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Batteries
are your
vessels
where
you
store
the
electric
you make
whether
it comes
from
solar,
wind,
hydro,
or from
a
generator.
So good
healthy
batteries
are very
important
to the
health
of your
power
system
and
therefore
it is a
good
idea to
have
some
support
items
such as
the
above
listed
accessories
in your
arsenal
of
tools.
First
of all
you need
to have
some way
of
monitoring
the
batteries.
The
Tri-metric
Meter
or
others
like it
are an
excellent
choice
for
maintaining
accurate
records
of your
batteries
well
being.
On all
new
moderate
and
better
systems
we put
together,
we
suggest
two
critical
elements,
one is
the
Tri-metric
Meter
and the
other is
the use
of
Water
Miser
Caps.
both of
these
items
are
extremely
valuable
for
maintaining
the most
out of
your
investment.
Should
you be
unable
to put
the
money
into
either
of these
two
items we
suggest
that you
at the
very
minimum
install
a volt
and amp
meter
into
your
system.
As for
the
Water
Miser
Caps,
if you
choose
not to
use
them,
than we
suggest
that you
check
your
battery
water
levels
every
other
week,
both for
fullness
and with
a
Hydrometer
for
density
of the
acid
levels.
Even
though
you are
relying
on your
panels
or other
means of
making
electric,
we
recommend
that you
consider
having a
standby
generator
or a
small
back-up
generator
for
keeping
your
batteries
to at
least
80% and
to
equalize
them
from
time to
time.
If
your
batteries
are
unable
to
maintain
their
charge,
it could
be due
to any
of a
number
of
things.
However
the most
common
problem
seems to
be when
using
batteries
that are
never
brought
back to
full.
Batteries
should
be
brought
to full
at least
once a
month if
not more
and
should
be
operated
in the
area of
at least
60%.
You
should
never
let your
batteries
fall
below 11
volts or
10.5
volts at
the very
least,
especially
during
the
freezing
months
(multiply
by 2 for
24 volt
systems
and 4
for 48
volt
systems).
Another
good way
to
protect
your
battery's
strength
is to in
stall a
Battery
Desulfator.
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