House upgrade to 6V golf cart battery

[Mikebat]

Now that I have gone over my electrical system to find the loose ground in that other thread, and learned about battery types and charging systems in the process, I am stoked about having some specific ideas about upgrading my electrical system to support what I want to do.

Check this out: Concorde Batteries makes a line called Sun Xtender (MSRP $193.00) which are supposed to be cheaper than the Lifeline. They lack the 5 year warranty for marine use but are otherwise the same battery. The 6V model I am looking at is the PVX-2240T AGM-type which are rated at 224 Ah @24hrs (pdf online for $188, shipping OUCH).

I am definitely all for sealed batteries even though there's a premium over flooded. I think it's worth it. Besides the Trojan T-105 won't fit into my battery compartment without cutting out the floor. The 6V golf cart batteries seem to be the way to go for the house bank, unless you have a megayacht (then you can install these monsters: http://store.solar-electric.com/suca2k.html).

Anyone know a dealer in L.A. who might have these in stock so I could pick them up and save the huge shipping cost of 134 lbs of mostly lead?

 

[rssailor]

AGM batteries

Mike,
Contact Concorde at concordebattery.com and check out their list of distributors for one in your area. Also, Mike you should be able to buy the Lifeline six volt batteries for around 220 per battery maybe a bit more. Don't scrimp on the batteries use the ones made for marine use.
One that note, you will need to upgrade to an externally regulated alternator system. This does not mean you need to buy an alternator, just get your existing unit set up for an exteranl regulator by a good shop.
Ok next thing, your charger will need to be set up for AGM batteries as well. What kind of shore power charger do you have? Contact me directly with any questions. Ryan

 

[Mikebat]

I wasn't planning to scrimp on the batteries, just the warranty. The Sun Xtenders have the same specs, same construction and materials as the Lifeline of the same size, except that Sun Xtenders only have the 1/4" stud connector option. The Lifelines can be had with the marine-style spade connector, too. You really are paying extra for the 5-year warranty with the Lifelines. And you know what the word "marine" on the label can do to the price of an otherwise identical part.

The charger in the boat now is a Readi-Amp 8, but I have bought a Xantrex TRUEcharge 20 for this upgrade. The existing group 24 batteries are also AGM and the Readi-Amp has not damaged them, though I thought for a bit that it might have. But they checked out fine with a load tester at BatteryPlus. And there is already an external regulator for the alternator. I do wonder whether I need to do anything now to accomodate solar and wind generation later.

I also just noticed Concorde Battery is based in Covina, CA, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a local source for these batteries.

Any other thoughts on this project, Ryan? Have you installed Lifelines in your boat?

 

[rssailor]

Batteries

This is good that you have an externally regulated alternator. Don't forget to get the temp sensor for Xantrex charger. Check with a distributor and make sure the solar batteries are the same as the lifeline batteries.
My boat has gel cells aboard and will get lifelines when the seven year old gels finally die. I have installed lots of lifeline batteries in my customers boats, and have had very positive experiances with the batteries.
Feel free to talk to my local distributor as he is very knowledgeable about the batteries. ARC Battery 415 332 3272
Ryan Ericson 25+ Moonglow
PS any pics of your current battery setup? What size battery cable are you using? Make sure all other connections are crimped properly and heat shrunk to keep moisture out of the cable.

 

[Mikebat]

This is good that you have an externally regulated alternator. Don't forget to get the temp sensor for Xantrex charger.

Check. Got the remote panel, too.

Check with a distributor and make sure the solar batteries are the same as the lifeline batteries.

Well, here are the specifications, where they overlap, for the 6V Lifeline and the identical 6V Sun Xtender golf cart type battery:

               PVX-2240T    GPL-4C
Dimensions
Length         10.27 in.    10.27in.     
Width          7.12 in.     7.12 in.
Height         10.24 in.    10.24 in.
Weight         67 lbs.      66 lbs.

Capacity @ 25° C (77° F) to 1.75 volts per cell
20 Hr          n/r          220 Ah
24 Hr          224 Ah         n/r

Discharge Times
25A            492 min.     492 min.
15A            n/r          856 min.
8A             n/r          1692 min.

The Sun Xtenders are also capacity rated at 1, 2, 4, 8, 48, 72 and 120 hr rates (143, 180, 185, 204, 246, 256, 263 Ah, respectively). All this info is from Concorde's website. If anything, you get an extra pound of lead with the Sun Xtenders, for less money (but I'm not sure that isn't a misprint). I've also gotten my information from this FAQ: http://www.windsun.com/Batteries/Battery_FAQ.htm

PS any pics of your current battery setup? What size battery cable are you using? Make sure all other connections are crimped properly and heat shrunk to keep moisture out of the cable.

I will get some pics tomorrow. I think the cable is 4 AWG, and there's already heat shrink on the existing cables which I plan to mostly reuse.

 

[Tom Metzger]

I wouldn't do it!

Keep in mind that there are a lot of places to cheapen a battery that won't show up on the specs. They will show up in life expectancy. The electrical specs are only affected by the surface area of the plates and the specific gravity of the acid. Some other things that would affect life are the plate stability in the case, plate separators, the sealing valve, post seals, inter-cell connectors,and a host of other things.

I know nothing about either battery other than what Concord says, but wouldn't touch the Sun-Extender for a boat. It is a "stationary" battery, intended for non-vehicle applications. I would never put a "stationary" battery in a sailboat application, as I would expect it to vibrate to pieces in a relatively short period of time.

Sometimes the price is based on more than just the word "Marine".

YMMV

 

[Mikebat]

Alright Tom, Ryan - good points, both.

 

[rssailor]

Ask someone with experiance

I still think you need to ask a distrubutor about those batteries and see if this person who should be knowledgeable about the product, will say sun extenders are good for your application. Tom's concerns are the same as mine, just for the two cents. Ryan