Detecting problems that your AGM battery could have at an early stage prevents damage and ensures a maximum lifespan. It’s fairly easy to troubleshoot deep cycle battery issues yourself, so let’s take a look at the most common.
Inspecting your deep cycle RV battery
Early signs of failure can easily be detected from the outside of RV batteries. First, ensure the top of your AGM battery is dry and clean. Batteries for RV can discharge across the grime if covered in dirt and dust. You should also inspect the 12 Volt deep cycle battery for loose or broken terminals as they may cause short circuits.
Battery manufacturers design AGM deep cycle batteries with glass mat technology, which prevents leakage issues from occurring. While holes and cracks will not prevent AGM batteries from operating normally, they could be potentially unsafe for use and should be discarded.
Testing the charge level of your deep cycle battery
The charge level of your marine battery can be tested in several ways. The most common methods include using a multimeter, wattmeter, or voltmeter. Digital voltmeters are recommended over analog ones since they can give millivolt differences more accurately. A fully charged RV battery will typically have a voltage with a range of 12.8V – 13V. You can then analyze the battery’s voltage level by comparing the measured voltage with a battery state of charge table.
Common AGM battery problems that can be identified through voltage measurements
• If the charge level of a fully charged AGM battery is less than 20% of a fully charged voltage level, the battery could have been damaged by sulfation, overcharging, or undercharging. It can be improved using a desulfation device or by just replacing the battery.
• When a fully charged deep cycle battery quickly drops voltage, the battery could have a faulty cell, which may have resulted from excessive vibration such as driving over corrugations. Since cells are usually impractical to repair, you may need a replacement.
To accurately test the capacity of a deep cycle battery, you’ll require to perform a ‘deep discharge’ test using a specialist discharge testing machines. If you need to get the best AGM battery, just get in touch with Lifeline batteries. We will offer you a maintenance-free RV deep cycle battery and guide you accordingly if problems arise.