AGM battery - ok to charge with built in Swift charger?

camel

camel

Joined
Apr 25, 2010
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Location
Durham
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11,249
MH
LP Coachbuilt
Exp
Since 2011
Hi All
Had a quick look at previous postings but still not sure.
Bessacarr E560 has a battery charger which charges leisure battery and then starter battery automatically (sargent unit)
Had to change leisure battery today on way to campsite as realised 12v output poor. After battery confirmed as 'goosed', bought new Platinum 100ah AGM replacement. I know the 'goosed' battery was a platinum also but not sure if it was AGM. Battery was on new motorhome which is now 7 years old so probably was due to go.
The battery charger in the sargent unit is set to smart charge. I usually leave the motorhome on hook up on the drive.
Is the charger ok on smart charge for this type of battery and is it ok to continue leaving it on hook up?
Thanks
Paul
 
Volt meter across battery terminals.
AGM needs around 14.7/14.8v...standard smart charger should be no more than 14.4v

A regular smart charger will charge an AGM battery but never fully and will reduce its life drastically.

At 7 years old I doubt the old one was AGM but could be wrong.
 
Doubt if your charger is suitable, needs to charge at 14.7 v then have an absorption phase for 4 hours before reducing to a float charge. An AGM won't last very long if not correctly charged, also solar regulator needs to be cable of supply the correct charge parameters.
AGM' s aren't very good good for lesiure use they were meant for stop/start cars but even the car manufacturers are ditching them due to high failure rates.
I got rid of the band new AGM in my new van and fitted Gels.
 
Lot of bollox being spoken on here for a start agm wasn’t built for stop start secondly not all agm batteries need 14.7 or above . Autotrail fit agm as standard and sergeant battery charger goes upto 14.5v . I’ve spoken direct with sergeant who confirm this. I have agm fitted on my Motorhome with the electroblok charger which tops out at 14.4 my battery manufacturer says that’s fine and I have a 5yr gaurantee . Speak to alpha batteries they give honest advice.
 
AGM BATTERIES IN MOTORHOMES/CARAVANS? - ARE YOU SURE?

AGM batteries need 14.8v to operate efficiently

AGM In The Automotive World.
Audi, VW, Seat and Skoda are ditching AGM batteries from their cars and are moving back to Lead acid Wet/Flooded technology that are also lower cost than AGM.

  • Allegedly BMW are preparing to do the same. Some BMW Dealers have been replacing failed AGM batteries with a Wet Acid technology version, Enhanced Flooded Batteries (EFB), for some years to very good effect. While 'Not so heavy duty on paper' EFB last much longer than AGM in real use.
  • Landrover are also moving away from AGM.
  • Mercedes have already swapped one of the two AGM batteries in the the highline cars to EFB technology, and the rumours are the other will follow soon.
  • Just like in Motorhome use, the general view in the battery industry now is that AGM just don't deliver the promised performance.
http://www.aandncaravanservices.co.uk/agm-batteries.php

My EBL99 only has Lead Acid or Gel settings.. Later models of the Schaudt EBL have an AGM setting.

I recently replaced a pair of Exide G80 GELs that were at least 12 yo.. still going strong ..

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Do you think some motorhome manufactures wud fit them standard if that was the case swift have started to autotrail do hymer does to mention a few and that guy at a and n caravans is the most ignorant guy you could wish for
 
Don't know how old your vehicle is, but newer ones have a setting on the charging system either for acid, AGM or GEL batteries. Just have to move the switch across to the corresponding one.
 
Tude said:
Do you think some motorhome manufactures wud fit them standard if that was the case swift have started to autotrail do hymer does to mention a few and that guy at a and n caravans is the most ignorant guy you could wish for
Click to expand...
Because they buy them cheap, Hymer group fitted Gel's for best part of 20 years, biggest mistake they made changing to AGM, you have only got to search the German forums to see all the problems, never had problems with Gels.
 
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@Tude

Charging voltage depends on battery temperature .. the lower it is the higher the voltage has to be ..

this chart shows the correct charging and float voltages for AGM at different temperatures.. ie. at 20c 14.85v charge and 13.94v float.

this is not "bollocks' or from an "ignorant guy"

Tude said:
not all agm batteries need 14.7 or above
Click to expand...


so which type of AGM doesn't require 14.7 v ? ..


Screenshot 2018-11-17 at 18.30.45.png
 
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Ask autotrail and sergeant that’s what I did and alpha batteries who gave me in writing what the charge can be with 5yrs warranty what’s happened in the start stop technology traffic is that bad these vehicles are stopping more times than ever in a day. No batteries can put up with that . Aswell has cones connected front screen heater and rear screen.need I go on

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If you believe what manufacturers say you are in cloud cuckoo land. There are two types of AGM, you don't state which type you have. Also I take it you checked your solar regulator has the correct parameters for charging AGM, not much point in having a mains charger thats OK if the solar one isn't.
Type one can be charged at 14.4 volts but type 2 require 14.7 v. Also on an AGM the float charge should be 13.5v not the normal 13.8v.
My last Hymer had 2 Banner AGM type 1 batteries both Schaudt ( manufacturers of Elektroblock) & Banner said they were OK to charge on the Gel setting of 14.3v. Well they were wrong they lasted 18 months before the capacity was reduced to 10 a/h.

Anyone who regularly uses EHU probably wouldn't notice the shortened life but a lot of us never use EHU, if you rely on your batteries best to ditch AGM's, I would never touch them again. As I said got rid of the one in my new van and fitted 3 x Gels.

Why you choose to slag of Alan a very knowledgeable guy, he does has defined views but he knows what he is talking about also it's totally irrelevant to what you are posting about.
 
Hi
Thanks for the replies, my knowledge is very limited and I appreciate all your views.
I'm not sure if battery is Type 1 or 2 AGM. It is a Platinum 100ah AGMLB6110L NCC class A.
I like the convenience of the leisure battery charging ok via the inbuilt charger through the Sargent unit, so thinking of returning the AGM battery and maybe buying 2 lead acid instead.
I've just asked in a separate thread if the charger will support a 2nd battery ok
Thanks again
Paul

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Well personally if Swift fit or recommend anything that seems like a good reason not to buy it (y)
Having had Platinum batteries on a new Swift in 2011 that failed within 3 months I can’t say I want to try them again, and when we went to the main distribution centre for the batteries my daughter saw them apply stickers to the batteries from the same pallet they were also applying different stickers on to (y)
 
Basildog, our van is 2011 too, original Platinum battery is what we have just replaced!
 
camel said:
Basildog, our van is 2011 too, original Platinum battery is what we have just replaced!
Click to expand...
A lot depends on your usage I guess but we used 3 sets of batteries in the 4 years we kept that van for but that was full time living pretty much .
 
Tude said:
I have a 5yr gaurantee .
Click to expand...
Please come back here and report WHEN you have to claim.
I remember not long ago a manufacturer offering an imaginary 5 year guarantee on their Gel batteries.... Nobody got reimbursed or replaced and as far as I know the company is no longer trading.

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pappajohn said:
Please come back here and report WHEN you have to claim.
I remember not long ago a manufacturer offering an imaginary 5 year guarantee on their Gel batteries.... Nobody got reimbursed or replaced and as far as I know the company is no longer trading.
Click to expand...
Now, now, John Don't give Gels a bad name, I think they were carbon or claimed to be.
 
pappajohn said:
Please come back here and report WHEN you have to claim.
I remember not long ago a manufacturer offering an imaginary 5 year guarantee on their Gel batteries.... Nobody got reimbursed or replaced and as far as I know the company is no longer trading.
Click to expand...

I believe that was Elecsol .. carbon batteries.. not GEL

according to Tanya "Elecsol batteries have been unavailable for purchase since 2013, although Companies House do not currently show the company as having been dissolved."
 
My new Burstner came fitted with a Varta AGM battery. The Electroblock charger has an AGM setting that charges, on hook up, initially at 14.8v so there must be a need to charge at this figure. My solar charger also charges at 14.8v with its AGM profile.
However, the alternator doesn’t charge that high and the vans handbook states to charge the batteries up fully using EHU as often as possible and to make sure they are fully charged before and after a trip.
Sounds to me as if they know that AGM batteries aren’t really suitable.
So following advice from members on here and after reading postings by Alan at aandncaravanservices, who seems to know his stuff, I took out the AGM battery and replaced it with 2 x Varta LFD90’s, after changing the charging profile on the Ekectroblock.

Also, AGM batteries are claimed to be safer fitted inside vehicles because of the claim that they do not need venting, however the AGM battery in my van, fitted under the passenger seat was vented.
 
I fitted expensive AGMs, then bought a special AGM module designed for my charger. I looked after those batteries like they were my kids. In 18 months they were shot, absolutely useless. No way would I buy AGM again,

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Allanm said:
Also, AGM batteries are claimed to be safer fitted inside vehicles because of the claim that they do not need venting, however the AGM battery in my van, fitted under the passenger seat was vented.
Click to expand...
When AGM's are fitted converters always vent them so they obviously don't trust them. Both AGM's and Gels can gas off in extreme circumstances but they never vent Gels so must be considered more reliable.
 
Basildog said:
Well personally if Swift fit or recommend anything that seems like a good reason not to buy it (y)
Having had Platinum batteries on a new Swift in 2011 that failed within 3 months I can’t say I want to try them again, and when we went to the main distribution centre for the batteries my daughter saw them apply stickers to the batteries from the same pallet they were also applying different stickers on to (y)
Click to expand...
Standard practice in the battery industry, that's why it's worth paying a bit more for branded batteries like Exide, Sonnenschein, Varta etc.
 
I ran my previous MH with a 110 amp GEL battery. We nearly always wild camp and rarely go on hook up. I was so impressed with the GEL as soon as I changed my MH I bought another GEL battery. Never had a problem.
 
Tude said:
my battery manufacturer says that’s fine and I have a 5yr gaurantee . Speak to alpha batteries they give honest advice.
Click to expand...
|May I suggest you ask for a copy of the terms/conditions of the guarantee. I guarantee you, it will not be what you think it is and will be shocked to find, like all other battery guarantee's worthless. At best you will be given a small credit in the hope you buy again from the same supplier and so the cycle continues.
 
PhilandMena said:
|May I suggest you ask for a copy of the terms/conditions of the guarantee. I guarantee you, it will not be what you think it is and will be shocked to find, like all other battery guarantee's worthless. At best you will be given a small credit in the hope you buy again from the same supplier and so the cycle continues.
Click to expand...

I had a Banner battery which I had on my Defender which was guaranteed for two years. Just with in the two years it started to get sluggish in the cold weather. I took it back, the guy tested it and gave me another one there and then. He even fitted it for me.

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