Charging mower battery

[DLC]

My weekend cabin has:

42 watt Kyocera panel
2 100 amp hour Power Sonic Sealed Lead Acid Batteries
1 Morningstar Charge controller Sunsaver 10

I have just been given a riding mower that has a 12 volt battery that I
may need to charge from time to time.

Would there be any problem with temporarily connecting this battery in
parallel with the solar system batteries?

I do have a generator that I could use, but it seems a waste of fuel to
use it to charge this small battery.

Thanks

 

[Winston]

My weekend cabin has:

42 watt Kyocera panel
2 100 amp hour Power Sonic Sealed Lead Acid Batteries
1 Morningstar Charge controller Sunsaver 10

I have just been given a riding mower that has a 12 volt battery that I
may need to charge from time to time.

Would there be any problem with temporarily connecting this battery in
parallel with the solar system batteries?

Yes. Current flow could be a huge issue.
Suggest connect a battery charge controller to tailor the
charge current so that you don't damage your system.

Outgassing hydrogen and sparks mix *all too well*.

--Winston

 

[[email protected]]

Yes. Current flow could be a huge issue.
Suggest connect a battery charge controller to tailor the
charge current so that you don't damage your system.

Outgassing hydrogen and sparks mix *all too well*.

--Winston

Depends a lot on how big the tractor battery is. Most are about 35 Ah
- so a 42 watt charger, capable of producing NO MORE than 3.5 amps,
will NOT have any danger of harming the battery due to too high a
charging current.
At 14.2 volts, which is the peak charging voltage of a 12 volt battery
(or very close) that is only just a hair under 3 amps.

No Problemo.

 

[Winston]

DLC wrote:

(...)

I can add a separate charge controller just for the mower battery in
parallel with the regular charge controller. Would that be sufficient?

There isn't any power left for a second charge controller to use.

I suspect that your existing charge controller probably
could draw 4 times as much current as your PV panel is capable
of safely sourcing.
http://www.morningstarcorp.com/en/support/library/SS.IOM.01.EN.pdf

I believe you require a hefty DC timer driving one of these
charger circuits, powered by your Power Sonic batteries, to
charge your mower:
http://www.powerstream.com/
See their PST-BC1212-15 DCDC Chargercircuit.

It is not terribly efficient, but it would probably work
just fine as long as you don't leave your mower connected
for much longer than it takes to safely charge.

The mower battery would not be in the same enclosure, so hydrogen
shouldn't be a problem.

Good!


--Winston

 

[DLC]

My weekend cabin has:

42 watt Kyocera panel
2 100 amp hour Power Sonic Sealed Lead Acid Batteries
1 Morningstar Charge controller Sunsaver 10

I have just been given a riding mower that has a 12 volt battery that I
may need to charge from time to time.

Would there be any problem with temporarily connecting this battery in
parallel with the solar system batteries?

I do have a generator that I could use, but it seems a waste of fuel to
use it to charge this small battery.

Thanks

I thank everyone for their suggestions. I now know several approaches
NOT to use.

I am now considering a 5 watt 12 volt solar panel dedicated to keeping a
charge on the mower battery.

If the battery is seriously discharged, I can still fire up the generator.