is it true i need a new battery

[fabweb]

i am in a repair /carvan repair shop and wanted to connect my 110 leisure to 2 new 85 batteries so they would charge as well on the move (can not do this as 110 will beocme 85???)

i was told i would have to have a new leisure battery as it is over 6month old and to make it really work another 2 110 leisures so that they are all the same condition

my question is is not 3 85 leisure not enough

and if my exisiting 110 gives off an excellent reading do i really need to replace it

the reasoning is that if the exisiting has a problem it will bring the other 2 new ones down to its level ??

thanks

 

[dazzer]

i am in a repair /carvan repair shop and wanted to connect my 110 leisure to 2 new 85 batteries so they would charge as well on the move (can not do this as 110 will beocme 85???)

i was told i would have to have a new leisure battery as it is over 6month old and to make it really work another 2 110 leisures so that they are all the same condition

my question is is not 3 85 leisure not enough

and if my exisiting 110 gives off an excellent reading do i really need to replace it

the reasoning is that if the exisiting has a problem it will bring the other 2 new ones down to its level ??

thanks

We had all kinds of different sizes of batteries on our old RV (ranging from 55 to 110 ah) as we wild camped a lot and didnt have a generator. We never had a problem and they were all bought a different times, we just linked em together and left them to get on with it!!!

Im sure there are all sorts of reasons to have matched batteries but at the end of the day the charger will charge them till they wont charge anymore and as the lower capacity batteries run down they will draw power from the rest to equalise the system. You will end up with 3 batteries at approx 93ah each. Leisure batteries are not that expensive which is why we just used them as they were with no problems.

Im sure someone will be along in a minute to shoot me down in flames but thats my experience with them :thumb::thumb:

 

[Jaws]

The only reason you need to have new batterys is to increase the profits of the person you are talking to !
Just slap them in and hook em up

There is a wee downside.
If you have got one going a bit iffy it is hard to tell and hard to suss out which one it is, but apart from that.... Naaaaahhh .. no issues at all

 

[activecampers]

The above answers aren't exactly true.

You can just join up a load of random ones, and it will appear to work, however the quality of the total will be brought down massivley by the worst battery. So a 3yr 85AH + 1yr 100AH and new 110AH will not give you the 295AH you may expect. The older batteries may also shorten the life of the new ones. It is commonly accepted that you should not mix new and old - so surprised at the above answers - though, as above, it would work, but not sure if the above posters have accurately checked total capacity (clearly lifespan is untestable)

No idea on the saftey aspects of different types.

I've just done (finished today) as you mention - and I removed a 1x85AH battery (3 years old and working fine) and put in 2x new 100AH batteries. Yep - bit of a waste - but I want the 100AH to behave as such.

PS - Debated this with a hugely qualified and experienced chartered electrical engineer (my dad!) and the facts he gave confused me but he knew what he meant

PPS - The above is my opinion which does differ from above. This is a forum so believe who you will We could all be wrong!!

PPPS - I'm sure I'll find a use for the old 85AH battery one day

 

[derekfaeberwick]

I know from long experience that old and new batteries are a big no no when used at 24 volts i.e.H.G.V.application.The old one pulls the new one down P.D.Q.This may not be the case when running 12 V. so suck it and see.

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[TinaGlenn]

I have always been told that batteries should always be the same ampage, as when charging, the batteries will all try to charge to the highest strength which can damage the lower power batteries, worst cast senario is that the lower powered ones could boil dry and then you would have to buy new ones again

Tina

 

[Digger Driver]

I have mixed and matched all sorts of batteries and never had any trouble!