AGM batteries need to undergo regular testing in Houston, TX so you can ensure they will operate well into the future. But what is an AGM battery, and how do you know how to confirm a battery is an AGM?

Here&#;s an overview of what you should know.

Identifying an AGM battery

AGM stands for &#;absorbed glass mat,&#; a type of improved, advanced lead-based battery. These batteries are fully sealed and require very little to nothing in the way of maintenance. They also contain no fluid, unlike standard flooded-cell lead-acid batteries, which have sulfuric acid in their cells. This makes them safer for use, even if the casing gets cracked or otherwise damaged.

AGM batteries are most commonly used for motorized wheelchairs, golf carts and other similar types of equipment, and are also starting to be used more broadly in motor vehicles and boats.

Testing the battery

Here&#;s an overview of the processes you need to go through for a standard test of an AGM battery using a multimeter:

• Get your multimeter: Turn on the multimeter, and set it to measure voltage by turning the dial or pressing the proper button on the meter.
• Connect: Put the sensor on the end of the red wire coming off the multimeter onto the positive terminal of the AGM battery. The black wire&#;s sensor should go on the negative terminal of the battery.
• Measure and record: A fully charged standard AGM battery should have an output voltage of approximately 13 volts, just higher than the 12 volts likely to be labeled on the side of the battery. If the reading comes in below 10 volts, you need to let your battery recharge. After it&#;s charged, test the voltage and then retest several hours later. If the voltage reading drops more than a volt or two in the retest, you probably need a new battery.

You can also perform an AGM load test, which works as follows:

• Find the ampere rating: On the battery&#;s label, you&#;ll find the ampere rating, which is indicated with CCA (cold cranking amps). It might also have the letters &#;Ah&#; (for ampere hours) followed by a number, if it&#;s on a golf cart.
• Calculate: Divide the ampere rating by two. The resulting figure is what you should get from the load test meter, if the battery is charged and operational.
• Attach the load tester: Attach the load tester&#;s clips to the battery terminal, with the red clip going to the positive terminal and the black clip going to the negative terminal.
• Begin the test: Let the load test run for 10 to 15 seconds, then stop.
• Read the results: The resulting figure should be the same as your calculated ampere figure. However, if it&#;s below that figure by more than 10 percent, you&#;ll need to charge the battery. As with the above method, test again after charging, then retest several hours later. If the figure remains more than 10 percent below, you&#;ll need to get a replacement.

If you wish to perform a deep cycle battery test beyond the standard testing procedures described above, know that you&#;ll need to perform more thorough testing procedures than those that can be done in a short 15- to 30-second test.

For example, if you&#;re using a 35 amp hour 12 volt battery, you should check to make sure the battery is fully charged with an automatic industrial charger designed for AGM batteries. If the charger indicates a full charge, you can remove the battery. Check the factory ratings to determine the specific discharge test you&#;ll use. There should be specifications with a scale stating the amperage rate you need for a certain time at a certain voltage.

The average we look for is 25 amps to an ending voltage of 9 volts in an hour or more, at a temperature of around 77 degrees.

For more information about how to test an AGM deep cycle battery in Houston, TX, contact Texford Battery Co. today.

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How to Troubleshoot Deep Cycle Battery Issues

Maintaining your deep cycle batteries is essential to ensure a maximum life span and to prevent damage. As such, it is important to detect battery problems at an early stage. Troubleshooting deep cycle battery issues is fairly easy to do yourself with the aid of a multimeter, volt meter, or watt meter.

Inspecting your deep cycle battery

The outside of deep cycle batteries can show early signs of failure. As such, troubleshooting battery problems can begin with a simple inspection. Ensure that the top of your battery is clean and dry. When a battery is covered in dust and dirt, it can discharge across the grime. Also, inspect the battery for broken or loose terminals; they are dangerous as they may result in short circuits. Flooded deep cycle batteries will need to be checked for leaking and damaged battery cases that may have been caused through overcharging or overheating. This problem won&#;t occur with AGM deep cycle batteries as they are designed with glass mat technology preventing leakage, even when damaged. Generally, cracks and holes will not prevent deep cycle batteries from operating, but they can be unsafe. As such, it is recommended to discard any batteries that have reasonably damaged battery cases.

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Before testing your deep cycle battery

It is suggested to test your battery&#;s life when it is fully charged. If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot charge the battery, let it sit for approximately one hour before testing. As a result of charging or discharging, an uneven mixture of acid and water can arise on the surface of the plates. This phenomenon is referred to as a &#;surface charge&#;, and will need to be removed before the testing begins as it may influence your data. Surface charge can make a bad battery look good and vice versa. To remove the surface charge you can simply leave your fully charged deep cycle battery to sit for at least four hours. Also, ensure your battery is not connected to any appliances or a battery charger as this will influence the data.

Note: if you have multiple batteries connected together, each battery should be disconnected and charged/tested separately.

Testing the voltage of your deep cycle battery

You can test your deep cycle battery&#;s charge level in several ways. The most common methods use a multimeter, voltmeter, or watt meter. When you decide to test with a voltmeter, we recommend using a digital meter rather than an analogue meter as it will be more accurate in measuring millivolt differences. For a detailed guide on how to test the voltage of your deep cycle battery, you can have a look at our video &#;How to Check Your Battery Charge Level and Troubleshoot Issues&#;.

Analysing the test data

Once you tested your deep cycle battery&#;s voltage, you can analyse its state of charge. Simply compare the measured voltage with a state of charge table to discover your battery&#;s estimated charge level. For example, if your AGM deep cycle battery rates at 12.30V, it's at a 70% state of charge as shown on our State of Charge graphic. This charge graphic relates to 12V AGM deep cycle batteries, but can also be used as a general guide for other battery types though keep in mind that there may be slight differences in the voltage rating.

Typically, a fully charged deep cycle battery will have a voltage of over 12.8V - 13V. Below are a few common battery problems you can identify by the voltage measurements.

If a fully charged AGM battery tests more than 20 percent lower than the fully charged voltage level, it&#;s probably due for replacement. This is typically a symptom of battery age, damage from over/under charging, or sulfation. You can sometimes improve a battery in this condition by using a desulfation device, otherwise you&#;ll have to live with the low capacity or replace the battery.

If your battery shows a good voltage when it&#;s fully charged, but quickly drops voltage to 11V or less when using power, this usually means the battery has a faulty cell and needs replacement. This can be caused by excessive vibration such as driving over corrugations without adequate shock absorption for the battery, or a manufacturing fault. Faulty cells are difficult and usually impractical to repair, so you&#;ll need to replace the battery.

When a deep cycle battery is fully discharged (dead flat), it should reveal a reading of approximately 10.5V. If your test shows that this voltage is below 10V, this typically means that the battery has been left in storage for too long without a charge or left with a load running on it that doesn&#;t have an automatic cut-off. Once a battery is below 10V, it is difficult to bring it back up as most battery chargers won&#;t recognise it as a battery due to the very low voltage. You can sometimes bring a battery back up by using an old bulk battery charger with no smarts (one that you just switch on, and it starts powering away with no stages or battery detection), but this usually depends on how long the battery has left at this low voltage.

Some final suggestions

Although you can easily troubleshoot any different battery issue yourself, accurately testing a deep cycle battery&#;s capacity requires a &#;deep discharge&#; test. This kind of test can only be done with specialist discharge testing machines that can be found at reputable battery stores.

When troubleshooting a battery bank set up with a series or parallel circuit and one of the batteries is faulty, it will pull all the other batteries down. For example, if one of your batteries has dropped down to 8V, you may notice that the other batteries within this bank will have low voltage ratings as well. To troubleshoot this, you&#;ll need to disconnect and perform a full test on each battery individually. The battery with the lowest rating will be the faulty battery that needs to be replaced.

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