Charging 48v Precedent while on vacation.

[Dburley]

We plan to be gone for 5-6 weeks this winter and would like some advice on what we should do about charging our cart. We usually unplug all our electronic equipment when gone for any length of time to protect them from potential damage due to power outages/surges etc.

Cart, 48v, 4, twelve volt batteries is stored in heated (40 degrees F) garage.
Outdoor winter temps average in the teens. Batteries were new spring of 2015.

So my question is; is it safe to unplug the charger for the 5-6 weeks we are gone or do we risk damage to the batteries?
Thanks for your help.

[kendeiss]

We leave our C.C. 48 V 4 Twelve Volts for 7 months up North in an unheated building disconnect Neg. and Positive terms prior to storage be sure that it is fully charged>
We also leave our C.C. 6 Eight Volt 5 months in a hot Florida Garage same procedure

Both carts have Trojan Batteries the Cart up North Batteries 5 years old the Fl. Cart's Batteries are going on 13 years old

[teecro]

Originally Posted by Dburley

We plan to be gone for 5-6 weeks this winter and would like some advice on what we should do about charging our cart. We usually unplug all our electronic equipment when gone for any length of time to protect them from potential damage due to power outages/surges etc.

Cart, 48v, 4, twelve volt batteries is stored in heated (40 degrees F) garage.
Outdoor winter temps average in the teens. Batteries were new spring of 2015.

So my question is; is it safe to unplug the charger for the 5-6 weeks we are gone or do we risk damage to the batteries?
Thanks for your help.

Most here including myself will tell you that you are better off leaving the charger hooked up 24/7 as you risk more damage leaving them unattended than you do leaving them plugged in... My cart sits unused for 28 plus days all the time, it is plugged into a DPI charger with float so it is ALWAYS being charged.... This will net you the longest life in my opinion. Here on board ship we keep batteries under constant charge too....

[geonjay]

Originally Posted by kendeiss

Both carts have Trojan Batteries the Cart up North Batteries 5 years old the Fl. Cart's Batteries are going on 13 years old

13 years? Are you doing anything special?

[kendeiss]

Correction they will be 10 years old(2006 Trojan T-875) in Feb! No I do not do anything special other then keeping them charged.

[teecro]

Originally Posted by kendeiss

Correction they will be 10 years old(2006 Trojan T-875) in Feb! No I do not do anything special other then keeping them charged.

Sometimes ya just get lucky.... Don't jinx yourself though...

[Dburley]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions. I'm most worried that we could have a fire if some thing goes wrong with the charging system while we're away. Second concern is potential damage to the batteries if they somehow fall below an adequate charge. I'm leaning to not charging them while gone and disconnecting the positive and negative cables to head off a potential draw.

Any special sequence that I should use to disconnect the cables?


Dave

[lockman1]

I've always disconnected my pack during the 5 to 6 months in winter storage at my campground,
due to the electrical lines being almost original from the 1970's!

Negative first... then Positive!

[smokey tennis shoe]

My concern with leaving carts plugged in, unattended, is the water. If the water does evaoporate or get low, and the charger comes on, possible fire.

This happens out here where i live in the hot desert, not cold like PA.

Also i find with new trojans, after the iniatial water top off ( about 2 weeks after installing) they ( trojans) go for months almost a year without needing any water added.

I don't think 5-6 weeks will be a problem at all, if new and fully charged before you leave.

Side note : I take care of alot snowbirds carts, and if you can sell them a battery watering system, with a gravity feed bottle, then leave the dpi charger plugged in,