Dead House Battery

[jspin101]

Hi All,
I went to charge my batteries the other day and found the house battery wasn't holding a charge. I didn't have time to troubleshoot but want to go back and do some testing. Test all the batteries.
I was wondering if anyone has any advice on a Battery Tester / Load Tester, multi tester units. I've been reading about all the different types. Articles mention the load testers are best used around 70 degrees ( it's about 50 to 60 degrees colder around here so that won't work), some mentioned that you can test the load with a capacity tester, some say resistance tester, etc...
I welcome any advice.
Thanks,

[tomschauer]

Get a centech from harbor freight, catch it on sale for $19.99.
It does fine for someone not using it all day everyday.

[g36]

Here's a load tester like the one a use. https://www.harborfreight.com/100a-612v ... 61747.html

[Viper]

I use a professional Snap-On unit with a printout (too expensive). The printout is a good feature only because it offers proof to a customer of your findings at the time of the test should a problem pop up later.

I keep one of these on the boat though, it works just fine for the occasional check: https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08F9SBXN9/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o02_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I'm sure it's also on .com.

The electronic tester types are great for reading several batteries one after the other. On a bad reading though, I usually follow up with a load test using a toaster test because I like to see what happens after a load is applied. Having said that, you can chart the results of a load with the unit on Amazon by turning on a high load in the vessel. That's good to know in certain cases. The problem with using just a toaster for testing is that you shouldn't be using it to test several batteries in a short time because to get an accurate reading, you're suppose to let the element cool down completely before testing the next battery. That's not practical when you're on the clock and have several batteries to test.

[Midnightsun]

Agree with Viper, much prefer the digital type analyzer vs the old fashion Toaster. I have one of these.

https://www.amazon.ca/FOXWELL-Automotive-100-2000-Cranking-Charging/dp/B07F1G1X48/ref=sr_1_25?dchild=1&keywords=battery+load+tester&qid=1612950917&sr=8-25

One does not need to spend that kind of money to get something similar however at this price it does not do alternator/charging tests.

https://www.amazon.ca/Foxwell-Battery-100-1100-Cranking-Directly/dp/B01M02Y9AL/ref=sr_1_17?dchild=1&keywords=battery+load+tester&qid=1612951102&sr=8-17

[g36]

Nothing wrong with being old ,, I mean old fashioned. I've got several digitaL meters too but for a simple check its quick and inexpensive

[Midnightsun]

Old is perception. When I turned 30 I was sad, in fact this is the only birthday I remember that I kept on thinking how old I was.
Bothered me for months. Every birthday thereafter never a thought, go figure!

[g36]

I just turned 58 on feb3 , right now I'm a bit depressed.

[Midnightsun]

Source of the post I just turned 58 on feb3 , right now I'm a bit depressed.

58 is an excellent vintage, mine in fact.

[km1125]

Lots of great advice in here. I like the electronic testers because they measure internal resistance of the battery. You can use that on all sizes of lead-acid batteries to get an idea of any sulphation on the plates. I got this one (https://www.harborfreight.com/digital-a ... 66892.html) from harbor freight several years ago and other than the cheap clips that broke and had to be replaced, I like it and have used it hundreds of times. The features on it pale in comparison to the one midnightsun posted, considering they are similar in price.

Do you know why it went dead? One time I left my fully charged and good batteries but forgot to disconnect the auto bilge pump... the kind that runs every couple minutes for just a couple seconds. That was enough to kill the battery over a couple month, even enough to allow it to freeze (we had a very cold winter that year). The battery was only a couple years old but it was toast when I tried to revive it the following spring. It did take a charge but really didn't have much capacity anymore.