I have used BatteryMinder 12117 maintainer for over 20 years, generally with great results (batteries last at least 5+ years). I have had a problem with a few batteries recently that I kept on the maintainer for a very long period of time (several weeks to 3 months). In one lead acid battery, the water level dropped a lot. Fortunately I caught it before the water level dropped below the plates. I also had a couple of older sealed batteries fail when they had been on the maintainer for a very long time. I check the maintainer voltage after it goes into desulfate mode and it is around 13.4 volts. So it shouldn't boil the water out, but it sure seems like it is. Has anyone else had this problem?
Can a BatteryMinder Cause Battery Water Level to Drop?
- Thread starter Peteco
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Funny you asked that question. I just checked a battery that spends six months a year on my model 1500 Battery Minder. I haven’t had to add liquid to the battery in 4 or five years. I have found that if I keep the electrolyte level too high, it will escape to a level that works well. As long as the plates are covered, I leave things alone. I now have batteries that have been in service for ten years or longer. I have two boat batteries that have been in service since 2013.
I have a bunch of VDC Electronics Battery Minders, all connected to batteries in vehicles nearly continuously. We're talking years. No problems that I've ever seen. Just fully charged batteries ready to go.
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I had 2 of the cheap ones from HF and both boiled the batteries till dry. Ruined them.
Reading through BatteryMinder reviews on Amazon and elsewhere there are some (a small percentage) that have had similar experience with water level dropping and other battery problems. So some of the BateryMinder units may be running a little higher voltage, and some batteries may be more sensitive to the maintenance charge level. That's not a problem on batteries that you can check the water level and keep it filled. It is the sealed batteries that concern me. I may need to go to just occasionally putting them on the BatteryMinder and not leaving them on fulltime.
I would never trust a HF maintainer or any other cheap one. Sad though that the higher end (and cost) units like the BatteryMinder occasionally have similar problems.
Absolutely yes and that's why I recommend not leaving batteries on battery minders for weeks and months.
My boat battery has been on a BM 1.5 unit since last fall, no water loss. Battery is a '19 and has been on it all this time, whether out of the boat for winter storage or when it's on the trailer in the yard. I check it every few months.
As said it just may be a bad unit. I've got 8 BM in play on all my OPE, sleds and bikes.
As said it just may be a bad unit. I've got 8 BM in play on all my OPE, sleds and bikes.
The older & less expensive Battery Minders did not have temperature compensation. The better ones do. If a battery was in basement temperature compensation might not matter. But in a hot or cold garage it might.
The older BatteryMinder units had instructions that you should only leave the battery connected for 48 hours, and if the green light does not come on during that time then the battery is damaged and should be disconnected from the BatteryMinder.
BatteryMinder company will respond to emails.
The older BatteryMinder units had instructions that you should only leave the battery connected for 48 hours, and if the green light does not come on during that time then the battery is damaged and should be disconnected from the BatteryMinder.
BatteryMinder company will respond to emails.
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Those battery minders brand chargers are like $15, seems pretty cheap to me
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
They've gone up a bunch, but go on sale all the time....typical price is around $30 or so. But currently $20 for black friday:
These are the newer version with automatic temperature compensation.
https://www.northerntool.com/produc...wSIwQS0cAs7d-YRbsAgaArNxEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
I have had 2 of these Northern bought Battery Minders fail. Other older Battery Minder units have worked well. Not sure what is going on with the new units, but they are very light in weight.The older (and heavy) units are still working.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
Interesting to hear...I had an older Battery Minder "wall wart" fail...symptom was low output voltage....around 12.4vt when both charging and floating. I bought one of these newer versions last year from Northern Tool...seems to work fine. I also have a couple other of the larger ones, like the 2012AGM and 128CEC2, those are my favored units.
Did Battery Minder honor the 5 year warranty? I saved my receipt after hearing someone (perhaps you?) mentioning failures.
I haven't bothered with BatteryMinder as you have to send the units to them. Perhaps I should. I did have an older one fail also, but two others are working fine.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
I would call them and ask. Even if you had to send them in, you could send two together in a USPS padded envelope for $10.
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which brand is that? it's not the noco is it?
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2025
Battery Minder brand.
https://www.batteryminders.com/car-battery-maintainer-automotive-charger
The wall wart version (1 amp) is sold through Northern Tool.
