Bad cell in 6x6v bank

Erinscot
Erinscot Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
I have a 12v, 6x6v t105 bank on my boat, charges by generator. One cell has gone bad, and I am 4 weeks away from replacing the bank.  Should I continue to flog the entire bank, or would it be better to isolate the bad batt and run on 4x6v?
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  • Marc Kurth
    Marc Kurth Solar Expert Posts: 1,174 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    In my experience, your plan to isolate the failed battery makes perfect sense without more info! It will depend upon what is wrong with the battery with a "bad cell."  Disconnecting that pair of batteries lets you run with 2/3 capacity. That is better than the potential of a partially shorted cell dragging down your whole battery bank.
    I always have more questions than answers. That's the nature of life.
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  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,639 admin
    #3
    And "removing" the bad cell reduces the chance for other interesting effects... As Marc says, a shorted cell will make that one string a 10 volt battery bank, drawing current from the rest of the bank, and possibly overheating (or worse) the bad cell/battery (over charging the rest of that string cells).

    An open cell is like disconnecting the "bad string"... But since you don't know what happened internally to the battery/cell, it is better just to disconnect the wiring and make sure that nothing bad happens to the bad cell/battery and damages your boat.

    -Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
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  • Erinscot
    Erinscot Registered Users Posts: 18 ✭✭
    #4
    Thanks!  I was leaning that way but knew I would get some solid info here. 
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