how long to charge a battery?

[spartanpele]

How long does it take to charge up a fully discharged battery? <br /><br />(I'm using a ship/shore automatic charger and it said normal charge time is 6.5-8 hrs for a 1/2 charged battery.)<br /><br />On day one I charged it for 6 hrs, day two I charged it for 11 hrs, and it still shows 1/2 discharge. I'm onto day three and I think the battery is junk and its time to get a new one. <br /><br />Anyone want to offer their thoughts on charge time for a deep cycle battery?

 

[JB]

Re: how long to charge a battery?

Get a hydrometer, SP. That is the only accurate way short of a load test to determine whether a battery is fully charged.<br /><br />Time required depends on the battery, its starting state of charge and the charge rate of the charger.<br /><br />A hydrometer can test cells individually and show you right away if you have a dead or weak one.

 

[spartanpele]

Re: how long to charge a battery?

Thanks JB. I agree, but my charger, which is brand new, also has a guage that allows me to monitor the progress in charging. It also has a built in feature that once the battery is charged it will go into a maintain level to simply keep the charge at the highest level.<br /><br />But the problem is that its been charging for a couple of days, and it doesn't seem to be getting any better past half charged. When I unplugged it last night it showed that it was at about 2/3 charged, but when I checked it this morning, it was already back down to under 1/2 charged. Theres no cables or wires hooked up, so it shouldn't be discharging over night like that..imho.<br /><br />The funny thing is that while its charging, I can see the bubbles coming out of the vents (I charge with the caps off). Although I can also smell the slightly rotten egg smell as well while charging, and that usually indicates a bad battery.<br /><br />I'll track down my hydrometer and do a quick test of the cells...but I suspect I'm off to the store tonight to get a new battery.... unless someone else has a different view.

 

[briannh1234]

Re: how long to charge a battery?

If you can't find you hydrometer, most auto parts store will load test the battery for free. Take the battery with you to the store and let them test it.<br /><br />That said - whenever I have had a rotten egg smelling battery it has turned out to be a bad battery - nothing would recover it.

 

[spartanpele]

Re: how long to charge a battery?

Thanks briannh... I plan on yanking it tonight, digging out the hydrometer and testing it. If I can't find the hydrometer, I'll head to the battery place and have them check it out. <br /><br />Right now I don't have confidence in it, and nothing would be worse then to be out on the water and have it not start...and then I'd be kicking myself for not replacing it.

 

[amirm]

Re: how long to charge a battery?

Seems like a bad battery to me too. Three days should have been more than enough to get it charged. <br /><br />If is old, I would just replace it rather than messing with getting it tested, etc. It is not worth the hassle .<br /><br />Amir

 

[Marc J.]

Re: how long to charge a battery?

I got the same charger SP. I replaced the clamp connectors with some H.D. battery connections and it performs much better. It would previously act as you describe. Although your battery may be bad also.

 

[spartanpele]

Re: how long to charge a battery?

I thought I would let everyone know the end result....<br /><br />I got out the multmeter and the hydrometer. The multimeter showed 12.82 when I tested it cold. I then charged it for 20 minutes, and it tested at 13.01. I used the hydrometer, and every cell checked out for a high charge. Meanwhile the charger only indicated a 1/2 charge.<br /><br />So I took the charger back to Farm & Fleet (also know as Fleet-Farm) and they of course didn't believe me that a brand new (3 day old) charger would be faulty, till I told them of the multimeter and hydrometer tests. They agreed to let me return it. <br /><br />I then grabbed a new charger (but same make & model) from their shelf, and then tested the charger right there at the store on a brand new battery. It tested out fine (3/4 charged which is normal given their new battery was sitting on a shelf for a while). I took home the new charger and hooked it up to my battery. It started at 2/3 charged and within 20 minutes the guage showed charged.<br /><br />So it turns out the old (new) charger was able to charge, but the guage indicator and maintain system were faulty. I'll retest the battery again with the multimeter before taking it out on the water this weekend. But it sure looks to me like the battery is fine.<br /><br />Thanks for everyones help!