Which provides the better charge?

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Small Cabin Forum / Off-Grid Living / Which provides the better charge?


Author	Message
groingo Member	# Posted: 31 Jul 2014 10:50pm Reply Ok, am charging once a week by generator, was curious as to wether you have seen any advantage to charging all in one long charge or breaking down into two smaller charges but totalling the same in the end. Personally I have seen better longer lasting charges when all done at once and the closest I can figure is because of the time it takes to get the process going and up to temp so it would appear....just brain storming.

MtnDon Member	# Posted: 1 Aug 2014 02:38pm Reply Well as far as lead-acid battery health and longevity goes the more frequently the batteries are brought to fully 100% charge the better off the batteries are. It may not be the most efficient use of the gasoline used to fuel a generator that powers a battery charger though. But the question is what provides the better charge. IMO, the best charge is a daily charge using PV panels and a three stage charge that ends up with the batteries in float every "normal" day. Reaching 100% full daily helps head off the sulfation issue. Sulfation occurs more readily when the batteries sit in partial charge state for prolonged periods. The daily charge also reduces the depth of discharge which also increases likely life of the batteries.