battery thoughts

[rob1234]

hi i have 2 110ah wet batteries that are about 5 years old ,i never went much off grid but was thinking about doing some in the near future ,my batteries seem to be ok with the solar charging them through a sterling b2b they goe from 14.3v to 13,6v,, and when not charging sits around 12,8v,,should i change them because of the age ? dont want to have replace while we are away,,and there seems to be so many to choose from i dont know what to get dont really want to go lithium as they seem to be very expensive should i go gel ,,or stick to wet ,, and is there a good brand to go for without breaking the bank sorry if this has been covered before ,,

 

[autorouter]

From those voltages, There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the batteries. A resting voltage of 12.8V is what you'd expect, even if the battery was new. However they may possibly have lost some storage capacity, and the easiest way to test that is to try using them and see how long they last. Or you could do a test by applying a known load and seeing how long they last.

The voltage doesn't tell you how good the storage capacity is, because it goes up and down to the same levels. If the capacity is less, it goes down faster.

 

[rob1234]

From those voltages, There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with the batteries. A resting voltage of 12.8V is what you'd expect, even if the battery was new. However they may possibly have lost some storage capacity, and the easiest way to test that is to try using them and see how long they last. Or you could do a test by applying a known load and seeing how long they last.

The voltage doesn't tell you how good the storage capacity is, because it goes up and down to the same levels. If the capacity is less, it goes down faster.

Hi thanks I will try turning telly on how do I find out what the known load is..?

 

[Stealaway]

130ah Hankook should be about the same footprint just a bit taller. See Battery Mega store

 

[Stealaway]

130ah Hankook should be about the same footprint just a bit taller. See Battery Mega store.

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[rob1234]

hi
Is battery mega store ok ,,just looked on trust pilot there a lot of bad reviews about them ,,?
tanya doing solaflex 130 for £92 anyone got these or used them ,,?

 

[rob1234]

hi have you been using the hankooks ? i can get 2 130ah for £215 delivered ,from tanya ,seems decent price ,,

 

[Lenny HB]

For your use stick with standard wet cells, your charger won't be suitable for Gels. Bear in mind your batteries will have lost about 27ah due to age.

A slow discharge is the best way to check your batteries and best to rest each battery separately.

First charge the battery fully and leave it to settle for an hour then:-

For example if it's a 100a/h battery load it with a 5 amp load and run for 5 hours, this will represent a 25% discharge. (adjust load/time to suit the size of the battery)
Disconnect the load and leave to stand for at least 30 min then measure the voltage.
Repeat the test and you will have discharged the battery to 50%.
You can repeat again then it will be 75% discharged.

 

[rob1234]

Thanks lenny...why won't my sterling b2b not be suitable for gel...it does lithium...

 

[Lenny HB]

Thanks lenny...why won't my sterling b2b not be suitable for gel...it does lithium...

The sterling will be OK it's the mains charger that won't.

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[rob1234]

what i do now is charge the vehicle battery up and that charges the leisure batts ,,i think well, it does on solar ,,not really tried it on ehu will the mains not charge my vehicle battery,,? i was thinking of getting 2 130 ah hankooks wet ,sealed but unsure if there any good ,,?

 

[Lenny HB]

what i do now is charge the vehicle battery up and that charges the leisure batts ,,i think well, it does on solar ,,not really tried it on ehu will the mains not charge my vehicle battery,,?

Gels need a long absorbtion phase which the chargers that AT don't fit don't have.
A Gel will charge up to 14. 4 v which is about 80% charged then it needs to be held at that voltage with the current limited for several hours to get a full charge.

 

[rob1234]

Gels need a long absorbtion phase which the chargers that AT don't fit don't have.
A Gel will charge up to 14. 4 v which is about 80% charged then it needs to be held at that voltage with the current limited for several hours to get a full charge.

dont think i bother with the gels ,,all i thought was my batts are 5 years + old i stick some new ones in ,,what a nightmare doing my head in all the different types,,

 

[autorouter]

If you're not going for gels, you could look at Enhanced Flooded Batteries (EFB). There are various brands,like Varta and Bosch. I think Halfords do Yuasa EFBs, which some on here think are OK. Tayna, Battery Megastore and Alpha Batteries will deliver to your door.

 

[bigtwin]

Forget about sourcing replacement batteries; you haven’t ascertained if you have a problem with your existing batteries yet.

Nothing that you have posted gives any suggestion that you have a problem.

Either use them on a trip and see how you get on or, for a definitive answer on their health, undertake the test that Lenny HB has suggested.

Ian

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[rob1234]

Thanks Ian...the thing is I can use the batteries I take out elsewhere...so don't mine some new ones in the motorhome...