Honeywell HPBLT Technical manual

HPBLT
Battery LifeTester
PN 52763:A 03/10/06 ECN 05-637
Honeywell
12 Clintonville Road
Northford, CT 06472
http://www.honeywellpower.com
Product Installation Document
1 Overview
The Honeywell HPBLT “Battery LifeTester” is a compact, easy to use Mhos meter for testing 12 Volt rechargeable
batteries. Unlike ordinary testers which only measure static criteria, the LifeTester measures internal conductivity, which
is the best indicator of a battery’s health and life expectancy. The conductivity value, expressed in Mhos (the inverse of
Ohms or resistance), is easily compared to benchmark readings from the included Mhos Chart. The chart then categorizes
the battery condition as “Best”, “Good”, “Weak” or “Bad”. Every battery type has a characteristic Mhos value when it is
brand new and fully charged. The LifeTester is powered by the battery under test and automatically warns when the
battery voltage is too low for testing.
2 Features
• Does not discharge or damage the battery.
• Tests 12 Volt rechargeable batteries.
• Display shows battery voltage and Mhos.
• Warns if battery voltage is too low.
• Replaceable test leads.
• Includes padded carrying case.
• Includes self-adhesive test data labels.
3 Specifications
• Operating Voltage: 10.0V - 14 Volts D.C.
• Current Draw: 1.1 Amps. max., 0.0016Ah for full test.
• Battery Leads: ~12 inches.
• Size: 4.4”W x 3”H x 1.15”D (w/o carrying case)
4 Installation Instructions
1. Disconnect the battery from its equipment.
2. Connect the BLACK test clip to the Negative (-) battery terminal and the RED to the Positive (+) terminal. (For
accurate readings, the test clips must be tightly clipped directly to the battery posts, not to the battery bolts.) “Err” or
a blank screen indicates that battery voltage is too low for testing or a test clip connection is loose. Try charging the
battery or reconnecting the test clips.
3. The voltage of the battery will display briefly. A new battery, out of the box, will generally read around 12.6 Volts. A
fully-charged battery should read between 12.6 Volts and 13.5 Volts. “- - -” indicates a test in progress.
4. The Mhos (internal conductivity) reading of the battery will display within six seconds.
5. Refer to the Mhos Chart. In the “Ah” column, find the battery size. Follow across the row to find the closest match
to it’s Mhos reading. The column heading and color code indicates the test results. NOTE: The Mhos chart printed
on the BLT is best suited for batteries under charge and at room temperatures of around 72°F. This covers most
batteries, even in cold basements or buildings, since the battery will be kept warm by the recharging and by being
inside the electronics enclosure. However, since cooler temperatures can significantly lower the Mhos reading of a
battery, this instruction manual has a more extensive Mhos chart with columns for evaluating batteries that are being
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adversely affected by 62°F, 52°F and 42°F environments. Also see “Temperature Affects on a Battery” in this
manual.
6. For future reference, mark the battery with the voltage, Mhos reading and a test date. NOTE: If the LifeTester is left
connected to a battery for more than 30 seconds after the test is complete, it will automatically shutdown to conserve
battery power. Disconnecting and reconnecting a test lead will restart the test procedure.
5 Recording Battery Readings
LifeTester measurements should be taken and recorded periodically. The popular method is to record the information
onto a self-adhesive label placed directly on the battery. A supply of these labels is included with the tester. Additional
labels may be ordered in packs of 100 by specifying part number ‘Honeywell HPBLT LABELS’. This information will
be valuable in future tests for trending analysis. The recorded data should include:
• The data of the test.
• The battery voltage reading (optional).
• The Mhos reading.
— A new ‘fresh out of the box’ battery that has not been charged should have a Mhos value in the high side of the
“Good” column and possibly into the “best” column (see the Mhos chart). If the reading is considerably lower,
charge the battery for at least 24 hours and then retest.
— Battery performance degrades over time due to use and abuse, and may be impacted by many factors like depth and
frequency of discharge. The higher the Mhos value, the more current the battery can deliver. Therefore, a new 7
amp-hour battery will have a higher Mhos value than a new 4 amp-hour battery of similar construction.
6 Temperature Effects on a Battery
Generally speaking, temperatures below 72°F tend to slow down a battery’s internal activity, causing a significant
decrease in the Mhos (conductivity) reading as the temperature falls. Cool temperatures (not below freezing) will tend to
prolong a battery’s life. Temperatures above 72°F cause a battery’s internal activity to accelerate, but with only a slight
increase in the Mhos reading. Warm temperatures will tend to dry out and degrade a batter much faster than normal.
• 100°F = 105% of normal Mhos (conductivity)
• 72°F = 100% of normal Mhos; no adjustment
• 62°F = 92% of normal Mhos
• 52°F = 87% of normal Mhos
• 42°F = 82% of normal Mhos
• 32°F = 76% of normal Mhos
7 Adding to the Battery Mhos Chart
If the battery you are trying to test is not included in the “Battery Mhos Chart” it may be necessary to research and
generate the data on your own. The following procedure will help with this task.
• Start with 2 or 3 fresh, new batteries. The battery voltage should be around 12.6 Volts or higher. Place the batteries
in service (on charge) for 24 hours.
• Remove them from charge and measure the Mhos reading of each. Average the readings together. This will be the
baseline number from with the “Best”, “Good”, “Weak” and “Bad” columns are calculated.
• The “Best” column will be 90% of the baseline number. The first and second numbers in the “Good” column are
80% and 89% of the baseline. The first and second numbers in the “Weak” column are 70% and 79% of the baseline.
The “Bad” column is 0% and 69% of the baseline.
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HPBLT Installation Document P/N 52763:A 03/10/06 3
8 Accumulating Trend Analysis Over a Period of Years
Trending of periodic Mhos measurements can yield valuable insights for estimating the remaining life of the battery.
Suppose that a 4.0 Ah battery has been in service for three years and that the LifeTester measurements after the first year
was 90 Mhos, 85 Mhos after the second year, and 80 Mhos after the third. Since the battery is still at 80 Mhos and is
dropping an average of 5 Mhos per year, it is likely that this battery will not need replacing before the end of the fourth
year. On the other hand, suppose that the readings were 90 Mhos after the first year, 82 Mhos after the second year, and
70 Mhos after the third, the rate of decay increasing each year. This indicates that although the battery is still serviceable,
it is degrading more and more rapidly. It is unlikely that this battery will be serviceable for another year. Under these
circumstances, either the battery should be replaced early or the service interval should be shortened to catch this battery
before a system failure.
9 Using Mhos to Estimate Battery Life
For standby batteries, peak capacity is normally reached after about three months on a float charging system. For cyclic
use batteries, full capacity may not be reached until after ten to thirty cycles. If a new battery has been in storage for an
extended period, say over six months without being charges, plate oxidation from self-discharge will occur, causing a
decrease in the Mhos reading. Plate oxidation also occurs in standby batteries during a power failure, particularly if a
battery remains in a highly discharged state for an extended period of time. Plate oxidation is unhealthy and can destroy a
battery’s capacity. Once a battery is weakened by plate oxidation, it is difficult to recover full capacity without special
charging or conditioning methods. In some cases a battery will recover and pass a test after being recharged. However, a
second test should be performed a few days later to accurately assess the overall life of the battery. The average life cycle
of a sealed lead-acid battery in standby use on a float charge is three to five years. A battery with a Mhos reading of less
that 70% of its original capacity is no longer considered serviceable and should be replaced.
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For additional information:
• Visit our website at http://www.honeywellpower.com
• Contact Technical Support at 1(877) HPP-POWR
• E-mail us at [e-mail]
Battery Mhos Chart
~72°F Environment ~62°F Environment ~52°F Environment ~42°F Environment
Ideal Conditions -8% Degrade -13% Degrade -18% Degrade
Ah. Size Bad Weak Good Best Bad Weak Good Best Bad Weak Good Best Bad Weak Good Best
.8 0-19 20-21 22-24 25+ 0-17 18-20 21-22 23+ 0-16 17-18 19-21 22+ 0-15 16-17 18-20 21+
1.3 0-24 25-28 29-31 32+ 0-22 23-25 26-29 30+ 0-21 22-24 25-27 28+ 0-20 21-23 24-26 27+
2.3 0-40 41-45 46-51 52+ 0-36 37-42 43-47 48+ 0-34 35-39 40-44 45+ 0-32 33-37 38-42 43+
2.6 0-44 45-50 51-57 58+ 0-40 41-46 47-52 53+ 0-38 39-44 45-49 50+ 0-36 37-41 42-46 47+
3.0 0-48 49-55 56-62 63+ 0-44 45-51 52-57 56+ 0-42 43-48 49-54 55+ 0-39 40-45 46-51 52+
3.3 0-49 50-57 58-64 65+ 0-45 46-52 53-59 60+ 0-43 44-49 50-55 56+ 0-40 41-46 47-52 53+
4.0 0-64 65-73 74-83 84+ 0-59 60-67 68-76 77+ 0-56 57-64 65-72 73+ 0-52 53-60 61-68 69+
4.5 0-73 74-83 84-94 95+ 0-67 68-76 77-86 87+ 0-63 64-72 73-81 82+ 0-59 60-68 69-76 77+
5.0 0-76 77-87 88-98 99+ 0-70 71-80 81-90 91+ 0-66 67-76 77-85 86+ 0-62 63-71 72-80 81+
7.0 0-139 140-159 160-179 180+ 0-128 129-146 147-165 166+ 0-121 122-138 139-156 157+ 0-114 115-130 131-147 148+
7.5 0-153 154-175 176-197 198+ 0-141 142-161 162-181 182+ 0-133 134-152 153-171 172+ 0-125 126-143 144-161 152+
8.0 0-157 158-179 180-202 203+ 0-144 145-165 166-185 186+ 0-136 137-156 157-175 176+ 0-128 129-147 148-165 166+
10.0 0-185 186-211 212-238 239+ 0-170 171-194 195-218 219+ 0-160 161-183 184-206 207+ 0-151 152-173 174-195 196+
12.0 0-192 193-219 220-241 248+ 0-176 177-201 202-227 228+ 0-166 167-190 191-214 215+ 0-157 158-179 180-202 203+
17.0 0-265 266-303 304-341 342+ 0-244 245-279 280-314 315+ 0-230 231-263 264-297 298+ 0-217 218-248 249-279 280+
18.0 0-279 280-319 320-359 360+ 0-257 258-293 294-330 331+ 0-243 244-277 278-312 313+ 0-229 230-261 262-294 295+
24.0 0-321 322-367 368-413 414+ 0-295 296-338 339-380 381+ 0-279 280-319 320-359 360+ 0-263 264-301 302-338 339+
25.0 0-328 329-375 376-422 423+ 0-302 303-345 346-388 389+ 0-285 286-326 327-367 368+ 0-289 270-307 308-346 347+
26.0 0-335 336-386 384-431 432+ 0-308 309-352 353-396 397+ 0-291 292-333 334-375 376+ 0-275 276-314 315-353 354+
Bad Replace immediately.
Weak Nearing end of life; replace soon.
Good Adequate standby power.
Best Battery is fresh and well charged
Honeywell is not responsible for misprints or errors. These Mhos values are benchmark averages created from fresh samples of major brand batteries. If you find consistent, minor variations in readings from multiple
samples of a battery, it is likely due to manufacturing differences. However, if the readings are excessively low, the battery is not as good as the benchmark average. If this chart does not include the battery you are
testing, it may be necessary to generate the values using the procedure listed above.