6 volt batteries, discharge limits

[LVJJJ]

I looked thru the search field but as usual couldn't find my answer.

I have just bought two 6 volt Deka batteries from Lowe's. Haven't used 6 volts in years so can't remember how deep you can discharge them before ruining them??

[time2roll]

If you cycle them down 80% 50 times a year they should last more than 10 years according to the chart.
Bigger issue IMO is to get them charged back tip top 100% often enough that they do not sulphate.

[KD4UPL]

The deeper you discharge the shorter the life. The shallower you discharge the longer the life. It's a curve as that above posted Trojan chart demonstrates. I would look up the discharge/life curve for your batteries and pick your compromise point.

[corvettekent]

Most people will tell you 50% discharge, but my first pair of 6 volt batteries I discharged until the lights got dim because I did not know any better and I still got 7 years out of them. 50% is a very safe number but don't freak out if you drop below that.

[Lwiddis]

Maximum battery life is not achieved by discharging to only fifty percent. According to Trojan’s chart, maximum charted life is obtained by a twenty percent discharge maximum. Twenty percent discharges equal 3000 cycles. Fifty percent discharges equal 1200 cycles.

[Lwiddis]

Open ended question. Do you want maximum battery life? Do you want to use maximum amp hours? Fifty percent isn’t a magic number. This isn’t simple while some RVers would like it to be. It’s a number on a chart. Here is Trojan’s chart...

[Flute_Man]

For maximum life recharge at the 50% mark which I remember as 12.1 V. You should be able to look them up online Using Google search or the like.