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Old 06-29-2022, 03:50 PM   #1
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Solar controller over charging batteries

Can a solar controller go bad and over charge batteries. I have 4-each 6-volt batteries 12 volt system in a 2017 Miramar. I noticed my battery readings at 14.4 volts. Solar input 15.5 volts . It’s . 100 degrees out side full Sun. Batteries are not hot. But I heard a slight gurgle sound. I disconnect the system. Renogy controller. 10 amp.

Thanks

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Old 06-29-2022, 04:00 PM   #2
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Do you have it set for the right battery type? The Renogy Controllers have built-in configurations for Flooded, AGM, GEL and LI.

If you can add the Bluetooth dongle you can use the Renogy app to see and control all of the charging parameters. See the Renogy charging parameters below......

The boost voltage for a flooded battery should be 14.2V and for an AGM it is 14.4V.

I have an On / Off switch installed on my Renogy 30A Controller on the solar panel side so that I can take the solar charting out of the equation when I am on shore power so it does not compete with my Inverter / Charger.
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Old 06-29-2022, 04:04 PM   #3
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Thanks. I have the Blue Tooth that shows the data. I set it on flooded. Do I need to set the parameters or will the Renogy controller set on flooded batteries do that automatically?

Thanks
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Old 06-29-2022, 04:12 PM   #4
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Thanks. I have the Blue Tooth that shows the data. I set it on flooded. Do I need to set the parameters or will the Renogy controller set on flooded batteries do that automatically?

Thanks
It should set them automatically of your select FLD in the app and then click on SET. Now if it is in Equalization mode the voltage can go up to 14.8V.

If you have a PWM Controller, see the info below. If you are reading 14.4V it means the Controller is probably in the Boost Mode. Boost Mode should be 14.6V but I will assume you have a little voltage drop depending on the gauge and length of the wires from the Controller to the house batteries plus anything that night be drawing power.
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Old 06-29-2022, 04:39 PM   #5
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Thanks. When I disconnected the system at a 14.4 on boost mode. The slight gurgling noise stopped.

Thoughts
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Old 06-29-2022, 04:41 PM   #6
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May be a stupid question but WHERE are you measuring the voltage - BEFORE the charge controller (from the solar panels), or the charge controller's output to the batteries?

Agree with making certain you have the correct charge profile setting for your type of batteries. Renogy markets pretty reliable stuff (not junk) so it's likely to perform as expected.
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Old 06-29-2022, 05:02 PM   #7
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The 14.4 is from the controller. Each battery indicates 6.4 to 6.5 volts from my battery tester.
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Old 06-29-2022, 05:03 PM   #8
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Here is the Renogy blue tooth Display.
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Old 06-29-2022, 05:07 PM   #9
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Solar controller over charging batteries

It is saying boost charge so it thinks the batteries need that voltage to get tooped off. Once the boost charge is complete (I think 120 minutes is default), it would go to Float charge so the gurgling would stop at the lower voltage.

The other question for you is..... are these new batteries... older batteries or the original 2017 model year batteries?
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Old 06-29-2022, 05:11 PM   #10
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Batteries are 1-year old.
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Old 06-29-2022, 05:27 PM   #11
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Assuming you aren’t on shore power and you don’t have the Use / Store switch in the Store mode, the batteries will be draining overnight just from thr regular 12V systems in the coach. When the sun comes up the Controller looks at the battery voltage and then determines the charging mode.

When it needs to be over 14V, you are going to get the gurgling with flooded batteries.
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Old 06-29-2022, 05:27 PM   #12
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I have two 100 watt panels and a 40 amp MPPT charge controller - which easily keep my two measly 6 volt GC2 batteries fully charged. Occasionally I glance at the controller display. Sometimes it reads 14.5 volts... most times it's 13.6.

I check the water at least once a month - takes 5 minutes tops. Bottom line... after two years, dead/depleted batteries (for my use case) are a thing of the past. Instead of worrying about the batteries, I can spend my time fighting other RV battles...
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Old 06-29-2022, 05:37 PM   #13
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Here are my Numbers yesterday about 1:30 pm.
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Old 06-29-2022, 06:22 PM   #14
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Here are my Numbers yesterday about 1:30 pm.
I'd say that looks perfectly normal........
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Old 06-29-2022, 06:29 PM   #15
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Thanks so little bit of gurgling on boost charge is normal?
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Old 06-29-2022, 06:58 PM   #16
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Thanks so little bit of gurgling on boost charge is normal?
"gurgling" on a battery is never normal.

If the charge controller says it's putting out 14.4 VDC but the series batteries are only 6.5 and 6.6 VDC, where is the remaining voltage dropped?
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Old 06-29-2022, 07:21 PM   #17
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I am not sure where the voltage is going. I have the coach on storage mode. Should I put the coach in usage mode while on solar?
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Old 06-29-2022, 08:18 PM   #18
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"gurgling" on a battery is never normal.

If the charge controller says it's putting out 14.4 VDC but the series batteries are only 6.5 and 6.6 VDC, where is the remaining voltage dropped?

I have to respectfully disagree. It is normal for a flooded battery.... and for a 6V Deep Cycle (Golf Cart Type Battery). If the charger has an Equalization Mode it will gurgle even more when in that charging mode.

Now there are camps that will say it is bad..... but I have worked with enough flooded batteries and high quality chargers to agree with the camp that some bubbling and gurgling is normal.

Boiling is not and bubbling out of the cells is not.

Here is one of the camps that say some gurgling is normal...... andd I have attached a quick reference chart related to it.



Should Golf Cart Batteries Make Noise When Charging?


Do you own a golf cart that makes noise while charging? If yes, then you might be wondering about what really causes this noise and how to stop it! Well, if your golf cart battery makes a gurgling or bubbling sound when charging, then you don’t need to worry as you are not alone. Most golf cart owners face the same issue with their cart batteries, and fortunately there’s nothing to worry about.

While charging your golf cart batteries, you may notice a noise during the entire charging process, and this might make you think about of it is normal for the cart batteries to bubble. Depending upon the noise occurring, it is absolutely normal, or you could have an issue on your hands. Firstly, it’s essential to note the type of sound emitting from the batteries while charging as this could indicate whether your golf cart batteries are perfectly doing what they should do, or you need to disconnect the charger immediately.

Why Do Batteries Make a Gurgling or Bubbling Sound?

While charging, a golf cart battery makes clicking, bubbling, or gurgling sound. These sounds might be pretty normal, but if you hear a pop or a hissing sound, that is abnormal and might be a sign of further issues.

The reason behind the bubbling or gurgling sound of the golf cart batteries is the gases that are present in the batteries. When charging your golf cart batteries, the amperage exceeds the level of the natural absorption rate, which could later cause the battery to overheat. This overheating, in turn, causes the battery electrolyte solution to bubble, thus creating a golf cart battery to emit a bubbling sound when charging and creates flammable hydrogen gas. The hydrogen gas, when combined with oxygen from the air, is highly explosive in nature and can easily be ignited by a simple spark.

The bubbling or gurgling sound is entirely normal during the charging process, especially when the battery is new because it is essential for the golf cart batteries to solidify the new lead within the batteries, commonly called curing the lead. This process can take around 15 to 20 cycles to be completed, and you will more likely have to add water during this process as the charger pushes the electrons into the lead.

Once this process completes, the bubbling sound will start getting quieter, but it will not stop. But you must make sure that if the golf cart batteries are still making louder bubbling noise after the curing process, then your batteries could be experiencing an overcharge situation which is a dangerous phenomenon. There are some acceptable charging ranges that should not be exceeded for the golf cart batteries. So, exceeding this range will lead to a bubbling or gurgling sound even after the curing process is completed and will make the acid to leak in order to relieve pressure.

Is it bad if Batteries are Making Noise When Charging?

Charging a golf cart battery is a must from time to time as it ensures the smooth and efficient running of your golf carts. However, you may sometimes experience an adverse reaction from your cart batteries as it charges, like bubbling or hissing sound. So, if you think, “is this sound bad,” then the answer is NO, but it entirely depends upon how loud the bubbling or hissing sound is!

The situation of golf cart batteries making a noise is the one that might be indicative of many concerns and is something that must be addressed as soon as possible in order to avoid confusion. Therefore, it’s highly important for you to examine the plentiful reasons why your batteries are making noise when charging and whether the amount of boiling is healthy.

An excellent way to figure this out is that if your golf cart battery boils over and spills, this is not a good indication, and this amount is not a healthy look for your golf cart batteries. In case if the batteries boil over and spill, then this could cause damage to your golf cart or the batteries itself. However, there are chances that more serious boiling might occur with your golf cart battery, and this situation can be hard to handle and even damaging because the water and the acid will flow out of your battery cells onto the charger, and the charger will sit there and then. So, always make sure to keep a note of the boiling sound because the more it is, the more serious the concern becomes.


Is There a Way to Stop Golf Cart Batteries From Making Noise?

Are you wondering about how to stop golf cart batteries from making noise when charging? If yes, then there’s no way out for this. Yes, you read that correctly. There’s no way to stop your golf cart batteries from making noise, and there’s nothing to worry about it because it is normal for the golf cart batteries to make noise while charging.

In case if the battery starts to boil over, you must understand that the problems are related to the charger and the acid within the golf cart battery.
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Old 06-29-2022, 08:20 PM   #19
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I am not sure where the voltage is going. I have the coach on storage mode. Should I put the coach in usage mode while on solar?
Did you physically remove the cable so the batteries were not connected in series when you measured the voltage?


A 6V battery that has been at rest for at least 30 minutes and is not connected to anything will read ~6.37 Volts. If you measure them immediately after they were charging, they will read higher.
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Old 06-29-2022, 08:21 PM   #20
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Great information. Thank you
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