What are the advantages and disadvantages of AGM batteries?
| Benefits | Disadvantages |
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How do you express the capacity of a battery?
The capacity of a battery is expressed in amperes per hour (Ah).
How does the capacity of a battery vary?
- Their age (number of cycles already completed)
- Its size
- Its acid density
- Its temperature
- The thickness of its plates
- Its discharge regime.
How to calculate a discharge regime?
Discharge current in amps / capacity in amps per hour.
What is a battery cycle?
A cycle is a discharge and a charge. Even if you discharge your battery 20% and then recharge it to 100%, this will be considered cycling (the acid flows in and out of the lead).
At what quantity of acid does my battery lose capacity?
What are the consequences of water evaporation on batteries?
When a lead-acid battery charges, it heats up. The sulfuric acid contained in the lead plates is released into the water to create a mixture: the electrolyte. When it evaporates, the acid contained in the battery becomes more concentrated and will “eat away” the lead plates much more quickly. Consequences: The lifespan of the battery and its autonomy are reduced, it will cycle less.
Why use demineralized water to top up the water levels in your battery?
When the water evaporates, minerals such as calcium, magnesium, chlorine will remain in the electrolyte and will attach to the lead. After several water levels, these minerals will accumulate and deteriorate the battery and at the same time, its lifespan.
How to use a refill can?
Fill it with demineralized water using a funnel. Remove the caps from your batteries and insert the nozzle of the can into them. When the container is full, the small ball will rise, which means that the water level will be reached.
What are the consequences of deep discharge?
Beyond 80% deep discharge, the acid enters the plates and will crystallize on the lead. Consequence: this acid will never come out of the lead and will reduce the lifespan of the battery, unless regeneration is carried out with special chargers which will break the Crystal.
What is centralized water replenishment?
Centralized water replenishment allows you to replenish the water levels of your lead-acid battery simply, efficiently and quickly. You will need to place your water tank 2 to 6 m above the batteries or use a pump to obtain some pressure. [CF image]. Be careful, it may happen that the cap does not come back up, remember to check and tap it if necessary.
What should I do if there is no water before charging my open lead battery?
If there is no water, do not add too much. Indeed, during charging, the acid is released from the lead plates and the water becomes gaseous. By adding too much water, you risk pressurizing your battery which will end up leaking and therefore losing acid. If you notice a significant lack of water, add lead plates up to the surface.
How to degas your lead battery?
Never remove the caps when charging. In fact, when your battery charges, the water rises and becomes gaseous. This process creates small bubbles which, if your caps are open, may cause a few drops of acid to squirt. Prefer to open the degassing covers during discharge.
Why does my battery create gas?
When your battery charges, especially at more than 80% charge, it creates a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen, an extremely flammable and explosive mixture.
What is bottle feeding?
Bottle-charging is the act of recharging the battery for a short time (often when you need it quickly, for a few minutes or hours). You bottle-feed when your phone is off and you charge it 5 minutes before you have to leave the house. This battery feeding is considered a cycle (the acid exits once and enters once into the lead plate)
What are the consequences of bottle feeding?
Bottle-feeding damages the battery. Indeed, the water and the acid will not mix well, the acid goes down and your battery therefore takes longer to charge. So you consume a lot more current and the bottom of your battery, in particular the lead plates, are loaded with acid and will erode more quickly. We strongly advise against shaking your battery upside down to mix the acid.
How to read a discharge indicator?
The fewer bars you have displayed on your indicator, the closer you get to deep discharge. If you are a rental company, we advise you to inform your customers of this tool and how to read it.
What is the difference between parallel connection and series connection?
What causes the self-discharge of a lead-acid battery?
Unless the capacity of your battery has been affected by wear, self-discharge may be due to storage in a too hot place.
What is self-discharge?
Self-discharge is a natural chemical process that occurs in the electrolyte of batteries.
Where and how do I store my batteries?
Il faut les stocker dans un endroit sec, à l’abri du gel, après les avoir rechargé au maximum.
What is the battery bracket used for?
The cleat serves as a reservoir in the battery. This is where the disintegrated lead falls. Thus, there is no direct contact between the negative and the positive therefore no short circuit.
How long does it take to recharge your battery?
If you go down to 80% discharge, it will take you around 10 hours to recharge your battery.
Should you discharge the battery before fully recharging it?
No, not completely. If you discharge your battery completely, you will reduce its autonomy and its capacities. Do not discharge your batteries to less than 20% of their capacity.
Can we sail at night?
No, river navigation at night is not authorized. Indeed, the lack of visibility, light and space makes it too dangerous to navigate at night. A collision would be unwelcome!
Do I need an adapter for my electric boat?
If you have several boats, you will need several outlets or an electrical terminal. Electrical terminals are closed metal boxes, like those found in ports. They make it possible to secure and centralize access to electricity.
How to recharge an electric boat?
If you only have an electric boat, you can recharge it directly from your pontoon, dock or bank using a 220 V socket connected to your home or the nearest building. The best thing is to have a closed electrical terminal to keep your socket and extension cord dry!
How long does it take to recharge the batteries of your electric boat?
Depending on your battery pack and your amperage, recharging your electric boat will take more or less time. You will need a charger for 15% of your battery fleet. So, if you have a 320Ah park, you will need a charger with an output of 0.15x320Ah=48Ah. To calculate the time, it will take 320Ah/48Ah = 6.6 hours. However, this is just theory. Indeed, depending on the age of your charger, your batteries, variations, the batteries will take more or less time to charge (more time most often).
Table based on a 320Ah battery park, we estimate:
| Dump | Estimated recharge time |
| 90% | Between 1 hour minutes and 1 hour 20 minutes |
| 80% | Between 1.5 and 2 hours |
| 70% | Between 2:20 and 3:00 |
| 60% | Between 3:30 a.m. and 4:20 a.m. |
| 50% | Between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. |
| 40% | Between 6:50 a.m. and 8 a.m. |
| 30% | Between 9 a.m. and 10:20 a.m. |
How much does it cost to recharge the batteries of your electric boat?
It all depends on the capacity of your battery. Indeed, if it is old, it will take more time to recharge it. Typically, it costs around 80 cents to fully charge them. If you charge them at night, you can get down to 60 cents.