need some advice on purchasing some used batteries

[picmacmillan]

i could use some help here to decide whether to buy some used batteries or not.....there are 11 batteries total..they are all 6 volt gel cells...they came from a buckup system at the fire department...the guy guessed they were 95 amp hours each, but i didn't look....he said he would sell them to me for 15 bucks each if i bought all 11 of them.....what do you think, are they worth picking up or should i let them slide......as it is, i am ready to get some batteries for my 2 wind gennies and my 7 solar panels..i want to run 12 volt......your opinions would be greatly appreciated....pickster

[ghurd]

IMHO

I would say it depends on how 'old' they are.

Some of the charge systems are almost designed to ruin the batteries in 3 years.

I would ask to check the charge system with a meter. If the batteries in it now are over 13.7, the old ones may be toast.  I don't think they will hold up.

Ask why they were replaced and how long they were in service. There is a date code on them somewhere, finding and decoding it can be hard.  There may be a service sticker with date in the unit.

I would pass if the charger had them over 13.7, or if they are over 4 years old.

Gels need a lower charge V than many controllers have. Check if your solar controls are compatable. Some have switches or jumpers to adjust for the battery type.

What are they going to do with them anyway?  You may be the only guy who has any interest.  Not a big (or small) market for those things most places.  They will probably end up hidden in a dumpster if you don't take them. Sad but true.

G-

[picmacmillan]

thanks ghurd.....i beleive the fire dept. has to replace them every so often..to be honest, i don't even know what that is, 2 years- 4 years?...not sure...i do knowthe battery guy that has them, is a big dealer in batteries of all types...i think he said he just sells them for scrap which is 8 bucks canadian ,he said....i know they were backup batteries kept at room temperature, idon't beleive they were even used...unless they were used in that power blackout last year or year before....so, i don't know...i will check how old they are and see if there is a sticker on them....'m not sure what you mean by the charge system...i don't think they charged anything, unless you mean the charging they did to keep them up...anyhow, thanks ghurd...i will go there tomorrow to see what else i can find out....pickster

[ghurd]

Yes, I meant the battery charging system.

The batteries in it now are probably full. Check them to see where the V is sitting.

Even if they were cycled, I don't think it would effect the batteries much if the charging system is good (ie 13.4~13.7v).  Some systems keep them at 14.5v or more. Thats why they need replaced so often. The charge system is usually good or bad, never seen one in between.

The date is usually a stamp on the terminals ('R' on pos, 'fd' on neg, or something like that. A call to the company can tell how old if the company thinks they need replaced every 2 years!) On smaller batteries it is ususlly a brand, numbers melted into the case.

A stamp 03-365-2 could mean 2003, December 31 (365th day of the year), 2nd shift.

G-

[picmacmillan]

thanks ghurd will go and see what the batteries say about themselves...pickster