Batteries won't charge!!

[Ped]

Weve all been there...

You can keep the bank so long as keep the discharge modest. Id try each one individually under full sun or a shore charger and see if you can get them back up to 14.6v or more. Top them off and check acid with hydrometer to confirm full.

If all they do is heat up but wont get to absorption voltage theyre done.

 

[bgosper]

The diodes you are using as blocking (backflow) prevention should be good enough if they are correctly rated so where ever you got them. Can you post the part number for your existing diodes? 1N4007 (not recommended you use this one) etc.

I think you may not understand series and parallel connection based on what you have said here with 6 wires going onto a ground bar. That says parallel connection. Take a look at the link I posted earlier about series and parallel connection of panels.

Well so sounds pretty hopeless. I'll just take the system down or take a few of the batteries out of the system and go with just a limited bank.

 

[bgosper]

Weve all been there...

You can keep the bank so long as keep the discharge modest. Id try each one individually under full sun or a shore charger and see if you can get them back up to 14.6v or more. Top them off and check acid with hydrometer to confirm full.

If all they do is heat up but wont get to absorption voltage theyre done.

Assuming they aren't toast, would it help to add more panels to the system or no?

 

[Ped]

Of course. You could nearly double them with that controller. Could also bulk charge with backup source.

 

[bgosper]

Of course. You could nearly double them with that controller. Could also bulk charge with backup source.

Could you send me a link to a panel you could recommend similar to the ones I have now? The 6 I have now I built but I think nowadays it would be cheaper to buy them pre made.

 

[Ped]

Uh whats the open curcuit voltage? Probably any 18vmp panel will match.

These 100w ones are $78 shipped with prime

Newpowa 100 Watts 12 Volts Polycrystalline Solar Panel 100W 12V High Efficiency Module Rv Marine Boat Off Grid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L6LZRXM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_e3rcEbDQ4SRZZ

I have the same brand 3x160w on my camper. They use aluminum wire out of the j-box but otherwise are built well.

Honestly between 4x of the panels and new batteries youre probably better off getting some valence or aliexpress lifepo4's. You'd get the same usable amps either way.

 

[bgosper]

Uh whats the open curcuit voltage? Probably any 18vmp panel will match.

These 100w ones are $78 shipped with prime

Newpowa 100 Watts 12 Volts Polycrystalline Solar Panel 100W 12V High Efficiency Module Rv Marine Boat Off Grid https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L6LZRXM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_e3rcEbDQ4SRZZ

I have the same brand 3x160w on my camper. They use aluminum wire out of the j-box but otherwise are built well.

Honestly between 4x of the panels and new batteries youre probably better off getting some valence or aliexpress lifepo4's. You'd get the same usable amps either way.

Ok thanks. With my current panels, assuming batteries were full charged, how many batteries could I reasonably expect to keep in the system and be able to charge properly?

 

[JeepHammer]

Just check a few things... Like bypass and blocking diodes, check output of panels so you know they aren't limiting each other.

I don't know how much you know, if you worked from diagram if you understood how things were supposed to work,
So here goes...

The diagram Gubie posted doesn't explain much about how the circuits work...
SO... (For Gubie! )

The same Diodes are used in both applications (Bypass & Blocking), but the Bypass Diodes are rarely active,
The Blocking Diodes are active any time the panel is producing.
Blocking Diodes are pretty much a thing of the past since all Charge Controllers have blocking Diodes already installed.

Left is a Parallel String of panels that is functioning correctly,
Right is a Damaged or Shaded panel and the Bypass Diode is active.
There is generally a Bypass Diode for every 6 to 18 cells in the panel (in better panels).
There are almost never Blocking Diodes in panels since Charge Controllers have them now.



Blocking Diodes are almost always installed incorrectly.
The purpose of a Blocking Diode is to keep shaded or night time panels from sucking on the battery.
When installed correctly, you will only loose (line losses) 1 Volt.



A single Bypass Diode installed on a panel looks like this in the real world....



The diagram I keep seeing posted shows Blocking Diodes in Series instead of Parallel.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is why Bypass Diodes are used in the panels themselves....



In a Parallel Panel String, the panel takes it's own self out, it simply doesn't add the line Amperage.
In a Series Panel String, the Bypass Diode does just what the name says, Bypasses the bad or non productive panel.



Most higher Amperage/Voltage Panels will have 2 Bypass Diodes (or more) to salvage what ever production the panel can produce.



What that look like on an actual Panel...



Really High Output Voltage panels might have 3 or 4 Diodes, depending on the number of cells (Voltage) or the size of cells (Amperage).



It's not uncommon for High Amp (Size Of Cell) to have Doubled (Paralleled) Diodes to carry the Higher Amperage.
Using Parallel Diodes allows any Cell String in the Panel to be bypassed and still handle the Amperage from the rest of the Panel.



So, more than you wanted to know about Diodes, but you know how to use them if you didn't before...

 

[Ped]

Ok thanks. With my current panels, assuming batteries were full charged, how many batteries could I reasonably expect to keep in the system and be able to charge properly?

Any. Just the discharge levels must stay within capabilities to get back to 100%. Personally id stick to about 200ah @ 25% winter, 50% summer.

 

[Freds northwoods]

You have 610 Ah of battery. Let's say you are lifting that from 50% charged. At 2.6 amps it is going to take 117 hours just to get that much energy from the panels and your battery will need more than that to actually reach full charge for various reasons. You are going to have to make observations when your panels do not have any shading issues and work out how many hours of direct sun to see how many amp hours you can push at the battery.

How are your panels arranged? Series, parallel etc, and what is the total wattage?

Just throwing this out there .my renogy controler came with a default setting of 12/6 charge setting it was adjustable reset it to 14 volts to get my b atterys back up .