Charging my 12v Battery?

[W. eWatson]

I have a Kirkland (CostCo) deep cycle battery that I have not used in
three years. It's waiting for another project to complete. I charge it
about once a year. The other night I thought I might charge it, but
decided to use my voltmeter first. I was surprised that it measured
about 12.6v. That seems like I really don't need to charge it. Comments?

 

[Jim Thompson]

On Tue, 22 Apr 2014 17:57:46 -0700, "W. eWatson"
<wolftracks@invalid.com> wrote:

I have a Kirkland (CostCo) deep cycle battery that I have not used in
three years. It's waiting for another project to complete. I charge it
about once a year. The other night I thought I might charge it, but
decided to use my voltmeter first. I was surprised that it measured
about 12.6v. That seems like I really don't need to charge it. Comments?

That's a little low. The "float" voltage would be 13.2V (6 x
2.2V/cell), if fully charged. Load it with some substantial current
and then measure the voltage.

...Jim Thompson
--
| James E.Thompson | mens |
| Analog Innovations | et |
| Analog/Mixed-Signal ASIC's and Discrete Systems | manus |
| San Tan Valley, AZ 85142 Skype: Contacts Only | |
| Voice480)460-2350 Fax: Available upon request | Brass Rat |
| E-mail Icon at http://www.analog-innovations.com | 1962 |

I love to cook with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food.

 

[Tom Biasi]

On 4/22/2014 8:57 PM, W. eWatson wrote:

I have a Kirkland (CostCo) deep cycle battery that I have not used in
three years. It's waiting for another project to complete. I charge it
about once a year. The other night I thought I might charge it, but
decided to use my voltmeter first. I was surprised that it measured
about 12.6v. That seems like I really don't need to charge it. Comments?

12.6 volts would usually indicate a nearly full charged battery. After
that long though you should put a load on it and measure. You should
charge that battery at least once a month or keep a smart charger on it.
If possible keep an eye on the fluid level.

 

[W. eWatson]

On 4/22/2014 6:46 PM, Tom Biasi wrote:

On 4/22/2014 8:57 PM, W. eWatson wrote:
I have a Kirkland (CostCo) deep cycle battery that I have not used in
three years. It's waiting for another project to complete. I charge it
about once a year. The other night I thought I might charge it, but
decided to use my voltmeter first. I was surprised that it measured
about 12.6v. That seems like I really don't need to charge it. Comments?

12.6 volts would usually indicate a nearly full charged battery. After
that long though you should put a load on it and measure. You should
charge that battery at least once a month or keep a smart charger on it.
If possible keep an eye on the fluid level.
Thanks.