Your Prosine inverter/charger is designed to be used with deep-cycle, lead-acid batteries. These batteries are designed for deep discharge service where they will be repeatedly charged and discharged. This type of battery is often labeled as a marine, recreational vehicle, or golf cart battery. Xantrex recommends you use one or more of these batteries separated from the starting battery of your vehicle or boat with a battery isolator.
Starting Batteries
Starting batteries are designed for high cranking power, not deep discharge cycling. Do not use them with your inverter. They do not hurt the inverter but they simply will not last long in a deep-cycle application. The way they are rated should give a good indication of their intended use: “Cold Cranking Amps” is a measure of the amperage output of a starting battery.
Starting batteries use lots of thin plates to maximize the surface area of the battery. This allows very high starting current but allows the plates to warp when the battery is cycled. The most familiar lead- acid battery is probably the starting battery in your automobile. An automotive starting battery is designed to deliver a large amount of current for a short period of time (so it can start your engine). Only a small portion of the battery’s capacity is used when starting the engine and it is quickly recharged by the running engine. It is not designed for repeated charge-discharge cycles where the battery is almost completely discharged and then recharged. Starting batteries used in this kind of deep discharge service will wear out rapidly.
Deep-Cycle Batteries
Deep-cycle batteries are best suited for use with inverters. They are designed to have the majority of their capacity used before being recharged. Available in many sizes and types, the most common type is the non-sealed, liquid electrolyte “flooded” battery used in boats and motor homes. Non-sealed types have removable battery caps. The caps should be removed at least monthly to check the level of electrolyte. When a cell is low, only distilled water should be added. The electrolyte level should be checked monthly and topped up if needed after recharging.
The many different types of deep cycle lead acid batteries can be grouped into four categories: flooded (or wet), sealed flooded (“maintenance free”), recombinant flooded (often “starved electrolyte”), and gel batteries.
Another popular and inexpensive battery of this type is the “golf car” (T-105 or CG220) battery. Rated at about 220 amp-hours, these six-volt batteries can be connected in series to produce 12- or 24-volt battery banks, and discharged repeatedly to 80% of their capacity without being damaged. This is the minimum quality of battery that should be used with the Prosine inverter in normal applications.
Some systems use the L16 type of battery. These are 6-volt batteries rated at 350 amp-hours and are available from a number of manufacturers. They are 17 inches (430mm) in height and weigh up to 130 pounds (60kg) each—which may be troublesome in some installations.
Type 8D batteries are available in either cranking or deep-cycle construction. The deep-cycle versions are 12-volt batteries rated at 200 amp-hours or so. Since they are most commonly used to start truck engines, you should make sure you purchase the deep cycle version, not the cranking version. Type 4D batteries are very similar in construction, but somewhat smaller (about 170Ah).
