Xantrex 120 VAC/60 Owner's Manual

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Xantrex 120 VAC/60 Owner's Manual Manual pdf 113 page image

TECHNICAL INFORMATION 2001 Xantrex Technology, Inc.5916 - 195th Street N. E.Arlington, WA 98223Telephone: 360/435-8826Fax: 360/435-2229www.traceengineering.comSW Series Inverter/ChargerPart No. 2031-5Rev. C: February 2001Page105MONTHLY MAINTENANCEAt the minimum, check the level of the electrolyte in each battery cell once a month. It should be abovethe top of the plates but not completely full. Most batteries have a plastic cup that the electrolyte shouldjust touch when full. Don’t overfill the batteries or the electrolyte will spill out of the batteries when they arebeing charged. Only refill the batteries with distilled water - “spring” water and regular tap water may havehigh levels of minerals that can poison the battery chemistry and reduce battery performance and life.It is also good to check the battery interconnections for tightness and corrosion. If any corrosion is found,disconnect the cables and carefully clean with a mild solution of baking soda and water. DO NOT ALLOWTHE SOLUTION TO ENTER THE BATTERY. Rinse the top of the battery with clean water when finished.To reduce the amount of corrosion on the battery terminals, coat them with a thin layer of petroleum jellyor anti-corrosion grease available from automotive parts stores or battery suppliers. Do not apply anymaterial between the terminal and the cable lugs - the connection should be metal to metal. Apply theprotective material after the bolts have been tightened.BATTERY STATE OF CHARGEA good estimate of a battery’s state of charge can be made by measuring the voltage across the batteryterminals with the battery at rest (No energy input, no energy output) for at least three hours. Thesereadings are best taken in the early morning, at or before sunrise, or in late evening. Take the readingwhile almost all loads are off and no charging sources are producing power. Connect a voltmeter acrossthe positive and negative outputs of the battery or battery bank. Voltages are for a 12 volt battery system.For 24-volt systems, multiply by 2; for 48-volt systems, multiply by 4. Monitor your cell voltage, if youmeasure more than a 0.2 volt difference between each cell, you may need to equalize (Do not equalizeGel Cell Batteries). The following table will allow conversion of the readings obtained to an estimate ofstate of charge. The table is good for batteries at 77°F that have been at rest for 3 hours or more. If thebatteries are at a lower temperature, you can expect lower voltage readings.Table 7, Battery State of Charge VoltagePERCENT OFFULL CHARGE 12 VOLT DC SYSTEM CELL VOLTAGE100% 12.7 2.1290% 12.6 2.1080% 12.5 2.0870% 12.3 2.0560% 12.2 2.0350% 12.1 2.0240% 12.0 2.0030% 11.8 1.9720% 11.7 1.9510% 11.6 1.930% <=11.6 <=1.93