Battery bank problems (1 Viewer)

[Traymarchie]

hi all, we currently have 3x 90ah leisure batteries (already fitted when purchased) and we are now struggling to get through 24hrs without having to resort to using the generator. We're not using anything that would excessively drain them and we've had the electrics checked by an auto electrician. He seemed to think it was our inverter, but we switched that off this weekend and still had to use the generator twice for a 2 day break. They're about 2 years old, do batteries really need changing that often? Any ideas or recommendations greatly appreciated. Thanks tracey and martin

 

[irnbru]

Try disconnecting the batteries from each other and check the voltage from each one. Maybe one bad one can bring others down.

 

[pappajohn]

It may just be one battery at fault. That will drag the good ones down quite quickly.
To find which one, if any, you need to separate them completely, put them on charge for 24hrs then place a known load on each one.
A 60watt headlamp bulb will draw 5 amps per hour then discharge to 12.3v (approx 50% discharged)
Note the time taken for each one to drop to 12.3v....if one drops a lot faster than the others that will be the faulty one.
Recharge and reconnect the others only and see how long you get then.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Just smiffy]

How do you normally re-charge the batteries, generator/hook-up/solar or running the engine....?

 

[ianandkath]

buy or borrow a battery discharge tester, not a voltage tester. and check each battery, the bad one you will be able to see quite easy

 

[Stealaway]

How do you normally re-charge the batteries, generator/hook-up/solar or running the engine....?

Not a generator unless you use it to run a battery charger. You are aiming for 5amp+ charget

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[Traymarchie]

Thanks for all the replies. In response to smith and sharpe, at home we plug in, wild camping via a generator. So if we spot a bad battery we can't just replace that one can we as we were told you had to change them all. So either way we'd still need 3 new ones. Can anyone recommend good batteries as again we've had conflicting info. Thanks

 

[ianandkath]

Thanks for all the replies. In response to smith and sharpe, at home we plug in, wild camping via a generator. So if we spot a bad battery we can't just replace that one can we as we were told you had to change them all. So either way we'd still need 3 new ones. Can anyone recommend good batteries as again we've had conflicting info. Thanks

no, you only have to change the bad one/ones. if 2 are good then change the bad one only

 

[Lenny HB]

buy or borrow a battery discharge tester, not a voltage tester. and check each battery, the bad one you will be able to see quite easy

That will only do a CCA test for starter batteries meaningless on a battery being used for leisure use.

^{_{Subscribers  do not see these advertisements}}

 

[pappajohn]

That will only do a CCA test for starter batteries meaningless on a battery being used for leisure use.

Agreed.
A long low current load over time to check capacity, not a high current load to check output.