Leasure Battery Life

DerryW

DerryW

Joined
Apr 30, 2018
Posts
2,269
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Location
Mid Suffolk
Funster No
53,655
MH
Adria Matrix 670DC
Exp
Motorhoming since 2018.
Hi How long should a pair of leisure batteries last before going flat when running just a fridge/freezer and nothing else. when we park up battery 2 (leisure batteries) read 13.2 after c1hour they are down to 8.9volts and the fridge switches off. we also have a solar panel fitted, should this not keep the leisure batteries charged, particularly in the hot Spanish sunshine. I'm assuming I don't have to switch anything over/on when I switch of the engine, or am I being naïve.

The vehicle and batteries are less than 3 years old, we have owned the MoHo for just under a year and have not used the leisure batteries until yesterday, when like I say, they went flat 8.9volts very soon after stopping the engine with just the fridge/freezer switched on.

Any advise as always will be greatly received and appreciated.
 
At 8.9v they are totally goosed. You don't say what type of battery if they are AGM at 3 years they have done exceptionally well.

You could try isolating each battery in turn as only one may have failed dragging the other one down.
 
Lenny HB. Thanks for responding so quickly. just checked and it say's on the end of each battery "Automotive product manufactured by a leading Battery Company, warranty void if removed" I assume they mean if label removed. they have a date written on them 05/16 the vehicle was 1st registered 18/06/16.

I will get them tested when we get back home at beginning of June

Thanks
 
@ Lenny HB. I've just had another look, there is a sticker on the top of each which says "Maintenance Free SFL 110Ah leisure battery"
 
What type of battery are they?

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You're running a fridge and freezer from 12V? What make and model of fridge?
 
Even if only one was knackered and pulled the other down to 8.9v its a certainty that one is knackered now as well or at least will never accept and hold a full charge which will do no favours connected to a new one.

I wouldn't even bother having them tested
A scrap man will give you £8 to £10 each so put that towards a couple of new ones
 
@ LennyB. There are no other markings on the batteries, not that I can see. Unlike the battery on my car at home, having said that I've never seen the battery on my car. I leave that to Land Rover when it goes for service.
 
@Boring Frog. its a DOMETIC, quite a large one, similar in size to what you'd have at home, well the fridge is, the separate freezer at the top is obviously a bit smaller

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Putting "Maintenance Free SFL 110Ah leisure battery" as in the battery label into Google shows 'Leoch Adventurer' as the dominant search result.
Both FLA and AGM versions so no wiser on that score.
They have a 2 year warranty.
 
To try and identify your fridge, there may be a label like this inside the fridge part on the back wall facing you as you open the door.
Perhaps a photo loaded onto here?

IMG_20180516_172123.jpg
 
@LennyHB and Borring Frog. I assume I am running the fridge on 12v, all I do when I switch of the engine is push the button on the front of the fridge which has a battery symbol on it. I also have an invertor installed (again came with the MoHo when we brought it) there is a small black box with a switch which I believe turns on the socket from the inverter, shall I try that and see if there's any 240v power at the dedicated socket, or leave well alone. Again its something we've never used since owning the MoHo.
 
So two issue here:
1) the power demand / use of the fridge -freezer
2) the capacity of the batteries

Everything I have read so far on this and other forums, is that 8.9V means you have competely discharged the batteries. They will now be damaged. They won't hold a good charge. It may appear they charge up to a good voltage, but in practice how long did that take? If only an hour or so it's obvious that they haven't had time to actually absorb energy to last time.

Can solar actually put enough capacity back into the battery to keep pace with use? There is a reason why a lot of van manfucturers install 3 way fridges, as unless on hook up 12V itn's going to cut it.

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namwaldog said:
To try and identify your fridge, there may be a label like this inside the fridge part on the back wall facing you as you open the door.
Perhaps a photo loaded onto here?

View attachment 304710
Click to expand...
That is a 3 way absorption fridge, that explains why you have knackered your batteries.
You should be running on gas when not in EHU. If will draw up to 14 amps on 12v ( I have the same fridge freezer).
Normally with this type of fridge you leave them set on auto then they will run from 12v when driving, gas without the engine running or mains electric if on a EHU.
 
@Kannon Fodda

Please bear with me, a question which may seem, to the educated silly, but I'm learning all the time. I'm currently on a site with EHU and have been so since early afternoon, the leisure batteries are reading 13.6v, how do the leisure batteries get recharged, is it buy the vehicle as its being driven, by the solar panel on the roof, or only when you're connected by EHU.
 
Lenny HB said:
That is a 3 way absorption fridge, that explains why you have knackered your batteries.
You should be running on gas when not in EHU. If will draw up to 14 amps on 12v ( I have the same fridge freezer).
Normally with this type of fridge you leave them set on auto then they will run from 12v when driving, gas without the engine running or mains electric if on a EHU.
Click to expand...
That's not the OPs fridge Lenny :LOL:. Not your night is it.
That's an example label put up by Namwaldog
 
If you are on EHU your van would normally have an inbuilt charger system that will top up the batteries from the charger. Often that is an automated process that the unit will detect you are on EHU. As I understand it (from the explanations given to me for the PVC I've ordered), it switches as soon as you are on EHU to try and charge the leisure batteries.

But if on EHU your fridge shouldn't be in battery mode, it needs to either be on gas or EHU. Few chargers or solar will keep pace with the 12 V fridge.

You may have some switching to control whether your leisure or your engine battery are being charged by solar or EHU systems.

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Derry Wilson said:
@Kannon Fodda

Please bear with me, a question which may seem, to the educated silly, but I'm learning all the time. I'm currently on a site with EHU and have been so since early afternoon, the leisure batteries are reading 13.6v, how do the leisure batteries get recharged, is it buy the vehicle as its being driven, by the solar panel on the roof, or only when you're connected by EHU.
Click to expand...
By all 3, when driving to fully charge flat batteries will take 300-500 miles. Solar assuming you only have a single 100watt panel quite a few days providing you don't use any power. On EHU 24 - 48 hours.
 
pappajohn said:
That's not the OPs fridge Lenny :LOL:. Not your night is it.
That's an example label put up by Namwaldog
Click to expand...
Oh sod it I'll open another bottle of red water.:)

If his avatar is right he has an Adria low profile so most likely a 3 way fridge.
 
Lenny HB said:
Oh sod it I'll open another bottle of red water.:)
Click to expand...
... forget the wine Lenny, just go for the hard stuff so we can really enjoy your next lot of 'mis-postings'! :LOL:
 
From the sound of it you definitely need 2 x new leisure batteries, don't just go down to your local battery store, buy them on-line and fit them yourself so you know you are getting 'genuine' leisure batteries and not just re-badged starter batteries.

You should not use your FF on 12v unless you have the engine running (ie driving) as you'll end up in the same situation again - most MHs won't allow you to use 12v without the engine running but some, like yours and Lenny's and a Rimor we had with a 'splint' AES fridge, will let you. Also if you turn your gas off when you travel don't leave the FF on AES mode otherwise it will automatically use 12v when stationary.
 
@Lenny you're quite right, we have an Adria Matrix 670SL Silver Anniversary Model. The fridge has 3 options; Mains, 12v and Gas. We have never used it on gas. When we are traveling, as soon as we leave home or site which switch the fridge onto 12v, it must work because when we get to our destination which can be anything from a few hours to 8 or more hours everything is still frozen in the freezer and very cold in the fridge. a couple of weeks ago when following one of your previous routes from Calais down through France into Spain we got lost somewhere around Andora, ended up diving until 10pm before we found somewhere safe to stop overnight, and guess what all the contents of the fridge and freezer where just fine.

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Derry Wilson said:
@Lenny you're quite right, we have an Adria Matrix 670SL Silver Anniversary Model. The fridge has 3 options; Mains, 12v and Gas. We have never used it on gas.
Click to expand...
That's why your batteries are knackered best to run on the AES setting. Also the fridge will work best on gas 12v is the least efficient.
 
Thank You All
Some really useful advice, all very much appreciated. I will purchase a couple of good quality batteries when we get back home (any recommendations on make model please) I'd rather pay a reasonable price once than a cheaper option twice. Expensive this Motorhome lark isn't it.

Having said that, we both wish we'd swapped from caravanning years ago rather than waiting until we retired.
 
Minxy Girl said:
like yours and Lenny's and a Rimor we had with a 'splint' AES fridge, will let you.
Click to expand...
Need to check the setup our first Hymer if on AES and no gas it would run on 12 v, current van it only runs for 20min but if you select 12v manually it will run from the hab batteries.
 
Oh what I'd give to have a 3-way fridge instead of the all-electric one I've got ... :crying:

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