A LiFePO4 battery is only as good as the chargers feeding it. Fit an ECO WORTHY 12V 280Ah without touching the settings, and you'll probably get one of two problems. Either a lead-acid converter never fills it, or a charger set too high keeps pushing it into its BMS cutoff. This guide gives you the numbers for every charging source in a typical RV, plus the inverter and battery monitor settings that go with them.
Update, November 12, 2026: ECO WORTHY has replaced the 280Ah with the ECO WORTHY 12V 314Ah. The charge settings in this guide are ECO WORTHY's published settings for the 314Ah and apply to both batteries. For a 314Ah, set your battery monitor capacity to 314Ah. Its 0.2C–0.5C charge range is about 63–157A, with 157A standard and 200A maximum.
The short answer
| Setting (12V battery) | Recommended | Battery limit |
|---|---|---|
| Charge profile | Lithium / LiFePO4 (never flooded, AGM or gel) | — |
| Absorption (bulk/boost) voltage | 14.6V (ECO WORTHY's recommendation); 14.4V if your charger overshoots | 14.6V maximum |
| Absorption time | About 30 min–2 h, or end on tail current | — |
| Float voltage | Off (ECO WORTHY's recommendation), or 13.8V if your charger can't disable float | — |
| Equalization / desulfation | Off | — |
| Temperature compensation | Off (0 mV/°C) | — |
| Charge current | 56–140A (0.2C–0.5C); lower is gentler | 200A maximum |
| Inverter low-voltage cutoff | 11.5–12.0V | BMS cuts off at 10V |
| Low-temperature charging | Stop below 32°F (0°C); 41°F (5°C) if your charger allows it | BMS blocks charging below about 19.4°F |
The absorption, float and equalization figures are ECO WORTHY's own recommended solar-controller settings for its 12V metal-case LiFePO4 line. They're published for the current 314Ah version, which replaced the 280Ah on November 12, 2026, according to ECO WORTHY. If the manual that came with your battery gives different figures, use the manual.
Why these numbers
- Absorption at 14.6V is what ECO WORTHY recommends. It's 3.65V per cell and fully charges the battery. If your charger tends to overshoot its setting and you see the BMS cut charging off right at the top, drop it to 14.4V. You'll give up very little capacity.
- Float off, or 13.8V. LiFePO4 doesn't need topping up the way lead-acid does, so ECO WORTHY recommends turning float off. If your charger has no way to disable it, ECO WORTHY says to use 13.8V.
- No equalization and no temperature compensation. Equalization deliberately over-volts the battery, which is useful for flooded lead-acid and harmful to lithium. Temperature compensation raises the voltage in the cold, which is exactly the wrong direction for a lithium battery.
Settings by charging source
RV converter (shore power and generator)
This is where most problems start. Many factory converters only have a lead-acid profile and sit at about 13.6V. At that voltage a LiFePO4 battery never fully charges. Some also have a periodic desulfation or equalize mode.
- If your converter has a lithium switch or mode, select it, and check its voltages against the table above.
- If it doesn't, replace the converter with one that has a lithium profile, or add a configurable charger and leave the old converter to run your 12V loads. See is my WFCO converter lithium compatible? and what has to change in an RV lithium upgrade.
- A generator charges through the converter or inverter-charger, so getting this setting right covers generator charging too.
Solar charge controller
- Use an MPPT controller where possible. See MPPT vs PWM.
- Choose a user-defined or LiFePO4 profile. Set absorption to 14.6V, set float to off (or 13.8V), and turn equalization and temperature compensation off.
- Victron's SmartSolar lithium preset (14.2V absorption, 2 h, 13.2V float) is safe for the ECO WORTHY, but it stops a little short of full. To match ECO WORTHY's recommendation, raise absorption to 14.6V. See Victron MPPT LiFePO4 absorption and float settings.
- Set the controller's battery type before connecting the panels. Most controllers detect system voltage when the battery is connected first.
- Shop solar charge controllers.
DC-DC charger (alternator)
A lithium battery will take as much current as the alternator can supply, which can overheat it. A DC-DC charger limits the current and provides the correct lithium profile.
- Set it to the lithium profile with the same absorption and float voltages as above.
- Size the charge current to your alternator, not to the battery. A 280Ah battery can take 140A, but most tow vehicles can safely supply 20–60A on top of their own loads.
- If it has an engine-run detection or ignition-sense input, use it, so the charger doesn't drain the starter battery when the engine is off.
- Shop DC-DC chargers.
Inverter-charger
- Charger side: lithium profile, absorption 14.6V, float off or 13.8V, equalize off. Limit the charge current to what your shore power breaker can handle as well as what the battery can take.
- Inverter side: set the low-voltage shutdown to about 11.5–12.0V, with restart around 12.5V. That stops the inverter before the ECO WORTHY's BMS cuts out at 10V and shuts everything down at once.
Portable lithium charger
For a bench charge before installing the battery or building a bank, use a 14.6V LiFePO4 charger, or a smart charger set to lithium. Shop battery chargers.
Battery monitor (shunt) settings
The ECO WORTHY's Bluetooth app shows the battery's own state of charge. If you also fit a shunt, use these settings so its readings match:
- Battery capacity: 280Ah per battery (560Ah for two in parallel).
- Charged voltage: about 0.2V below your absorption voltage, for example 14.4V with a 14.6V absorption.
- Tail current: about 4%.
- Peukert exponent: 1.05. Charge efficiency: 99%.
See how to install a SmartShunt battery monitor.
Charge current: how fast is OK?
ECO WORTHY lists 200A as the 280Ah's maximum charge and discharge current, and 140A as the standard continuous rating. For the longest life, aim for 0.2C to 0.5C, which is about 56–140A. In practice, most RVs charge from several sources at once: solar at 20–60A, a DC-DC charger at 20–60A, and a 40–100A converter or inverter-charger on shore power. The total usually lands comfortably in this range. If yours adds up to more than 140A, turn down the largest source.
Cold weather
Turn temperature compensation off, as above, but keep low-temperature protection in place. The ECO WORTHY's BMS blocks charging when the cells are too cold. A charger that can read the battery temperature can stop sooner, at 41°F. See charging the ECO WORTHY 280Ah in cold weather.
24V and 48V banks
If you wire ECO WORTHY 280Ahs in series, multiply every voltage by the number of batteries in the string. Two in series (24V) is 29.2V absorption, with float off or 27.6V. Four in series (48V) is 58.4V absorption, with float off or 55.2V. Parallel banks use the 12V settings, with a higher current allowed. See how to connect ECO WORTHY 280Ah batteries in parallel or series.
Troubleshooting
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Battery never shows 100% | Converter or controller on a lead-acid profile, holding 13.6V, or a lithium preset set below 14.4V | Set absorption to 14.6V |
| Charging cuts out right at full | The charger overshoots 14.6V and the BMS trips | Lower absorption to 14.4V |
| Solar shows panel voltage but no current on a cold morning | The BMS low-temp cutoff is blocking charging | Normal. It resumes once the battery warms up |
| Inverter and lights all shut off at once | The BMS cut off at 10V before the inverter's own cutoff | Raise the inverter's low-voltage cutoff to 11.5–12.0V |
| Alternator or wiring runs hot | Battery connected straight to the alternator | Fit a DC-DC charger sized to the alternator |
Still not charging? Work through our RV solar not charging guide.
FAQ
Can I charge the ECO WORTHY 280Ah with my old lead-acid charger?
Only if you can turn off equalization and desulfation. ECO WORTHY recommends a 14.6V LiFePO4-compatible charger. A charger stuck at 13.6V will never fully charge the battery.
Is 14.6V too high?
No. It's ECO WORTHY's recommended absorption voltage for this battery line, and also its maximum. Use 14.4V if your charger tends to overshoot.
Should I set float at all?
ECO WORTHY recommends float off. If your charger can't turn float off, set it to 13.8V. With float off, most controllers still power your 12V loads from solar during the day.
Where are the full specs?
See our ECO WORTHY 12V 280Ah battery guide or the product page.