Reducing float voltage on battery

Biggest risk I think will be sulfation. May be better if you can periodically (tc of weeks/months) raise the charge voltage for a short time.

Have you seen the Battery University website? Lots of good background.

piglet

Equalizing a SLA is probably not a good idea. there is no way to add water plus it generates hydrogen.

Float voltage for a sla is about 14.2v, less than 14.8 for a flooded lead acid. I think it's already compensated .6v

Cheers

oops, 13.5 and 13.8v

Sulfation if you go too low. However, they will last longer: "These batteries can be very long lived if they are charged at a float voltage of 2.25 to 2.3 volts/cell (at 25 degrees C)" Also see the various voltage charging tables.

2.2V/cell is only slightly below normal float voltage. For example, a 12v nominal pile would be: 6 * 2.2 = 13.2V which is not very far off from the nominal 13.6V for an SLA/VRLA battery and is considered almost fully charged.

Click on the various charts for the battery on the right, especially the discharge curves at 25C.

Ok, so what are you trying to destroy, errr... accomplish here?

--
Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
150 Felker St #D    http://www.LearnByDestroying.com 
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com 
Skype: JeffLiebermann     AE6KS    831-336-2558

Yes, but most documentation has little to say about how the chemistry responds "outside" those criteria. Note that the series arrangement of "batteries" can also complicate this discussion (do cellular differences manifest MORE or LESS at lower "per cell" float voltages?). "Ideal" batteries don't really exist and trying to manage their constituent cells from "two terminals" tends to be like pushing on a string...