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bamalamadingdong
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2024 16:40
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Ho hard would it be to convert from golf cart batteries to the new lithium ones or is there another type battery so I dont have to check water levels..I have 10 batteries.....its an older system my brother in law built....he has since passed...
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gcrank1
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2024 17:27 - Edited by: gcrank1
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What is the working voltage of your system?
Has that bat-bank size been keeping up with your needs?
How cold does it get there?
Have you visited:
diysolarforum.com
With what you have going on there you may want to join up there since it seems to be the 'place to go' for home built systems.
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bamalamadingdong
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2024 17:40
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I havent figured out the numbers yet.....battery bank was good when the batteries were good but they are old now.... Im deep south so not cold.....
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2024 18:29
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You have posted before and got the answers you are searching for. You aren't going to get any different answers by posting here again.
I suggest you post over in DIY solar forum. However, don't expect an easy answer (as I stated earlier).
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2024 19:34
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Thing is about 'diysolarforum' is that its specific to what you are dealing with and can give you a crash course in what all that stuff is about.
LAST thing you want to do is start buying stuff for that system when you have no idea what's what. I can tell you that there are thousands of dollars worth of stuff in that set up and much, maybe all is still usable except the bat-bank.
If those are wired in series/parallel each pair of 6v bats makes a 12v, then 5 pairs (the 10 bats) is 5 sets of 12v wired in parallel to make a pretty substantial bunch of watt hours available (when bats are good).
If you have no idea what Im talking about you need to get on 'diysolar'.
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Brettny
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2024 20:55
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I add water to my batteries about 2x a year because I'm overly cautious. My 6 batteries take less than 2 gal of water a year in the northeast.
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travellerw
Member
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# Posted: 12 Feb 2024 22:16
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Equalization and high charging voltages are what boils the water off. Set reasonable values and only equalize every few months and you barely use any water. Once or twice a year fill is all you need.
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bamalamadingdong
Member
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2024 07:52
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I think those batteries are done....they are over 20 years old at least..... Ill have to figure out everything I got to get started ......
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gcrank1
Member
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# Posted: 13 Feb 2024 10:00 - Edited by: gcrank1
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Batteries (also called 'storage') are the biggest expense you will have getting this thing running.Just because there are 10 bats now may not mean you have to use another 10. Let's say it is a 12v system, that means it can actually run a single 12v 'deep cycle' battery too. If all you want is some lights, usb or tool recharging, a fan; ie, all 'light draw' stuff, you could buy a '100ah trolling motor' battery at Walmart (or two) and be working for a couple hundred dollars.
IF you replace all 10 golf cart bats it will be over $1000 and a heavy, labor intensive haul and install. The easy part would be the watering!
Don't use AGM bats, they are substantially more expensive than plain Lead Acid bats and typically don't live as long in this application.
On the most expensive end are the LFP bats. Like $400 and up per each 100ah bat ($400 is the cheap Amazon 'take a chance' bat).
The good thing is that the available/usable power in each is double what a 100ah LA bat has, so 2 of those would be equal in storage to 4x100ah LA.
If I were you, Id make sure everything is turned off then disconnect the bat-bank you have and use the + and - main cables hooked to one (again, IF this is a 12v system) 100ah LA 'marine deep cycle' battery from Walmart (really just for test purposes even a used (ie, free from a friend?) auto type battery)
If you do this, Do Not run heavy draw stuff like a coffee maker, microwave, etc or the bat won't last long.
Oh yeah, all those bats you are are recyclable. You need to trade a bat in at most places, called a 'core charge', when you buy a bat at most stores.
Again, if you don't understand what Im talking about you are in over your head.
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