an issue if it becomes faulty.
4. Make sure the storage banks capacity suits the task.
You can solve most of the issues above by making sure your battery bank is sufficient for your needs. If you do not have enough storage for your power needs, then your batteries will become stressed, leading to problems described in the first three points. Far better to have over capacity than under capacity.
5. Recondition by removing sulfation, and checking the electrolyte.
Once your batteries becomes in need of rejuvenation they will need to have the sulfur removed from the plates. This is achieved by using a specialized charger which emits a high current pulse. This pulse will break down the lead sulfate crystals, which will then dissolve into the acid fluid, leaving the lead plates free of contamination.
You should also top up fluid levels with deionized water, and add an electrolyte conditioner. This conditioner is a powder that you should be able to buy from a car parts store, or failing that online. If you can't find a conditioner, then a teaspoon of Epsom salts will produce a similar effect.
Learning how to recondition rechargeable batteries, and by paying attention to proper deep cycle battery maintenance, you will not only reduce the time it takes for your system to recoup its cost., but will make it even greener, by making sure your batteries stay out of landfill for as long as possible.
If you want to to discover more about how to restore or recondition old batteries that you thought were dead, and were going to throw away. Go to the recondition old batteries guide. Take a look at www.reconditionoldbatteries.blogspot.com for more information.
