Aaarrrgggg!! It's off again

[dgd]

It's always the little things that are the most annoying
The battery temp sensor won't stay stuck to my battery. The batteries are in steel containers and there is a corrugated plastic insulation between the case and hard plastic cell body. So nowhere on sides to stick BTS.
On top only but after a decent bubbling there is enough water vapour and dampness on top of cells to unstick the BTS.
The sticky stuff on BTS has long ago died and I can't figure out what to do. I suspect doubled sided tape would be too thick and insulate the temp sensor. Can't mechanically attach sensor, nowhere to get a cable tie secured.
Any ideas?

Dgd

[Westbranch]

Got a pic or 2  dgd?

[TomW]

maybe stick it down over the top with some good old Gorilla Tape after cleaning and drying the area. That Gorilla Tape is the real deal, man. It has a lot of stickum on it and lasts very well. Not cheap but it is the best all around tape I have found.


http://www.amazon.com/Gorilla-Tape-1-88-Inch-35-Yard-Roll/dp/B000CSS8UE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1390354263&sr=8-2&keywords=gorilla+tape

Just an idea. Or maybe a thin layer of silicone caulk and some weight on it til it cures?

Scrape off any excess goo from the factory on the sensor. Probably doesn't need to be stuck hard to it to work but what do I know?

Giood luck with it.

Tom

[dgd]

Good idea TomW, I will get some gorilla tape and give it a go.
I had tried some silicone sealer around outside of BTS but not between it and the battery, but it dried out and came off the battery. My last idea was a piece of wood dowel that the metal case lid closed onto and pressed the BTS to the battery.
I was trying to figure out how to connect a small cantilevered clamp to press on the BTS and securing the clamp by bolting it near top of battery container but even that started to get more complicated than constructing a frame for a few Kw of PVs.
I even got as far as a plastic suction clamp of the type for a car windscreen to hold a phone etc and after  a while it gets unsucky and lets go
dgd

[boB]

Wedge the BTS in between 2 batteries.   That way you also get 2 batteries temperature rather than one.

boB

[toothy]

I like simple, what about a small flat rock or piece of ceramic tile?

Wade

[dgd]

She who must be obeyed noticed me trying to secure the BTS with a little clamp, laughed, then stuck it down with a teensy piece of blu tack. Instructions say once stuck between dry surfaces will not be effected by damp conditions.
dgd

[Westbranch]

AS the expression goes.... Use a Bigger Hammer...  in this case a bigger clamp?? 

http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mastercraft-spreader-clamp-0572586p.html#.Ut_wWvvTksY

[boB]

dgd,  the latest (withing last couple years ?)  BTS's are VERY sticky and won't fall off the battery as long as it's not dirty.

Does your BTS that fell off have black or clear adhesive ?  The newer (good) stuff is black.

We can send you a new BTS of course.  Just let us know where to send it.

But which version is it ?

boB

[dgd]

Thanks boB but no need for me to get a replacement BTS.
I got it stuck on now and it wont move, used a small piece of double sided gaffer tape after cleaning up the BTS and the top of the battery.
dgd

[SolarMusher]

David, duct tape is bullet proof. Put it on battery side and then stick your bts on tape.
Works great.
Erik

[boB]

OK, DGD, but what era of BTS was it ?  Thick black or clear adhesive ?

boB

[dgd]

There was no black sticky on it, I thought it was more like a white/clear adhesive tape, the Classic was from Q2 2011

[Robin]

You got one of the last BTS's with the crummy tape. They ALL fell off!
The new stuff is great. Unless your batteries are seeing drastic quick changes in temperature, it doesn't much matter where the sensor is located. As long as it is in the same room that will normally suffice. The BTS is just trying to determine if you are in Antarctica or the Sahara desert. Time tends to make things work out, so it is really the ambient that matters. Of course if you have a hot battery, it would certainly help to have it right on the battery, but what are the chances of getting it on the right battery?
There are lots of places that don't even use BTS's like Hawaii. Things are always close to the perfect temperature so there just isn't much compensation happening. Those are the lucky ones.