Solar power and SLA batteries?

ShreddinPB · Post by **ShreddinPB** » Mon Aug 12, 2013 5:45 pm

Hey guys.. I am putting together some panels for my camp.. I have 2 home made bucket swamp coolers that take about 2.5Ah each.

I got 3 of these panels
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCD ... UTF8&psc=1

and this charge controller
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008I0 ... UTF8&psc=1

I have a bunch of SLA batteries that I would like to use to store the energy gathered by the array. My question is, if the SLA batteries are not all the same Ah rating, is that bad?
I have 2x 7Ah, 2x9Ah, 2x12Ah and 1 x 17Ah. Can those all just be wired to parallel directly to the charge controller?
Can I then just hook that same parallel array to my swamp coolers?

solarArray.jpg

If I can not use them like this.. I also have 2 55Ah SLA batteries.. can I do the same type of thing? those 2 in parallel with the charge controller and swamp coolers all plugged in at the same time?
thanks!

nixiebunny · Post by **nixiebunny** » Mon Aug 12, 2013 6:49 pm

Yes, you can wire them in parallel if they are all the same voltage. They will all charge together as if they were a single large battery.

Be aware that you should charge them all to approximately the same voltage before connecting them together.

Also be aware that one battery shorting out will cause a lot of trouble for all batteries. Not likely, but possible. Extra-safe approach is to put a separate fuse (~10 amps) in series with each battery's positive terminal.

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Mon Aug 12, 2013 7:52 pm

If the charger has an automatic shut off, they will only charge to the capacity of the lowest AH battery.

ShreddinPB · Post by **ShreddinPB** » Mon Aug 12, 2013 9:27 pm

FIGJAM wrote:If the charger has an automatic shut off, they will only charge to the capacity of the lowest AH battery.

So with that said, I should probably just bring the two 55Ah batteries and use them?
They are from a wheelchair and I didnt want to take them out.. but it seems like a MUCH better idea.

I have other things I might want to charge off the battery array also

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Mon Aug 12, 2013 10:03 pm

The 2 deep cycle batteries are your best bet.

Captain Goddammit · Post by **Captain Goddammit** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 7:53 am

It also depends if you want to take advice from the man who's botched science project caused the recent rainfall on the playa!

FIGJAM · Post by **FIGJAM** » Tue Aug 13, 2013 9:36 am

This is true, but my mistake may make for perfect surface conditions this year!

Sometime even my mistakes are Good!!!

Solar power and SLA batteries?

Solar power and SLA batteries?

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Re: Solar power and SLA batteries?

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Re: Solar power and SLA batteries?