Homebrewed Electricity > Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How can I get the Longest Life from my Batteries?

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BooneyLiving:
In my experience, building some type of enclosure that you can use to keep your batteries warm in winter and not too hot in the summer is really important for getting the longest life out of deep cycle batteries.

I agree wholeheartedly  with the comment about scheduling high loads when you have incoming power.  Another tip is to unplug electronic devices when you're not using them so that they don't draw phantom power.

richhagen:
Two other points for what they are worth.

If your batteries are flooded lead acid, set up a regular schedule to check and add distilled water as needed.  I once had a couple of batteries go below the the tops of the plates, a good ways down actually and they probably were like that for a while, and nothing I tried subsequently restored them to their former capacity. 

Check the battery connections on a regular schedule for loosening or signs of corrosion.  2500 Watts at 12V is 208.3 Amps.  For example, .02 ohms of resistance across a battery connection means that that junction has to dissipate 867 Watts of power if you were actually drawing 208 amps.  I have melted off a few battery terminals on high amp draws over the years, although usually at over 300 Amps in a vehicle application where the additional amperage and vibration aggravates the situation. If the junction is between lead and another metal, in my opinion, it is beneficial to use an anti-oxidizing compound sold for such applications. 

SparWeb:
This thread deserve a bump up to the top, or to be a Sticky.  Thanks again to Wooferhound for writing this.
Despite the growing popularity of Lithium batteries, Lead-acid batteries are still the best bang-for-the-buck.

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