Can a float current be too high?

[Sternwake]

Back when Solar was new to me, and i did not understand as much as i do now, I thought my solar controller's 'float current' setting was actually to decide how amp amps to allow at float voltage not realizing the battery accepts what it wants at the voltage held.

What I did not realize was that my 'float current' was an amperage threshold at which the controller will revert from absorption to float voltage.

back then, I knew my battery bank was not getting to full, and decided to raise float current, which is opposite of what i should have done.

Now I have it set to 0.3amps , When amps taper to 0.3 at 14.7, only then does my solar controller revert to float voltage, and this 'float current' overrides the absorption time which is set at 4.5 hours.

On 200 watts of solar alone, my absorption stage on my 550 deep cycle 3.5 year old Northstar AGm is about 4.5 to 5 hours before amps taper to this low level and grows longer the more low and slow solar recharges it receives.

A high amp recharge from a well depleted state to truly full, reduces absorption time, kind of like a reset.

[jackt]

Originally Posted by Sternwake

Back when Solar was new to me, and i did not understand as much as i do now, I thought my solar controller's 'float current' setting was actually to decide how amp amps to allow at float voltage not realizing the battery accepts what it wants at the voltage held.

What I did not realize was that my 'float current' was an amperage threshold at which the controller will revert from absorption to float voltage.

back then, I knew my battery bank was not getting to full, and decided to raise float current, which is opposite of what i should have done.

Now I have it set to 0.3amps , When amps taper to 0.3 at 14.7, only then does my solar controller revert to float voltage, and this 'float current' overrides the absorption time which is set at 4.5 hours.

On 200 watts of solar alone, my absorption stage on my 550 deep cycle 3.5 year old Northstar AGm is about 4.5 to 5 hours before amps taper to this low level and grows longer the more low and slow solar recharges it receives.

A high amp recharge from a well depleted state to truly full, reduces absorption time, kind of like a reset.

Thanks Sternwake. This makes good sense. The discussion here and on my other thread has been great.

My solar is only 2 x 25W panels. Current is only showing as 2-3 A on a good day. I don't know if it does much at all. Tricklle I guess when I'm away from dock it helps. Better than nothing.

[jackt]

The discussion here about absorption and float and especially on my other thread has been very helpful:

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post2395312