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Equalization of the batteries causes them to bubble and break up the deposits on the plates. When you are hooked up all the time you have very little activity in the batteries and equalization is necessary. If you dry camp and use solar there is much more activity in your batteries and equalization is less necessary. That's my take on it and I'm sticking to it unless someone really knows I'm wrong.
Mike. 2003. Trek. 26
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On Apr 24, 2015, at 12:20 PM, mojombo2000@... [Safarifriends] wrote:
"Equilizing' is a deliberate 'overcharging' of servicable LEAD-ACID batteries ONLY. AGM and 'Maintenance Free batteries SHOULD NOT BE 'equalized because water released in the process (through vigorous 'gassing') cannot be replaced unless each cell can be accessed and refilled..
The following is a much longer explanation of what 'equalization' accomplishes and why only conventional lead-acid batteries can be 'equalized.
Rigorous scientific testing by battery manufacturere and battery industry independent laboratories confirm conventional lead-acid batteries in 'deep cycle' service such as RV's, golf carts, fork-lifts do develop areas of unregenerated lead-sulfate, even though battery charging voltage 'should' comletely regenerate the batteries. Unless this persistent lead sulfate is reconverted to pure lead, it hardens over time, cracks, and flakes off. This loss of lead metal is the primary reason lead-acid batteries lose capacity over time and recharging cycles. Deep cycle batteries are designed for moderate discharge rates, such as over 20 or more hours. The lead is much thicker on each plate and fewer plates are used than for 'starting batteries', which are designed for very high discharge rates, but not very 'deep'.
The amount of recharge resistant lead sulfate is highly dependent on use cycles--both rate and depth of discharge AND the design of the recharging system and how long .before the discharged or partially discharged battery is recharged. The longer lead sulfate remains, the harder it is to regenerate it. The depth of discharge has profound impact on the batteries useful life. Most battery manufcturere recommend no more than 50% discharge as probably the best compromise for most uses.
Inexpensive chargers start off at high rates and rate decreases as the baterry charge increases. The terminal voltage of inexpensive chargers are not the optimum for maintaining battery life over many discharge cycles.
A '3-stage' charger (bulk high rate, much lower finishing rate, and lower voltage maintaining condition. It does a much better jobof avoiding over gassing, but even it does not get all the resistant lead sulfate. Lead sulfate forms a dense hard crystaline structure over time, and it takes much longer for regeneration of hardened (old) lead sulfate because it is not nearly as porous and the remade sulfuric acid has a hard time getting back out into the acid phase. If fact, often a 'dead' lead-acid battery that 'will not take a charge' CAN be revived and restored to usable capacity by long period (possibly months) of slow charging.
New technology smart chargers have 'desulfating' cycles which pulse much higher voltages into the battery for less than a second, followed by a equally short rest, keeping the already recharged lead from overheating and gassing too much.
A characteristic of the lead-acid battery is that continuing to 'charge' to complete regeneration (ALL Lead sulfate converted back to pure lead, lead oxide, and sulfuric acid) causes excessive electrolysis of the water and loss of hydrogen and oxygen out the cell vents. Unless the lost water is replaced, the battery will dry out and fail. Typically, good chargers will bring the battery back to 95%or better. Periodically (once a month for daily discharge cycles) or once a year , or never, a deliberate' overcharge' voltage is applied for a moderate period of time. How long? It depends on how much lead sulfate there is still on the plates at the end of a normal rechargare. If one looks down into the a battery cell, a fully charged battery will have two very distinctly different appearing plates. One plate will be flat black (lead oxide), the other almost white (pure lead) leaf sulfate is brown. A partially discharged cell may have both plates looning the same. When the 'equalizing' overcharge brings all the cells and plates to alternating black-white-black--etc. the 'equalizing is done. Then refill the batteryiwith DISTILLED water, not 'filterd, not de-ionized, not 'tap' water and not 'rain water. ANY impurities will interfere with the lead-sulfuric acid chemistry and .reduce battery life and capacity.
AGM and Maintenance Free batteries contain different lead alloys that are less prone to 'gassing' and progressive formation of un-regenerable lead sulfate.
We sleep soundly in our beds because rough menstand ready in the night to visit violence on thosewho would do us harm.-Winston Churchill-