The ultimate guide to understanding what battery equalization and equalizer is, balancing the battery with an additional balancing device for your solar batteries or RV battery packs.
Common battery packs are 72V, 60V, 48V, and 24V, all of which are made up of several 12V battery cells. The voltage of a battery pack is equal to the sum of the voltages of its individual batteries.
Each of these components has its own voltage, which can become uneven over time and affect the overall performance of the battery pack; if you have this problem and don’t want to waste money replacing an unbalanced or dead battery, a battery balancer is the ideal solution.
A battery equalizer,also called a battery balancer,uses an active energy transfer method to keep each battery at the same voltage level. It can be widely used in solar batteries, RV batteries, golf cart batteries and any other battery bank.
In addition, battery equalization voltage adjustments can also lead to unexpected issues if not done correctly. This guide will teach you the basics of battery equalization, what batteries need it and why, how to do it safely, checklists for safe and effective battery equalizing voltages using a charger or battery tester.
What is battery equalizer what is battery equalization
The Equalizer is a small device that actively equalizes the voltage between battery packs. When it detects a voltage difference between different battery Cells, it kicks in and actively transfers energy from the battery with the higher voltage to the battery with the slightly lower voltage. This creates a voltage balance throughout the battery pack.
Why Battery Equalizer?
There are a few reasons that batteries may start to experience voltage imbalances. Some of the most common causes of voltage imbalance in batteries include: over charging, over discharging, sulfation (the build-up of sulfur on lead acid cells), water intrusion and incorrect cell balancing.
When any one battery starts to suffer from one or more of these issues, it can cause other batteries in the pack to lose power as well as result in decreased run time and overall performance.
A battery balancer helps to preserve the integrity of your battery pack by restoring the cell voltage equilibrium.
How to Choose Battery Balancer
There are two aspects to consider, one is the type of battery, different types require different equalisers, and the other is the size of the battery pack, which must be fitted with equalisers of the same size or used in parallel.
Let us talk the battey type first,There are three main types of batteries that battery equalizers can be used on: lead acid, nickel-cadmium and lithium ion.
Lead acid batteries are usually the most popular type because they offer high capacity and runtime. Battery equalization voltages for lead acid batteries should be between 1.25 and 2 volts per cell in order to maintain performance and life expectancy.
Nickel-Cadmium (NiCd) batteries were once very common but have since been largely lagged behind, you can still equalize them is you have this type of battery.
Lithium ion batteries are becoming increasingly popular and require a different equalization voltage than lead acid or nickel-cadmium batteries. Battery equalization voltages for lithium ion battery packs should be between 1.8 and 3 volts per cell in order to maintain performance.
There are several equalizers on the market for different battery types, they are: Vicron battery balancer, HA Series Lithium ion Balancer and HWB series Lead ACid Battery Balancer:
The Vicron battery equalizer is only suitable for lead-acid and AGM battery, while the zhcsolar equalizer has 2 types.
The HA series can be used to equalize lead acid battery (VRLA), Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries ( LFP), Nickel Cadmium Secondary Batteries (Ni/CD), and Nickel Metal Hydride Secondary Batteries (Ni/MH) lithium ion.
the HWB Lead Acid Battery Balancer is suitable for all types of lead-acid batteries, but not for lithium batteries.
the second way to choose a battery equalizer depends on the number of batteries you have and the voltage of the battery packs. Usually, there are 12V, 24V, 48V, 60V, 72V, 96V, 192V equalizers available on the market for certain battery configuration. The 12V equalizer is produced by Victron energy. The 12V, 24V, 48V, 60V, 72V, 96V,192V equalizers are provided by zhcsolar.
zhcsolar’s equalizer can be used in parallel if the battery size is large or there is no appropriate equalizer.
The Hazard of Imbalanced Battery
Usually in a battery bank, there will be several batteries connected in parallel or in series. as there is no same battery, it may cause charge and discharge differences even when the battery is idle, also due to the different levels of self-discharge, it could lead to imbalance between serially connected battery during charging process if differences existed.
The differences could cause one battery to be overcharged or overdischarged and the other battery undercharged or underdischarged. In the long term this situation will dramatically affect the life and performance of the batteries.
In Lead Acid Batterys, Outdated battery cell that are not treated in time will start to sulfate from the inside and the sulfate crystals will atttach to battery plates To cause irreversible damage. and affect the overall capacity of the battery eventually.
Equalization of lead acid based batteries
Lead acid batteries are a popular type of battery that use lead and lead acid materials to create an electric current. Lead acid batteries come in many shapes, sizes and capacities, but they all work the same way – by converting chemical energy into electrical energy.
There are Four main types of lead acid batteries, wet cell, gel batteries, AGM and flooded lead acid battery. They each have their own equalization voltage.
The wet cell battery has a higher equalization voltage than the gel cell or AGM battery because it is filled with water which creates a pressure that pushes lead and sulfuric acid electrolyte around the cells. The equalization voltage for the wet cell battery should be between 13.8V and 14.6V while that of the Gel Cell or AGM batteries should be between 10 V and 12 V
The lead acid battery equalization voltage is the voltage that must be applied to a lead acid battery in order to equalize the cell voltages and prevent over-discharge.
The equalization function of lead-acid battery equalizer is specially designed according to the characteristics of lead-acid battery, it can not only realize active equalization,but also has a strong activation function.
the sulfate of the battery will be very serious after a period of storing, the equalizer also has a pulse activating function.
Further Reading:
24V 48V 60V 72V Lead Acid Battery Voltage Chart
15 Tips for Extend Lead Acid Battery Life
How Long Does Lead Acid Battery Last?
What is the difference between Battery Equalization and Equalizing Charge
Equalizing charge is the charging protocol used by many battery companies to ensure batteries are equalized and charged in a uniform manner. Battery equalization voltage refers specifically to the specific voltage that must be applied to many batteries in order not to overcharge or undercharge them, while equalizing charge ensures batteries of all types receive an even amount of charge.
equalization charge is a status during the charging process, It accounts for specific gravity of the charging before the full charge. Almost all charge controller come with equalizing charge function. However, it only works during the charging process, and it does not work during battery discharge and vacancy.
Battery Equalization by eatra balancer work another way, actively detect and transfer energy from each other cells, thus entend the longevity of whole battery bank. It can also be viewed as a battery capacity maintainer
How to equalize batteries in Battery Bank
Battery Equaliser is easy to use, plug and play
First, select the correct equaliser for your battery voltage and type. Second, follow the manual steps for correct connection of the equaliser.
- Connect the battery balancer by following steps
- Charge the battery packs to do a voltage test first
- Note the voltage and connect the battery terminals by foollowing.
- Connect the battery positive pole first on all units
- Avoid short circuit
- Connect the battery negative pole then
- The battery balancer will automatically detect the voltage of each cell.
- transfer energy from high voltage cells to lower voltage cell
Although the battery bank is a strictly matched configuration, there are still differences. The balancing allows all the batteries to operate under normal conditions.
the unbalanced battery bank capacity is the sum of all the batteries, the unbalanced battery life will goes the same as the single dragging battery.
Where to Use a Battery Equalizer
No matter what the purpose of the battery pack, if the overall performance of your battery has dropped and you suspect that this is due to an imbalance.
The Battery Equaliser is recommended to implement to cars, boats, golf carts, motorcycles, hybrid system, trucks, RVs, electric forklift batteries, solar system, and any other battery bank configuration. The Balancer also works when there is a battery charger connected to the battery.
Where to Buy Battery Equalizer
Battery Equaliser is available in many eCommerce platforms like eBay and zhcsolar online store. while the 60V,72V,96V and 192V are only avabile at zhcsolar store.
How Long to Equalize Battery Bank
The time taken to equalise the battery bank depends on the voltage difference between the batteries. As the equaliser works on the principle of equalisation, battery equalization time can vary from days to weeks, but normally the equalisation can be completed automatically in 2 days.
There’s no need for removal or disconnection of the equaliser during this time. It can always be connected to the battery pack.
Balancing is a long term project as batteries are often charged and discharged and equalizing on regular basis can maximise results.
Battery Cell Equalization Process
The battery equalisation process refers to the process of transferring energy from one battery to another until the voltage of all the battery cells is equalised.
Detect the Battery Cell Voltage Differences
Transfer energy to fill the gap.
Normally, once the battery equaliser has been connected according to the correct steps, the equalisation system will work automatically without supervision.
Battery Equalizing Voltage
The battery voltage can be equalised according to your requirements, we supply the appropriate voltage equaliser, the common 48V, 60V, 72V, and even up to 96V and 192V equalisers. Higher voltage battery packs can be equalised by installing balancers in parallel.
Battery Equalization Current
The equalization current of different equalizers is different. For example, for the two equalizers of ZHCSolar, the equalization current of the HWB lead-acid battery equalizer is 12A, while the equalization current of the HA series equalizer is 10A.
Please note that the amp shown here is the maximum possible. In reality it is usually lower than this value.
Battery Equalizer Reviews by Real User
The following review is for reference. It is the customer’s review of the ha02 battery balancer.
[testimonial style=”” image=”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6b977b06e1e0adc40c385e4512fae6da?s=60&d=mm&r=g” name=”James U.” company=”James U.” stars=”5″]
Perfect protection for 2 new strings of 8A8D 12-volt batteries wired in series for 48-volts. The solar & grid chargers were not dividing the voltage equally across the AGM batteries, and some were getting almost 2 volts too much! This would surely have destroyed my new 5,000 dollar battery investment. The battery bank is 1/4 if the system cost. Would have been nice to have just a couple more inches if wire leads and 4 fuses built inline with the leads. These units do “exactly” what they say they’ll do… balance battery voltages when charging and discharging. Will be ordering a spare or two to have on hand in the event they go bad and are discontinued. The entire off-grid solar power system relies on these small balancers.
[/testimonial]
[testimonial style=”” image=”https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/6b977b06e1e0adc40c385e4512fae6da?s=60&d=mm&r=g” name=”Wesley Bell” company=”Wesley Bell” stars=”5″]
This was just what I was looking for. Battery storage is the most expensive part of an off-grid system and this makes managing the charge super simple. Connection took about 20 minutes for two of these on my 490 ah 48 v system and where I was getting a split range of 12.9-14.1 on each battery, they were now all being the same voltage during the very important cc/CV charge cycle.
[/testimonial]
Equalizing AGM Batteries
The answer is yes, equalize AGM battery process and equalize other kinds of battery process is the same, Choose the right equalizer and install it correctly, it is done.
Battery Equalizer Wiki
on Wikipedia, an equalizer is referred to A battery balancer or battery regulator is a device in a battery pack that performs battery balancing.[2] Balancers are often found in lithium-ion battery packs for cell phones and laptop computers. They can also be found in battery electric vehicle battery packs.
Equalizing RV Batteries
There are many types of RV batteries, and the zhcsolar equalizer can balance most types of batteries on the market. Purchasing zhcsolar to balance rv batteris has never been a problem., Choose the right equalizer and install it correctly, it is done.
Equalizing Deep Cycle Batteries
The answer is yes, equalize Deep Cycle battery process and equalize other kinds of battery process is the same, Choose the right equalizer and install it correctly, it is done.
Lead-acid Battery Equalization
The lead-acid battery is the most common type of battery. And for various reasons, lead-acid batteries will slowly vulcanise until they are scrapped.
Disposal Lead-acid batteries can pollute the environment, it is necessary to use an equaliser to extend the battery life.
Equalising lead-acid battery is the same as equalising other types of battery, choose the right type and voltage equaliser and install it correctly, it is done.
24V Battery Equalizer
24V battery equaliser on the market only offered by zhcsolar and called HA02. This equaliser can be connected to two 12V batteries. HA02 can be easily purchased online and is very popular in the market.
The HA02 equaliser supports a wide range of battery types. It is a very good choice for 24V battery systems.
Battery Equalizer 12V
12V Battery balancer is offered by Victron energy and zhcsolar, it has a good product quality and good balance effect. the disadvantage is that the ability is too small, for example, when you want to equalize the 48V battery bank, 1 zhcsolar ha02 48V equalizer is enough, and with Victron, you need to use 3.
What is battery equalization voltage and how does it work?
Battery equalization voltage is a inner Mechanics and method used to equalize the voltages of batteries that are not of the same type. This is important because it prevents one battery from overcharging or under charging another battery.
Can you equalize a battery too much?
You can always keep the equalizer connected to the battery pack, whether from the beginning or in the middle, it works, and since the battery continues to charge and discharge, the imbalance of the battery cell persists, so you can always make it work.
Conclusion
Basically, equalizing batteries is the same for lead acid, nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride and other types of batteries. You will need to obtain a battery equalizer and install it correctly in order to get the desired balance effect.
Just follow this guide to properly select the equalizer and use it correctly, then you will save the cost of replacing the battery and it is also very environmentally friendly.
If you have any further questions, contact a zhcsolar expert help you now
Useful Topics
Battery Balancer Ultimate Guide 2023