Anyone Using AGM Batteries In Their 32 Volt System?

[miboatnutz]

Just curious.

Anyone using AGM batteries in their 32 volt system? At the start of this season we wound up with three bad 8 volt batteries (Deka 819), mostly due to the LaMarche "battery cooker" and decided to replace both the charger which was original to the boat and and all the batteries since they were at least three years old.

Couldn't get Deka 8 volt batteries of any kind as three different sources told me that the manufacturer was out of stock and not likely to have any available until later this year and Rolls was telling me at least a couple of weeks for delivery. Wound up going with Full River 8 volt AGM batteries marginally greater than the 819's in AH & CCA.

So far the combination of a new Analytic Systems charger and the AGM batteries seems to be working very well. Replaced the old, rotted fiberglass battery boxes with new NOCO units and the generator room cleaned up beautifully.

Now I'm wondering what I can anticipate for life expectancy for these AGM batteries in this application.

 

[MVCaprice]

Yep. I am running several banks of Full River DC200-8. You can get them for around 300$ a piece.

http://www.dcbattery.com/fullriver_dc200-8.html

On the charging front we use two ~3.5KW Outback inverters and a large capacity alternator on one of the engines. We dumped the OE charger a long time ago in favor of the temp monitored three stage chargers in the invertors.

 

[miboatnutz]

Thanks for the response and great info!

Next thing on my list is to install the battery temp sensors. Planning on doing that and some kind of remote battery monitoring system in the next month or two.

How long have you had your AGM's? I'm hoping t get at least the same life out of them that I would with the Deka lead acid batteries if the charging system is working properly.

My charger float and bulk charging rates are set exactly to Full River specs, so everything is as it should be for this type of battery. Hoping for the best!

 

[MVCaprice]

Thanks for the response and great info!

Next thing on my list is to install the battery temp sensors. Planning on doing that and some kind of remote battery monitoring system in the next month or two.

How long have you had your AGM's? I'm hoping t get at least the same life out of them that I would with the Deka lead acid batteries if the charging system is working properly.

My charger float and bulk charging rates are set exactly to Full River specs, so everything is as it should be for this type of battery. Hoping for the best!

Our house bank has been in since 6/2011 or so and they still have at least 80% of original capacity. Keep in mind though that the boat is only every really cyling batteries for a couple months a year as our season is fairly short.

Our engine starting batteries are a bit older and they are still holding up well.

 

[nautibake]

Just curious.

Anyone using AGM batteries in their 32 volt system? At the start of this season we wound up with three bad 8 volt batteries (Deka 819), mostly due to the LaMarche "battery cooker" and decided to replace both the charger which was original to the boat and and all the batteries since they were at least three years old.

Couldn't get Deka 8 volt batteries of any kind as three different sources told me that the manufacturer was out of stock and not likely to have any available until later this year and Rolls was telling me at least a couple of weeks for delivery. Wound up going with Full River 8 volt AGM batteries marginally greater than the 819's in AH & CCA.

So far the combination of a new Analytic Systems charger and the AGM batteries seems to be working very well. Replaced the old, rotted fiberglass battery boxes with new NOCO units and the generator room cleaned up beautifully.

Now I'm wondering what I can anticipate for life expectancy for these AGM batteries in this application.

We also opted for the Full River AGMs to replace both 32V banks. Knock wood, a little over 2 years and they are performing perfectly. We went with the 3 stage Newmar and traded our Charles cooker to Scott for a nice lunch. Also new battery boxes (after replacing 2sections of acid-rotted deck below the boxes) and have to say even the surveyor commented on how nice the job looked.

Oh - and I don’t miss the monthly battery refill ritual one bit!

 

[MVCaprice]

Oh - and I don’t miss the monthly battery refill ritual one bit!

This!!! I don't miss the faint battery acid (sulfur) smell either.

 

[Pascal]

Wait till one battery fail and you wake up in the morning to the smell of rotten eggs happened to me a few times over the year with less than 4 to 5 year old AGMs and modern multistage chargers properly set up for AGMs

Happened with generator, house and mains batteries. The most memorable one was a generator battery stinking out the whole boat on the morning we were starting a 7 day charter for the NYYC race commuter in Newport. Big scramble to find a 4D AGM in Newport and install it before noon boarding time. And anyone who s been to Newport RI beforenthe daya of Uber and Lyft knows how tough it was to find a taxi

I m using lead acid on my 53, not worth the extra $ for AGMs

 

[MVCaprice]

Wait till one battery fail and you wake up in the morning to the smell of rotten eggs happened to me a few times over the year with less than 4 to 5 year old AGMs and modern multistage chargers properly set up for AGMsHappened with generator, house and mains batteries. The most memorable one was a generator battery stinking out the whole boat on the morning we were starting a 7 day charter for the NYYC race commuter in Newport. Big scramble to find a 4D AGM in Newport and install it before noon boarding time. And anyone who s been to Newport RI beforenthe daya of Uber and Lyft knows how tough it was to find a taxi I m using lead acid on my 53, not worth the extra $ for AGMs

I haven’t had this happen with lifeline batteries or the full river, but agree when they go they go! I avoid optima battery’s now. Just out of curiousity what brand batteries were they?

 

[Pascal]

Various brands ... I forgot which.

 

[northshoreone]

Which box’s did you get from NOCO ? I have several 8 volt battery box’s in less than great shape!Thanks!

 

[Pete]

I would be interested to learn of any poor experiences with Lifeline AGMs. I just swapped out a set that went 11 years and were still performing, just decided better to do it on my schedule. I originally went for the Lifeline brand and their premium price based on all feedback I had from others, but that was not a large sample size.

 

[miboatnutz]

I went with Full River 8 volt DC-180 batteries. Don't know whether I got a deal or my battery supplier was trying to make up for the fact that he promised me Deka's and couldn't deliver, but I got the AGM's for $250.00 each which was about $20.00 more per battery than the Deka 8V195 batteries that he originally quoted me.

Then I purchased four NOCO HM426 battery boxes to replace the rotted original Fiberglass boxes as the new batteries literally took up half the space of the old units. Got lucky as there wasn't much wood rot underneath the original boxes, so I hit all areas with a coat of grey BilgeKote paint. Everything matched perfectly and cleaned up well!

 

[MVCaprice]

I would be interested to learn of any poor experiences with Lifeline AGMs. I just swapped out a set that went 11 years and were still performing, just decided better to do it on my schedule. I originally went for the Lifeline brand and their premium price based on all feedback I had from others, but that was not a large sample size.

I would like to hear bad feedback as well!

On my speedboat the lifeline house bank was installed in 2008 and is still running strong. They are very high quality batteries in my experience.

 

[MVCaprice]

Ugh! Our house bank of 12 DC200-8 batteries are on the outs and has lost about 40% of its overall capacity. They are all at least 7 years old (6/11 date on the case) so it isn't too bad for the bank though.

 

[miboatnutz]

I know that's bad news but honestly, I'd be thrilled if I got seven years out of those AGM's! Previous owner never got more than three years out of the lead acid batteries which I'm sure had more to do with the battery cooker and routine maintenance. Plus there was the mess of battery acid and distilled water in the battery boxes, corroded cables, rotted wood, etc. etc.

 

[MVCaprice]

I know that's bad news but honestly, I'd be thrilled if I got seven years out of those AGM's! Previous owner never got more than three years out of the lead acid batteries which I'm sure had more to do with the battery cooker and routine maintenance. Plus there was the mess of battery acid and distilled water in the battery boxes, corroded cables, rotted wood, etc. etc.

Agreed. 7 years is not bad and I am sure we got at least 300 charge cycles out of them. Unfortunately its hard to get them up here it seems and the best prices are in florida!

 

[SKYCHENEY]

My Rolls are 11YO. The house/inverter bank is starting to boil so there must be at least one bad cell. I called Rae Battery last week and they had them in stock.

I am only replacing the 4 batts in that house bank. I ordered them from another dealer at a better price but for $84 less than Rae. The price was $382 each.

Questions:
What is the size of these 8v AGM's; dimensions? Amp/hour rating? Weight?

Maybe in another 11 years, I might have to consider them

 

[MVCaprice]

Questions:
What is the size of these 8v AGM's; dimensions? Amp/hour rating? Weight?

Maybe in another 11 years, I might have to consider them

Look at the specs on this page:

http://www.fullriverbattery.com/product/batteries/DC200-8

 

[MVCaprice]

A nice fresh bank is a nice site!

 

[miboatnutz]

I used the Fullriver DC180 batteries. Same size case as the DC200 but one inch shorter in height.

The NOCO dual six volt battery boxes have enough room to fit either the DC180 or the DC200.

Really like the idea of maintenance free and the battery boxes look nice compared with the old, dingy fiberglass units original to the boat. Plus the AGM's literally take up half the space of the lead acid batteries.

I also found that it was easier handling the AGM's not because of weight but case size. It was way more difficult removing the Deka 819's because I had to lift them straight up out of the boxes whereas the AGM's I could leverage in and out because they were smaller and didn't have to worry about spilling electrolyte.