Charging Deep Cycle Batteries

As the name suggests, deep-cycle batteries refer to those batteries that can be deeply discharged to generate power without affecting the working and lifespan of the battery. The most common kind of deep-cycle batteries is referred to as lead-acid and lithium-ion batteries which are further classified into various categories as per newer technological developments. Let us explore the charging dynamics of deep-cycle batteries in various scenarios.

Charging Deep Cycle Batteries in Cold Weather

Cold weather affects the charging capacity of deep-cycle batteries by increasing the internal resistance of batteries. This will affect a battery’s output capacity and charging capability. Lithium Ion deep cycle batteries are ideal for cold weather as they most efficiently retain the charge at -32oF. 

To charge a deep-cycle battery in cold weather, you need to take the following actions:

Recharge the battery frequently to save it from freezing. A frozen electrolyte can cause irreversible damage to the battery. 

Use a thermal blanker if possible to heat your battery.

Store your battery in a warm and dry environment away from direct sunlight. Because in winter or cold weather, direct sunlight means direct exposure to extreme temperatures.

Use a high-voltage charger to charge the battery. 

Keep your battery clean and warm up as much as possible.

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Do not charge a frozen battery.

Get your battery away from the freezing zone before plugging it in for charging.

Charging Deep Cycle Batteries in Parallel

Have you ever wondered about increasing the power capacity of your deep-cycle battery? If so then you need to know how to create a battery bank, connect, and charge batteries in a parallel fashion. 

For starters, you need to understand that batteries in parallel and batteries in series are two completely different concepts. By connecting batteries in series, you can increase the overall battery voltage without affecting the battery capacity at all. Whereas, by connecting batteries in parallel, you can increase the capacity of deep-cycle batteries by keeping the voltage constant. Generally, it is recommended to connect batteries that have similar voltage, capacity, age, size, and model while wiring them together. The connecting wires should also be of the same size so that all wires have similar resistance. These essential measures are necessary to create a safe, effective, and secure battery bank.

For wiring, you need to wire the positive terminals together with one wire which is then connected to the positive terminal of the charger. Similarly, you have to connect the negative terminals of all attached batteries with one wire and then connect it to the negative terminal of the attached charger. 

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Choosing the right battery, finding an identical-sized wire, and arranging the batteries in parallel are quite easy. The challenge lies in connecting the wires efficiently and effectively charging the batteries to get the desired power output. If you are connecting only 2 batteries then connecting the terminals is a piece of cake and you will get double battery capacity with ease and securely (for example connecting two 225 amp/hour batteries in parallel will generate 450 amp/hour capacity). 

But if you want to connect more than 2 batteries then the connection and wiring have to be efficient. This is so because if you simply pass the wire from one battery terminal to the second, and then to the third and fourth then theoretically it seems that all batteries are receiving the same level of current but the reality is different. In reality, the battery closest to the charger will get the most amperage while the amperage will keep on decreasing as you move to the next batteries connected in parallel. This kind of unbalanced connection will not let you enjoy the battery capacity to its fullest. 

To reap the complete benefit of each battery, it is ideal to connect the batteries with wiring that offers perfectly balanced charging. For perfectly balanced charging you need to connect these in a way to offer equal resistance and current to all battery terminals. For a four-battery bank, say A, B, C, and D, the perfect connection will be such that:

You need to use equal-length wire for both positive and negative terminals of batteries.

Connect the negative terminal of the charger such that it directly connects to battery B from where the wire is twisted towards terminal A and terminal D which also leads to terminal C. 

Similarly, for the positive terminal, you can connect the positive wire from the charger to directly terminal C which can be twisted towards terminals D and A leading to terminal B. 

This twisting of wire means that equal all terminals receive equal resistance and current flow and thus similar amperage.

Equal amperage ensures the durability of the battery through equal charge and discharges along with maximum capacity output. 

Do you need to charge a new deep-cycle battery?

Many people assume that the new batteries come with 100% charging which only needs installation before running. But this is merely an assumption. Deep cycle batteries need a refresher charge when installed for the first time. This refresher charge is done to charge the battery if not already charged or recharge the battery if some power got self-discharged during storage time, transit time, and due to temperature variation. If your new battery gets discharged due to any of the above mentioned reasons then there is no need to worry because this is normal for a battery to self-discharge. 

To effectively use the battery while keeping intact its’ storage capacity and health you need to fully charge the battery before using it. Charging a new battery to 100% before using or discharging it is ideal and recommended to get the most out of your deep-cycle battery. 

No matter what type of deep-cycle battery you are using, you need to fully charge it before using it for the first time. Be it a flooded, AGM, or GEL model battery, you need to ascertain the battery level while installing and if the battery level falls below the recommended charging level by the manufacturer then you need to recharge it fully before actually using it.