Ix) Reference Appendix - NewMar PT-24-20W Installation & Operation Manual

Phase three three stage smart charger

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then recharged) to keep them in top condition. New batteries may

need to be exercised before they will be capable of their full rating.

If your batteries are not the sealed type, distilled water should be

added to them whenever needed. The electrolyte should cover

the plates by about 1/2", allowing a small air space at the top. Do

not ﬁll the cells up to the ﬁller cap as this could cause the battery

to sputter out electrolyte when it is being charged. Only distilled

water should be used never plain tap water. Tap water contains

chemicals and elements that can alter the properties of the

electrolyte, including speciﬁc gravity. Some chemicals may also

create an insulating coating on the battery plates which will retard

current ﬂow.

The rate that water is lost by the battery is dependent on several

factors; battery condition, ambient temperature, battery use,

charge voltage, etc. It is normal for batteries which are not

maintenance-free to require topping off about once a month.

A battery's state of charge may be monitored by checking the

speciﬁc gravity or by open circuit voltage. You may use the

following table to evaluate the condition of your batteries:

Battery Condition Table

Open Circuit Voltage

Speciﬁc Gravity

Measured by

24 Volt

Hydrometer

System

1.265

12.6 or more

1.225

12.4

1.190

12.2

1.155

12.0

1.120

11.7 or less

*Note: Wait at least 5 minutes after charging or discharging before

checking speciﬁc gravity or open circuit voltage. The battery's

voltage needs to stabilize in order to get an accurate reading.

Troubleshooting Your Battery System

If your battery will not accept or hold a charge, one of the

following conditions may exist:

1. A BAD BATTERY. You may have a battery with an open or

shorted cell, a battery without any "life" left. Check by charging

the battery until all cells have a speciﬁc gravity of 1.225 or greater

at 80° F. If you are unable to obtain 1.225 in each cell, replace

the battery. For maintenance-free or gel-cell batteries consult the

manufacturer.

2. A BAD BATTERY CHARGER. If the battery open circuit voltage is

low and/or the hydrometer indicates your batteries are low, the

battery charger should be providing current to the batteries. If it

is not, check AC input and check to see that you have charging

voltage on the output with no battery attached. Note: You will not

get an accurate voltage reading on the output of the charger with

no batteries attached. This is checked merely to ensure that you do

not have an open circuit on the output.

The battery charger has a thermal cutout switch to turn the

charger off if it is overheating. If you suspect this is the case, refer

P.O. Box 1306, Newport Beach, California 92663 • Phone: 714-751-0488 • Fax: 714-957-1621 • E-Mail: techservice@newmarpower.com

State of

Discharge @

32 Volt

80° F

System

25.2 or mre

Fully Charged

24.8

25% Discharged

24.4

50% Discharged

24.0

75% Discharged

23.4 or less

100% Discharged

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to the information regarding charger location in the Installation

section and cooling fans in the Application Notes section.

3. ELECTRICAL LEAKAGE. You may have a previously unsuspected

source of current drain from the battery. To check for a leakage

of this sort, disconnect the battery ground cable and connect an

ammeter between the negative battery post and ground. If you

have a reading over .1 amp, there is a source of current drain from

the batteries which must be located and removed.