Confirm this battery is dead for me (see pic)

[joehahn]

This pisses me off. I tested my battery back up sump pump sysytem last night as I am going out of town tomorrow for a week. This system can NOT fail or else this happens: flooded basement/pic of me bailing and a sump pump question.

So the back up pump wouldn't work. If the power is on the battery is overidden and the system will run on house current. What happened to myfriggin marine battery? The system is expensive and guaranteed to "charge" and "not overcharge" the battery. Is there such a thing as a bad battery? This pic is with the charger on 10AMP charge and has been on for about 3 hours. Should the needle be over to the right by now? Should I jut buy battery and install tonight? Thanks.



Joe

[stomachmonkey]

I have one of those charges.

Took me a while to figure out that it discharges the battery 1st, then charges it.

I'd hook up to it, get a reading, come back and it'd "look" dead.

Let it run on auto for a few hours and see what happens.

[RickM]

I assume the charger pictured is separate from the built-in trickle charger that is integral to pump system. Correct?

[joehahn]

Yep, I just threw that on there this morning (actually last night but on the 2amp setting it made no sound as if charging). The 10amp setting made it at least "sound" as if the charger was working. Any thoughts?

Thanks fellas.

Joe Hahn

[dhoward]

Keep in ming that as a battery charges, it accepts less and less charging current until fully charged.
Check it with a voltmeter.

[joehahn]

I am embarrassed to admit this but I am not sure what reading I should get w/voltmeter? When it clearly didn't work last night I threw my Radio Shack digital one on there and it came in at 11v. When the house current was on and flowing through it it floated around 12.5-13.5v. What should it say?

Guess my Basement Sentry II system should NOT advertise that the charge systems "maintains the appropriate charge and only charges as needed". Damn.

[dhoward]

Should read a little over 12 fully charged. Is it a deep cycle marine? Did you check the electrolyte levels? Low electrolyte will give a slightly lower voltage reading. Manualy cycle the pump a few times, disconnected from the house current. See what the performance is like. Does it start to slow down quickly? Usually a sump pump runs on a short duty cycle, just long enough to empty the sump. Then waits 'til it fills again...

[joehahn]

Wife just confirmed from home that the needle hasn't moved. (6 hours now) Stupid battery. Costco here I come.

[dhoward]

...or just buy a new battery...

[john70t]

It looks like the top row "charge percent" is how much the battery is charged, and the "0,2,4" is how many amps the battery is letting flow into it.
It's better to use the 2amp charge rate unless your in a hurry.

[joehahn]

update and closure. The helpful guy at auto parts store said "it died". Oh well at least I had a core so I avoided the 10 dollar charge. $65 bucks, new battery, no worries. Thanks all.

Joe