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Battery Fill Kit
Posted: August 17th, 2018, 5:14 am
by Midnightsun
Never knew these existed so thought I would post this. Battery filling is inconveniently accessed on most boats so this solution is rather interesting. Ordered one and will be installing it on my house bank. If it proves to be the best thing since sliced bread then adding it to the other hidden batteries will eventually happen.
https://www.campingworld.com/pro-fill-r ... ing-systemWould like to hear the pros and cons from anyone here familiar with this.
Re: Battery Fill Kit
Posted: August 17th, 2018, 7:20 am
by g36
i ve seen these cause i use trojan batteries they have had their version for a while. i think it would be nice to just fill one port but was to cheap to buy it. luckily i can access all my batteries rather easily. also by filling each port individually i know which battery may be having issues ie being dry etc. sooner than later. i wouldnt really know if i had the fill kit installed. but would also like to hear if anybody has used these.
Re: Battery Fill Kit
Posted: August 17th, 2018, 7:37 am
by Midnightsun
What I like about this is the convenience and like anything in life if it is easy to do you actually do it as opposed to waiting for a later date that sometimes never happens.
The principal is quite simple as each cap has a float valve so when the water gets to the correct level it shuts it off. I will test each float before I install just to be 100% safe. Oddly enough, overfilling a battery is actually not good at all for the longevity and this system does prevent this.
There is a proper way/time of doing this. Below is an excerpt from Trojan on the correct procedure.
Watering
FLOODED BATTERIES ONLY
Flooded batteries need water.
More importantly, watering must be done at the right time and in the right amount or the battery’s performance and longevity suffers.
Water should always be added after fully charging the battery. Prior to charging, there should be enough water to cover the plates. If the battery has been discharged (partially or fully), the water level should also be above the plates. Keeping the water at the correct level after a full charge will prevent having to worry about the water level at a different state of charge.
Depending on the local climate, charging methods, application, etc., Trojan recommends that batteries be checked once a month until you get a feel for how often your batteries are need watering.
Important Things to Remember
Do not let the plates get exposed to air. This will damage (corrode) the plates.
Do not fill the water level in the filling well to the cap. This most likely will cause the battery to overflow acid, consequently losing capacity and causing a corrosive mess.
Do not use water with a high mineral content. Use distilled or deionized water only.
CAUTION: The electrolyte is a solution of acid and water so skin contact should be avoided.
Step-By-Step Watering Procedure
Open the vent caps and look inside the fill wells.
Check electrolyte level; the minimum level is at the top of the plates.
If necessary add just enough water to cover the plates at this time.
Put batteries on a complete charge before adding any additional water (refer to the Charging section).
Once charging is completed, open the vent caps and look inside the fill wells.
Add water until the electrolyte level is 1/8″ below the bottom of the fill well.
A piece of rubber can be used safely as a dipstick to help determine this level.
Clean, replace, and tighten all vent caps.
WARNING: Never add acid to a battery.
Re: Battery Fill Kit
Posted: August 17th, 2018, 11:52 am
by bud37
There are these things as well that can aid in lessoning the frequency of filling. I have Rolls batteries and to this point have only topped up once each year so far, but my banks are easy to get to.
https://www.rollsbattery.com/wp-content ... sR-CAP.pdf
Re: Battery Fill Kit
Posted: August 17th, 2018, 9:47 pm
by Viper
They use the Pro-Fill system in a lot of golf cart applications. The biggest issue is overfilling because people don't follow the instructions to ensure the batteries are charged first.
Re: Battery Fill Kit
Posted: August 27th, 2018, 5:45 am
by Midnightsun
Installed it and topped off the bank. Was surprised how much water I got into them. Works great
Re: Battery Fill Kit
Posted: August 27th, 2018, 5:48 am
by pepmyster
This was a great topic. Reading all this, this week-end I checked all our batteries because I installed 2 new house batteries.
Out of the other 4, I used 2 liters between them all to top off. Imagine. But I can say, This topic was a great reminder.