New house battery

[ryanb]

I'm looking at replacing my 5 year old group 24 house battery. Battery powers everything on the boat except the main and is wired with an ACR. Kicker provides unregulated charge while fishing and this is where my question lies. I've read a lot of confusing information on which type of battery can handle the unregulated, up to 15v coming off the kicker.

Anyone know? AGM? deepcycle flooded? Maintenance free?

Right now there is a maintenance free type in there that has had a tough life accidentally being drained to dead a couple times and not holding its charge all that well.

 

[gungadin]

It will be the battery you use that really is the only "regulator" in that type of unregulated charging system. Use either a normal or deep cycle battery that you can check the electrolyte level of (flooded). The voltage can rise to 17 volts or more and will cause the electrolyte to bubble and fluid will be used up, you need to be able to top it up with distilled water periodically.

 

[Klob]

If you have an ACR it should prevent overcharging.
https://www.bluesea.com/products/7610/SI-ACR_Automatic_Charging_Relay_-_12_24V_DC_120A

 

[tinboatrobb]

Talk to the guys at Canadian energy in Esquimalt, they have awesome batteries.

 

[Goathorns]

Darned good question that I now also want the answer too. My friend has always put the light on in the cabin because of the charging voltage. It seems to me that the flooded battery ended its life early/4 years and the newer AGM seems better.

 

[alyaz]

Each battery manufacturer should be able to provide you with charging voltages that the particular battery is rated for. Beyond each manufacturer having different charging set points for a particular battery, those voltage set points will of course also all be different between FLA, AGM, Gel and Lithiums. As mentioned above, Canadian Energy will be able to tell you exactly what the bulk, absorb and float voltages are for any of their house batteries. For example, a Rolls/Surrette deep cycle FLA will take a higher bulk charge than their comparable gel or agm battery will.