leisure batteries (1 Viewer)

lugnutt

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 9, 2007
1,190
466
wednesbury.westmidlands
Funster No
257
MH
autotrail apache
Exp
10 years
hi all can you help? last year i bought 3 x120 ah batteries and had no probs with them but while on drive over winter i plunged in a dehumidifier via the inverter and left it to long .next time i entered the inverter was buzzing but the lights still worked but dimly,time to recharge but my yellow box gave up the ghost ,so i bought a good 240 v charger and it took 2 days to bring them back up .i have now bought a new yellow box and have it hooked up but the batteries never get beyond the third light on my panel. i thought these batteries liked being run down an recharged have i got it wrong?have i damaged them?should i take the panel readout as gospel? i do not have a volt meter to test them at the moment:Blush:
 
Jul 29, 2007
6,525
39,278
Ipswich
Funster No
32
MH
RV and PVC
Exp
30 years
Hi Lugnut, no batteries do not like to be fully discharged, the normal recommend for long life is about 40%. You may have seriously damaged them, your best bet is to use a hydrometer on them and see what that says. Try this site for the full sp.
Battery Tutorial | Batterystuff.com

Olley
 

johnsandywhite

Free Member
Jul 29, 2007
1,720
19
Doncaster/Spain
Funster No
31
MH
'A' Class RV &
Exp
11
:Cool: Hi Lugnut. You could also try an equalizing charge. It can sometimes resurrect a battery bank.


Flooded battery life can be extended if an equalizing charge is applied every 10 to 40 days. This is a charge that is about 10% higher than normal full charge voltage, and is applied for about 2 to 16 hours. This makes sure that all the cells are equally charged, and the gas bubbles mix the electrolyte. If the liquid in standard wet cells is not mixed, the electrolyte becomes "stratified". You can have very strong solution at the top, and very weak at the bottom of the cell. With stratification, you can test a battery with a hydrometer and get readings that are quite a ways off. If you cannot equalize for some reason, you should let the battery sit for at least 24 hours and then use the hydrometer. AGM and gelled should be equalized 2-4 times a year at most - check the manufacturers recommendations, especially on gelled.


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lugnutt

lugnutt

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 9, 2007
1,190
466
wednesbury.westmidlands
Funster No
257
MH
autotrail apache
Exp
10 years
you may well be wright olley but it seems a bit hard £300 worth of batteries fooked because the yellow box packed in and they were not charged via the 3-4 stage inbuilt charger system.one strike an your out .how long will they last at 3/4 capacity if at all:Eeek:?
 
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lugnutt

lugnutt

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 9, 2007
1,190
466
wednesbury.westmidlands
Funster No
257
MH
autotrail apache
Exp
10 years
thanks John ive phoned a friend and he is bringing me a industrial charger witch has a equalization facility so ill give it a go:thumb:
 
Jul 29, 2007
6,525
39,278
Ipswich
Funster No
32
MH
RV and PVC
Exp
30 years
Hi Lugnut if the lights that came on dimly are tungsten filament then your batteries were well down, under 10volts I think is considered dead flat and it sounds as if they were less than that.

Don't get too despondent, the panel battery indicator lights will work of battery voltage which I would have thought would have come back up, its the capacity that may have been seriously effected, personally I would just use them and see how they go.

Can't see how just flattening them once could completely ruin them. Johns idea of an equalising charge sounds like a good idea, never tried it myself, but worth a go if you find they are bad.

Olley

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dazzer

Free Member
Jul 30, 2007
1,620
102
In my house
Funster No
41
MH
Virtual RV!!
Exp
10 Years
Hi Luggnutt

Didnt your batteries come with a decent guarantee?? The last batteries I bought had a 2 year warranty....just a though:Blush::winky:
 

johnsandywhite

Free Member
Jul 29, 2007
1,720
19
Doncaster/Spain
Funster No
31
MH
'A' Class RV &
Exp
11
Can't see how just flattening them once could completely ruin them. Johns idea of an equalising charge sounds like a good idea, never tried it myself, but worth a go if you find they are bad.

Olley

:Sad: I have had it happen 3 times. To the Newmar, the Dethleffs and then the Kontiki. Each time an equalising charge has brought them back up again. :winky:
 

damondunc

Funster
Aug 2, 2007
101
15
near Lincoln
Funster No
52
MH
A class
Exp
9
If you are going to put an equalising charge into your batteries you should disconnect them from your RV if you put a high voltage charge into the batteries while they are connected there is a good chance that the electronics in the water heater,furnace and fridge will be damaged.
Dunc.

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lugnutt

lugnutt

LIFE MEMBER
Sep 9, 2007
1,190
466
wednesbury.westmidlands
Funster No
257
MH
autotrail apache
Exp
10 years
Dunc..should i charge them individually or all together once i have disconnected from the electronics
ta dave:thumb:

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