Leisure battery maintenance (1 Viewer)

[SMB]

As a complete beginner when it comes to electrical systems, I have a few questions which the average 12-year-old would laugh at. I recently replaced my old leisure batteries with Banner energy bull 110A lead acid batteries and would like to know:
- is it okay to top-up the water while the batteries are still connected?
- what precautions should I take?
- what is the best way to test the efficiency of the battery without removing it/unconnecting it ie hydrometer, voltmeter?

Any other advice would be appreciated as well.
Thanks.

 

[Wildman]

no problem topping up whilst connected. Efficiency can only be tested with a regulated discharge test. You can however test the state of charge with a voltmeter which could give some indication of a failed cell.

 

[JeanLuc]

Are the batteries inside the van or in a sealed compartment? Energy Bull are not sealed batteries and if inside, it would be prudent to vent them to the exterior.
What kind of batteries have they replaced? If the previous ones were gel, you need to adjust the charger setting accordingly because gels need a different regime to wet lead-acid. If the previous ones were wet lead-acid, you can ignore this point.

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[quickweh]

Hi Paul, Banner are normally maintenance free, try this link for more info -: https://www.roadpro.co.uk/retail/product_list.aspx?prod=Banner+Lead-acid+"Energy+Bull"+Batteries and download the .pdf
There is a good chart on the .pdf re. battery state vs Voltage

Enjoy your travels,
Mike

 

[SMB]

no problem topping up whilst connected. Efficiency can only be tested with a regulated discharge test. You can however test the state of charge with a voltmeter which could give some indication of a failed cell.

Thanks Wildman that's very helpful I will look into regulated discharge tests

 

[SMB]

Hi Paul, Banner are normally maintenance free, try this link for more info -: https://www.roadpro.co.uk/retail/product_list.aspx?prod=Banner+Lead-acid+"Energy+Bull"+Batteries and download the .pdf
There is a good chart on the .pdf re. battery state vs Voltage

Enjoy your travels,
Mike

Thanks Mike, I had already downloaded the pdf and it is helpful, funnily enough I got the batteries from Roadpro last year. I thought maintenance-free meant they didn't need topping-up ever but apparently it only means if they are used correctly. Sealed batteries appear to be the ones that don't require top-ups which I wasn't previously aware of, as I said I haven't got much of a clue regarding electrics (and a lot of other things)

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[SMB]

Are the batteries inside the van or in a sealed compartment? Energy Bull are not sealed batteries and if inside, it would be prudent to vent them to the exterior.
What kind of batteries have they replaced? If the previous ones were gel, you need to adjust the charger setting accordingly because gels need a different regime to wet lead-acid. If the previous ones were wet lead-acid, you can ignore this point.

Hi JeanLuc, the batteries are in vented compartments and have discharge tubes fitted. The previous batteries were wet lead-acid and I went with these again as I understand they work best with a b2b charger, which I also had fitted. It's always good to know though as since I have been reading up on batteries, I understand that you can run gel batteries down to 20% before causing problems and I might consider having them fitted in the future. Unless the new lithium batteries drop massively in price of course, having four of them would be fantastic

 

[pappajohn]

Thanks Mike, I had already downloaded the pdf and it is helpful, funnily enough I got the batteries from Roadpro last year. I thought maintenance-free meant they didn't need topping-up ever but apparently it only means if they are used correctly. Sealed batteries appear to be the ones that don't require top-ups which I wasn't previously aware of, as I said I haven't got much of a clue regarding electrics (and a lot of other things)

Both are the same....just different terminology.

Maintenance free and sealed are sealed for life and dont, or indeed cant, be topped up.

They have a special valve in the lid which condenses the 'gas' and dumps the electrolyte back in the cell.

More costly alternatives to flooded batteries are valve regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries, also called "sealed" batteries. The absorbed glass mat (AGM) type uses a glass mat separator, and a "gel cell" uses fine powder to absorb and immobilize the sulfuric acid electrolyte. These batteries are not serviceable: the cells are sealed so the degree of charge cannot be measured by hydrometer and the electrolyte cannot be replenished. They are typically termed "maintenance-free" by proponents, or "unable to be maintained" by skeptics.

 

[SMB]

Both are the same....just different terminology.

Maintenance free and sealed are sealed for life and dont, or indeed cant, be topped up.

They have a special valve in the lid which condenses the 'gas' and dumps the electrolyte back in the cell.

Thanks for that Pappajohn, no wonder I get confused. Maybe a glass of wine will help me understand it better..

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[jonandshell]

Batteries should only be topped up when fully charged.

 

[SMB]

Batteries should only be topped up when fully charged.

Thanks for that, I have found a site which seems quite useful as well:
http://www.batterystuff.com/kb/articles/battery-articles/battery-basics.html

 

[funflair]

Maintenance free means that you can't top up even is needed so they die, sealed as in Gel is as it says sealed so nothing can get out so nothing needs or can be put in.

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