Operator's Manual

UnderstandingandUsing
theBatterySystem
UnderstandingDeep-Cycle
Batteries
Themachinecontains8deep-cycle,lead-acid
batteriesthatsupplypowertothemotorand
accessories.Adeep-cyclebatteryisnotthesame
asanautomobilebattery.Anautomobilebattery
isdesignedtoprovideasurgeofpowertostart
themachineandmoderatepowertorunthelights
andaccessorieswhenthemotorifofforidling.
Thealternatorthencontinuouslychargesasthe
automobileruns.Assuch,anautomobilebattery
seldomdropsbelow90%ofthemaximumcharge
level.
Adeep-cyclebatteryisdesignedtobeaprimarypower
sourcetoprovideasustainedoutput.Deep-cycle
batteriesaretypicallydischargedaslowas20to30%
ofthemaximumchargelevel.Adischargethislowis
consideredadeepdischarge.
Important:Repeateddeep-dischargecycles
reducesthebatterylife.
Lead-acidbatteriesproduceelectricitythrougha
chemicalreactionbetweenleadplatesandsulfuric
acid.Chargingabatteryreversesthechemical
reaction,allowingthebatterytoonceagainproduce
electricity.
Abatteryisaperishableitemthathasalimited
lifetime(Figure18).Whenabatteryisnew,itrequires
abreak-inperiodtoestablishefcientelectrical
production.Thisbreakinperiodusuallyrequires100
to150discharge/chargecycles.
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Figure18
Battery-LifetimeTable
1.Batterycapacity
4.Primebatterylife
2.Discharge/chargecycles5.Endofthebatterylife
3.Break-inperiod(100to
150cycles)
Afterthebreak-inperiod,thebatterymaintainsahigh
capacityformanycycles.Thenumberofcyclesthata
batteryperformsdependsonthefollowing:
•Batterymaintenance—impropermaintenance
severelyreducesthelifeofthebatteries.
•Depthofdischargebetweenchargecycles—the
deeperthebatteriesaredischargedona
regularbasisbetweencharges,theshorterthe
servicelifethebatterieswillhave.
•Chargefrequency—fullychargethebatteries
wheneverpossible.
Important:Fullydischargingthebatteries
damagesthemandreducestheirlife.
•Lowwaterlevels—iftheleadplatesbecome
exposed,itmaypermanentlydamagethe
batteries.Performthefollowingtomaintainthe
electrolytelevel:
Afterfullychargingthebatteries,llthe
batterieswithdistilledordeionizedwater;referto
CheckingtheWaterLeveloftheBatteries(page
38)andAddingDistilledorDeionizedWatertothe
Batteries(page38).
Important:Fullychargethebatteriesbefore
addingthewatertothebatteries.While
charging,theelectrolyteincreasesinvolume,
andllingalowbatterybeforefullycharging
thebatteriescancausetheelectrolyteto
overowandleakoutofthevent.
Attheendofthebatterylife,thebatteriesgradually
loseelectriccapacity.
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