How often do YOU check battery with hygrometer

[jon carpenter]

Lots of good information on the forum about checking battery voltage, etc but I am wondering how often do you check the battery with a hydrometer? Monthly, quarterly, spring and fall, just when you check the water level?

Just curious what others do.


jon

[floyd]

Originally Posted by jon carpenter

Lots of good information on the forum about checking battery voltage, etc but I am wondering how often do you check the battery with a hydrometer? Monthly, quarterly, spring and fall, just when you check the water level?

Just curious what others do.


jon

I guess it can't hurt,... so I check mine every uh...never!

[Franswa]

2 GC batteries....check water level once a month (and always have to add some BTW).... and hydro check...just because it's sitting right there when I check water levels....

kinda surprised me that I always have to add water (distilled)....maybe the fact that the trailer is either plugged in with charger on....or it's sitting there unplugged and the roof panels are charging the batteries.....my batteries are always "working" I guess

[gordon2]

Since I have a good battery monitor and charging system, the only time I use the hydrometer is when I have or suspect a problem. Its good for comparing the state of charge of the individual cells to identify a bad cell. A single bad cell can make a battery appear to work more or less normally but not hold a good a charge for as long.

[k0wtz]

I put a 12v monitor in the trailer I have it switched as long as I have 12.5vs or so I don't worry about it. I think running any sort of a charger is hard on your battery.

when hooked up it has a trickle running off the car alternator.

bob

[DeBreez]

Depends on usage. Since I leave my trailer plugged in while at home, I disconnect the battery to prevent it from getting boiled by the converter, as it happened once already. I check the water levels monthly, more or less, and use the hydrometer less often.

[Jim Bennett]

Never, I have AGMs.

But, when I had flooded, I just monitored the voltage level, and checked fluid levels spring and fall. Never used a hygrometer either.

[John Linck]

I check my group 27 lead acid battery water levels once a year. I don't know where my hydrometer is. Last time I checked the battery it needed no water; year before just an ounce in each cell. I use water from a Reverse Osmosis water purification system at home (pretty much the same as distilled). Years ago, with less sophisticated chargers, I had to add water much more often. The battery is charged while towing from the Subaru's alternator and I use a charge wizard gizmo hooked up to the Scamp's converter when on shore power (really almost never) and everyday by my solar panel/charge controller which is a 3 stage unit that seems to keep the battery very happy. The sun shines most days and the battery is bathed in the sun's fusion powered raditation photon goodness.

I do keep an eye on the battery voltage level with a $5.00 eBay 4 digit panel display.

I wonder that when a battery needs water monthly if it may be getting too much charging.

Cheers, and Happy Turkey Day all, john

Pic of a bright Sugar Maple in Northern Wisconsin

[gordon2]

Originally Posted by John Linck

...
I wonder that when a battery needs water monthly if it may be getting too much charging....

Almost certainly it is. Very heavy discharge / recharge cycles would do that also but if a camper house battery is not under almost constant heavy use yet you still need to add water monthly, then overcharging is a very good bet.

[Franswa]

NOCO 12-24V 7200mA Battery Charger G7200

I'll just have to see how many years I get out of my batteries I guess...so far happy with how everything's working for me

[Raz]

I have an AGM so the hydrometer is useless. I check with a $10 DVM in the morning if we are going from place to place. If we are staying for several days and I'm using my solar panel I check in the late afternoon noon as well.

[patrick crawford]

i replaced the battery in my casita several years ago. at the same time i installed a "fluid replenishment device". this device replaces all the vent caps on top of the battery and has a tube connected that you connect to another tube with a squeeze ball. hook the two together, put the other end in the water bottle, squeeze the bulb and all the cells are topped off. it's been around 3 years since this device was installed and i've used it every 6 months or so. only a few times has it needed additional water (distilled). recently i had to pull the battery to connect a new solar controller and took that opportunity to dust off the hydrometer and test. all the cells were nearly equal. i realize that a bad cell may occur without my knowledge using this system however, that battery is such a pita to pull and check so i'm trusting that device to at least keep the battery fluids at proper levels. my trailer does have an upgrade converter that utilizes a 4 stage charging program and so far it seems to be working well. the trailer stays plugged in all the time at home (to keep the fridge running). so far so good...

p@

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Never, I have AGMs.

But, when I had flooded, I just monitored the voltage level, and checked fluid levels spring and fall. Never used a hygrometer either.

Ditto. While more expensive than flooded lead batteries, AGMs are the only batteries I will buy in the future. As Tony says, "they're greattt."

[k0wtz]

i looked at my tractor battery yesterday for some reason it gets little use or starting for that matter. It sets out in all sorts of weather but starts the tractor every time date on it 2011.

my car batteries usually go 6 years also never have checked water in them. Maybe at the end of the 6 years they have no water in them never checked.

Maybe the water going low on a battery is just a progression of its age as it comes to the end of its usefulness. no doubt overcharging a battery will boil it out I think I would put a battery minder on it to solve this or put a timer on the outlet to stop this!

bob

[pete_britt]

If I pull my battery to check water levels, the hard part is done. So why not check with hygrometer. For my next battery (years away I hope) I plan to skip AGM and jump to Lithium (2x capacity, 1/2 weight).

[WizWid]

Originally Posted by pete_britt

If I pull my battery to check water levels, the hard part is done. So why not check with hygrometer. For my next battery (years away I hope) I plan to skip AGM and jump to Lithium (2x capacity, 1/2 weight).

Some of us dont have to "pull" our batteries to check water levels....

[Byron Kinnaman]

Hmmm again I have to ask how often do you check the water level of the battery in daily drive?

[Glenn Baglo]

I tend to check mine each time the topic comes up on the forum.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

I tend to check mine each time the topic comes up on the forum.

I've been known to do that. However, I only added water to one battery once. I'm on battery # 4 on 12 years. Fist one I missed diagnosed the problem and replaced it when I didn't need too. The second one stopped holding a charge. The 3rd somebody else wanted it worse than I did apparently, and the 4th is still in use. And wouldn't you know it the 3rd was the most expensive true deep cycle battery. Went back to a marine hybrid at 1/2 the cost.

[k0wtz]

here is a thought I have done this to keep from boiling out a battery put a timer on your el. line!

bob