How and Why You Should Check the Specific Gravity of Your RV Battery

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This video explains what specific gravity is and why it's important. It explains the parts and use of a hydrometer, and shows exactly how to check the specific gravity of a lead-acid battery. It's "must have" information for RV'ers, van dwellers, and solar users.

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8 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 35

@ImnotChuck. 6 лет назад

As some of you will notice, I have an EverStart battery (actually two) on my travel trailer. This is an experiment to see how well these low-priced batteries will hold up when they are properly maintained.

@asphaltgypsy868 6 лет назад

Great idea!! If anyone can do it "right". it's you, INC!! I'll be watching for the results! Hopefully, it will be a long time!!

@ryanburbridge 4 года назад

Any update? Would be nice to know.

@ImnotChuck. 4 года назад

@@ryanburbridge Hi. As often happens, the best laid plans often are thwarted by real life. My wife and I decided we wanted a bigger trailer, so I didn't follow up on the EverStart batteries. Our newer trailer has Trojan T-105 batteries, which are doing well. Thanks for asking.

@ryanburbridge 4 года назад

I'm not Chuck. Haha yeah that’s the truth. Thanks for posting the video. Do you run a maintainer or desulfater?

@croseone5492 3 года назад

Hello Not Chuck. Great video. No distractions and very well covered topic. Thank you.

@ImnotChuck. 3 года назад

Thanks for watching and for the nice comment. Hope you will come back for more.

@FuriousTortoise Год назад

Excellent. I know a lot of chemistry BS (thanks to a degree) and you were spot on. Only thing I’d note is to adjust the readings based on atmospheric pressure, ambient temperature, and your astrological forecast. Thank you very much!

@ImnotChuck. 2 года назад

Hello Prof. Thanks for watching and for commenting. It's always nice to know when one of my videos has been helpful to someone.

@outlet6989 2 года назад

I'm now subscribed, and I hope this helps you a bit. My riding mower began to show signs that its battery was going bad. After viewing many videos of how to rejuvenate a battery, I decided to be a true DIYer. Many videos did not show doing the specific gravity test. Go figure that one. Knowing that I would need to buy specialized tools, I went to Advance and purchased what I thought was a battery acid tester. Wrong. What I bought was a tester for anti-freeze. It did 'look' like a battery tester. Before I tested the battery, I cleaned the terminal posts and allowed it to slow charge at 2 amp. for two days. After doing this, I continued to follow your video. When working on a battery, I always wear a full-face shield with other protective gear. Thank you for this informative video. Maybe your next video will show us what to do next in case the battery needs more attention.

@ImnotChuck. 2 года назад

Hi Outlet, and thanks for watching, commenting, and subscribing. Good luck with the battery; unfortunately riding mower batteries are pretty much shot after a couple or three seasons.

@ketotrucker6262 5 лет назад

Thank you very much for your time, you have a clear and complete way of explaining this process so that even I can understand. I hope you reach your goals on RU-vid, I will certainly tell others to watch.

@ImnotChuck. 4 года назад

Thank you for watching, posting, and sharing.

@salssho8996 Год назад

You are so goooood. thank you

@ImnotChuck. Год назад

Thanks for the kind words and for watching.

@Jason-Smith1 4 года назад

Great video! Very well done. You put some good time into this.

@ImnotChuck. 4 года назад

Hi Jason. You are correct; I did put in some time and effort and I appreciate you noticing.

@Debrajoy 6 лет назад

Another very good video!

@ImnotChuck. 3 года назад

Lots of comments from 3 years ago have just shown up; yours is one of them. Thanks.

@shadetreeprofessor5723 2 года назад

I've been buying the cheaper Econo Power batteries for a while now. Can't beat the price. If you drive every day, they work well...just as with other batteries. Unfortunately, one of my tractors doesn't get used as much (HUGE Ford F3000 battery, too) and I have to recondition it. This particular time, the hydrometer reading was the last thing I checked and that was the problem, so I just wanted to understand it better. Thanks!

@ImnotChuck. 2 года назад

You are welcome. I always like hearing that my videos have been helpful.

@darrylm3627 Год назад

Good Stuff,Great Tips😄👍🏿

@ImnotChuck. Год назад

Thanks for watching and for the positive comments.

@alexander0194 3 года назад

Trying to decide whether to replace a 6V battery. Found your instructive video. I got a reading of 1.175 on each of the three cells. I've tried charging the battery but it won't take a charge. I tricked it for a while with one of the old style non-smart chargers, so that at least I could get a minimum voltage so that a smart charger would detect it. But when I put it on the smart charger, the process fails. Error light comes on charger. Before starting this process I noticed that the liquid level was low. I filled with distilled water. The spec. gravity of 1.175 was measured after refilling with water and after attempting to charge. What I'm wondering is whether I can increase the specific gravity of the electrolyte by taking some of the low SG fluid out and replacing it with some high SG fluid (acid). Would that increase the ability for the battery to take a charge?

@ImnotChuck. 3 года назад

Honestly, I don't know because I have never tried. Everything I have read from reputable sources says never add any acid to a lead-acid battery, so I haven't. It sounds to me like you have done everything possible, and it may be time for a new battery. Thanks for watching and for your thoughtful post.

@ayutilaye9488 2 месяца назад

How to calculate specific gravity using temperature?

@ryanburbridge 4 года назад

For those that want to know more then enough about Hydrometers www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/calibrations/circ555.pdf

@ImnotChuck. 4 года назад

Hi Ryan. Thanks for commenting.

@LostOnLandAgain 6 лет назад

I remember using a hydrometer when I worked in an auto parts store many moons ago. I never understood the science behind it. Thanks for sharing the knowledge! Question. How low can you go without harming those Ever Last batteries? I have heard many different opinions. I have two 29DC ever last marine style batteries and 100 watts of solar. With a load they sometimes go down to 12.0, but then I take the load off and they pop back up to 12.9 or so. I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain a bit.

@ImnotChuck. 6 лет назад

I am happy to try to answer your question, but it's hard to give a really short answer. In general, the deeper that lead-acid batteries are discharged and the more often they are deeply discharged, the shorter their life will be (due to sulfation of the plates.) Lower priced batteries (like yours and mine) are more subject to sulfation because of the plate design. So, I try to never discharge them below 50% (about 12.1 Volts,) and routinely try to avoid discharging them below 80% (about 12.5 Volts.) When you see your batteries "pop back up," that is partly due to the load reduction and partly due to the solar panel input. This video (ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mtF2ikoRyzs.html) provides some additional explanation. Thanks for the question and for being a subscriber.

@OldMeanGeezer 6 лет назад

Hello, I like your video's because you discuss what ever you are doing very well. I have liked and subscribed. I see a lot of people trying to get more subscribers and views. My question is; do you do these video's for the MONEY? I get the impression that almost everyone who posts on RU-vid thinks they should be paid. I am not against people making money on RU-vid. Do you HAVE to be paid to continue to make video's? At first I thought RU-vid was just a way to get your thoughts (or projects) out where your friends and neighbors could see them and possibly benefit from them. Just Asking

@ImnotChuck. 6 лет назад

Thanks for subscribing and for the compliment. Your question is a really good one, and I will try to answer it. There are some people who make a LOT of money from RU-vid, but there are many more who are making much less money. RU-vid recently made some changes that caused all these "creators" to see a large percentage reduction in their income, and the ones most hurt were those who were really depending on the RU-vid payments, some of whom had no other income. In my case, I have never made any money from RU-vid, and don't have any expectation of ever making much. I am retired and like to learn new things, and like to share what I learn, so I am making the videos. However, if I can get paid by RU-vid for the videos without it costing my viewers any money, so much the better. So, no, I don't HAVE to be paid to continue to make videos. Thanks.

@alanpetersen4615 4 года назад

@@ImnotChuck.There is so much knowledge lost when a man moves on from this world to the next. You tube is one of the most important inventions in the history of mankind. There is so much knowledge that we are able to keep in circulation because of it. My Grandfather invented numerous gadgets, and devices to use on high pressure natural gas lines, and more knowledge was lost, then kept, because he did't record, or write a book. I commend you on your video's! You are an inspiration to me, and many more!