"Solar Battery Maintenance Guide" Do you want to learn solar battery maintenance, do you want to learn how you can maintain a solar battery. Are you searching for solar battery maintenance guide, deep cycle battery care. maintaining a deep cycle battery or how to maintain a solar battery. If yes, Infoguide Ng has brought a complete step by step guide of solar battery maintenance. To extend the useful life of your solar system, you must carry out proper maintenance! Fortunately, when compared to the petrol/diesel generator, solar systems require very little maintenance.
Regularly Inspect And Clean The Batteries.
A visual inspection should be carried out once a month to assess the general condition of the battery bank. Be on the lookout for:
- Corrosion at the battery terminals
- Signs of melting on the battery casing
- Signs of electrolyte leaks
- Electrolyte level (on flooded batteries).
On flooded batteries, the electrolyte level can be checked by opening the caps or by looking in from the side if the housing is transparent. The level must completely cover the separators but remain below the edge of the caps (read battery manual). The separators should never be exposed to air or remain dry. If a refill is required, use distilled water only – no tap water or battery acid!
Check Battery Voltage.
In most cases, if you are using the dry (maintenance-free) batteries. The most convenient way to determine the state of charge (SoC) and health of the battery is by measuring the voltage across a battery.
The most common battery types found in the market are 12 V and 6 V lead-acid batteries. The table below shows expected readings at different charge levels.
State of charge of 12 V battery.
100% 12.9
75% 12.7
50% 12.5
25% 12.3
0% 12.0
State of charge of 6 V battery.
100% - 6.45
75% - 6.35
50% - 6.25
25% - 6.15
0% - 6.0
Battery maintenance is the most important of all maintenance activities. Poor battery maintenance could lead to system failure or, even worse, bodily harm or in some cases death. Battery maintenance should be done monthly.
- Always wear safety goggles.
- Wear gloves for insulation and to prevent contact with battery acid.
- Always use tools with insulated handles.
- Use a metal file/sand paper to remove corrosion from the battery terminals.
- Check connections for tightness.
- Clean all battery surfaces by removing all dirt and humidity.
- Check the electrolyte level on flooded batteries.
- Equalise batteries on a monthly basis. Most charge controllers do that automatically. Mind equalisation voltage and type of battery.
- Bring old batteries to recycling; never dispose of them with normal waste or by leaving them outside (in nature).
Voltage is measured using a voltmeter. The voltmeter should be connected across the negative and positive terminals of the battery.
State Of Charge (SOC)
This refers to the percentage of battery capacity that is still unused. For a 12 V battery used in a 48 V battery bank, at a 100% SoC you can expect a voltage reading of 51.6 V. SoC can be detected with reasonable accuracy only when using a good quality multimeter that can accurately detect minute voltage differences.
Battery pre-maintenance activities.
Clean the battery surface before you begin work. First aid box for treating injuries.
- Isolate the battery bank by disconnecting the input (supply) from the solar panel and the output (demand) of the load.
- If working with dry-cell batteries, you only have to clean the terminals and check for corrosion.
- If you are working on wet-cell batteries, ensure that the caps are tightly sealed to prevent dirt from entering the cells.
- Always have a first aid kit available.
- Always have a mixture of baking soda and water at your side in case of acid spills.
I believe this step by step guide will help to learn solar battery maintenance.
Here's a video that explain Solar Battery Maintenance.