We've put this battery condition chart on this page as a .jpg graphic so that you can copy it, paste it, save it, print it, cut it out, laminate it, and hang it up where you can find it until you memorize it.
Why? Because this is probably the least understood aspect of batteries. Everyone who has wet cell batteries in their car, RV, solar system, or emergency back-up system needs this chart.
Often I get people in my store who tell me that their battery measures 12 volts so it is "fully charged". ... Nope.
Or they will tell me that their battery bank measures 13.2 volts. Heck, that's a false reading. Do you see 13.2 volts anywhere on this chart? They didn't wait the ONE HOUR after a charge cycle to test their battery and their battery might be real low!
OK, there is a better chart than this, a more accurate one, a six-to-twelve hour chart, but this one is easier to use!
I hand out this chart almost every day to my customers in Las Vegas. It is often a great help to those of us who want our batteries to last longer.
Try to keep your battery bank no lower than 20-30% discharged before it gets filled up again. Doing this will lengthen the life of your batteries. Use a digital volt meter when taking a reading! Even a cheap digital is better than an analog (the one with the little dial).
You can read more on the following pages:
Battery Condition Chart
(Graphic for copy/paste)
