Gel Battery ? (1 Viewer)

bryandh

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The price of brand named Gel batteries here in Spain are really silly. Anybody know the approx cost of a 120AH brand named battery in the UK? Prices quoted here range from €350 to €499.
Have trawled thro ebay and prices are better but delivery is problem so anticipate collecting one while in London in June.

Regards, Bryan
 

funflair

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Hi Bryan

I reckon on from £2 per ah, so £240 ish here, but you can find more expensive ones.

Martin

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bryandh

bryandh

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Does not HAVE to be Gel but have allowed myself to be convinced that they are a better option..... no maintenance, odour/leak proof etc. Totally ignorant about new technology batteries I just seem to replace traditional ones ...... too frequently !

Regards, Bryan
 

Techno

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The majority of replies from those in the know will say don't waste your money! unless you have a boat that might capsize. You'll get better power delivery for a lot less money from a regular sealed lead acid. £85 for 125AH :thumb:

The only thing to consider is the space dimensions that will fit. Then change your charger ouput setting from Gel to lead acid
 
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callumwa

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The majority of replies from those in the know will say don't waste your money! unless you have a boat that might capsize. You'll get better power delivery for a lot less money from a regular sealed lead acid. £85 for 125AH :thumb:



Just beat me to it.......

Ditto all the above......... My, 2 x 88AH Lead Acid batteries, cost £100 delivered for the pair:thumb:

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Does not HAVE to be Gel but have allowed myself to be convinced that they are a better option..... no maintenance, odour/leak proof etc. Totally ignorant about new technology batteries I just seem to replace traditional ones ...... too frequently !

Regards, Bryan

I am with you Bryan for all your reasons, mine needed changing last year, my logic was that Hymer had used Gel for a good reason why change. As they are still fitting them, so will I.

But £200 was as cheap as I could find last year, when I got them both out, turned out only one had failed! :Doh:

David
 
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I ahve a GEL battery fitted as std in my van and i have emailed the Battery meg store re theAlphaline batteries as mine is inboard in the habitation area. they say the 125 Ah suggested by Techno100 will do the job well but recommend fitting ( in case of a fault ) the small vent pipe they can supply cheaply with the battery to vent out of the hab area.:thumb:

when i need my next battery thats what i am up for. dont forget there s a different charge setting on your unit for GEL and Lead acid:thumb:
 

FULL TIMER

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I prefer to follow the advice of an expert, worth taking a look here Link Removed
 

Techno

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It does not need a vent pipe.
The sealed engine battery I just replaced today in another thread is right under your feet in your cab :roflmto: Any emission is so small it's insignificant and certainly not dangerous

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Dec 6, 2011
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It does not need a vent pipe.
The sealed engine battery I just replaced today in another thread is right under your feet in your cab :roflmto: Any emission is so small it's insignificant and certainly not dangerous

whilst i dont doubt your competence on the matter this is from them on the 27th ( 2 days ago )


Dear Phill,

Thank you for your email.

snipped!

[HI]The XV110 & DC31 are sealed maintenance free however they have safety release vents which can release gas (hydrogen) when overcharged or when pressure rises.
We can supply you with the vent tubes and elbows. This means you can connect these and vent away from your habitation area seating.[/HI]


Charging mode should be set to Lead Acid.

Kind regards
Battery Megastore (UK)
 

Techno

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Covering their aris because you asked that's all Fiat don't fit them

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FULL TIMER

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It should also be pointed out that before anyone else nips out for gel cell batteries thinking they are a much needed upgrade check that your charger is designed to charge them, most cheaper end stuff fitted in motorhomes won't be and will soon bugger up your nice new expensive battery, a lot of gel or agm batteries need different charge rates and so on and most high end chargers can be set up specifically for their use, a facility not found on many motor caravan chargers

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TheBig1

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one thing to check if lead acid batteries keep failing is whether the charger is set to gel as this provides a higher voltage etc which the gel batteries need and cooks sla types

when all things are considered, unless your battery may get tipped up or is used for traction, then a gel battery is overkill and far more expensive. you only get so many recharges from a battery by design, so the best value for money is a sealed lead acid.
 

FULL TIMER

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I know what Charles has to say :roflmto:

maybe my post didn't come across quite right, when I said expert I meant generally nothing against your advice , I agree with your advice to the OP just putting the link for those that didn't and seem to be convinced they need these Gel Batteries, I've been using Sterling products for many years and the only time we used Gel batteries was when we built emergency service vehicle's but that was more down to their spec than our choice, all ways found his advice and products pretty sound.
 

Techno

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No it's fine how you said it :roflmto: :thumb: I know Charles goes to the other extreme, I'm middle of the road sealed but certainly not gel. I confess I have two Elecsols but only because they came with the van, I won't be replacing them

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jonandshell

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Gel, well if you really must!

If you want reliable long lasting power, a properly designed open lead acid traction monobloc.:thumb:
 

Techno

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Well mostly negative on the Gel front as I expected but the question was how much in UK?
I googled Gel batteries and found some pretty low priced stuff but it's up to the OP
I'd rather buy good quality sealed wet batteries and replace them two yearly if necessary and still be quids in. However I'm confident mine will last four at least as they are always charged and never neglected. If I feel my onboard charging regimes are not keeping up I won't hesitate to find a hook up.
 

JeanLuc

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Two thoughts.
1. Even the so-called 'safe to fit internally' gel batteries can give off noxious / inflammable gas when they fail. My Hymer came with 2 x 80 Ah Exide gels and when a cell in one failed at the end of life and it was plugged in on the drive, the van filled with hydrogen sulphide and goodness knows what else.

2. Most intelligent chargers have a switch to select gel or wet lead-acid charging cycles. This is important as the gel cycle normally lasts much longer (they take longer to charge) and gels cannot stand such a high charging voltage as wet.

My solution was to go for 2 x 110Ah Elecsol sealed lead-acid and VENT them to the outside. Next time I change, I shall stick with standard (modern technology) sealed lead-acid like the Alphaline shown by Techno, or similar. I would not pay the huge premium for gel.

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As a fulltimer I consider batteries to be one of the most important components of my habitation alongside the boiler.

I wouldn't touch Gel batteries with a barge pole for motorhome use.

After messing with so called leisure batteries etc etc. I now only use VRLA AGM batteries of the deep cycle variety. Originally I used Victron 250AH ones but they are hard to source so went to a competitors. I judge a batteries quality mainly by it's weight. The more lead in the battery the better :thumb:
The current ones were installed in May 2007 and are still going strong although I am starting to suspect one cell in one battery due to charge times.

They also act as a backup to the vehicle battery should that go flat and it has saved me a couple of time ::bigsmile:
 

Peter_n_Margaret

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As a fulltimer I consider batteries to be one of the most important components of my habitation alongside the boiler.

I wouldn't touch Gel batteries with a barge pole for motorhome use.

After messing with so called leisure batteries etc etc. I now only use VRLA AGM batteries of the deep cycle variety.
Ditto that.
Gel are more 'finnicky' to look after compared with AGM.
AGM also have much lower self discharge when not used, particularly compared with wet cells.

Cheers,
Peter
 
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if you are caught needing leisure batteries in spain there is a battery megastore in barcelona , link below . they stock alphalines dc31's among others and they speak english. €123 (£100 ish) for a dc31 which isnt much more than you will pay in the uk. i just bought 3 posted to local chandlery shop,::bigsmile: hope this helps sean

http://en.bateriamegastore.es/product/DC31/

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funflair

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I am busily absorbing all of this information as on day will need new hab batteries as our GEL ones are now into their 9th and still going strong.

Two years ago I thought it might be good to replace two old 80ah GEL with two year old Elecsol 110, fitted the same space and connected up switched on inverter and the low volt alarm was on and it cut out, put the old GEL back on and worked OK and still OK two years down the line.

That is my only experience of GEL vs Flooded lead acid and has made me wary but everything I read says I should be using flooded lead acid so time will tell.

Martin
 

funflair

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Just another thought, why do the likes of Niesmann and Bischoff, Hymer and Concorde fit Gel/AGM.

Martin
 

JeanLuc

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funflair;928125 Two years ago I thought it might be good to replace two old 80ah GEL with two year old Elecsol 110 said:
The change of battery type alone would not cause the inverter to trigger a low volt alarm. If the Elecsols were in good condition and were fully charged, all should have been well. Inverters can be very sensitive to voltage drop which can be caused by a low state of charge in the batteries or supplying cable that is not thick enough, or both. Your symptoms suggest that either the Elecsols were knackered or you did not charge them fully before trying to run the inverter - see below.

Regarding your other question, Hymer group and Concorde fit Gels to cover potential accident damage. If the vehicle rolls over in a crash, there will be no acid leakage. Also, many have the batteries fitted internally (mine are in a tray that is sunk into the floor beneath the settee, without a gas-tight lid). Gels do not give off hydrogen during charging, which wet lead acid can do if the voltage is too high. Too high a charging voltage will damage a gel battery. (Note: sometimes a high voltage is used deliberately to de-sulphate lead-acid batteries, but let's not go there; it is for those who fully understand batteries and is not a user setting on the EBL.)
Hymer group fit Schaudt charging systems (the famous Electobloc - EBL) which has a selector switch for both gel and wet lead-acid types. So long as the selector is correctly set, all will be well and there should be no gassing. Note that the Elecsol 110 needs the Lead-acid setting, NOT the gel setting.

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