Essentially, every lead acid battery works the … What are the main types of V.L.A. There are some key differences between dry cell car batteries and wet cell car batteries, especially in terms of lifespan, ability to store the battery, and power levels. For each 1℃ (1.8℉) the temperature drops the efficiency of the battery drops by 1%. Simple. In fact, running a leisure battery down until it’s empty could cause unnecessary and permanent damage. One of the things that killed one of our batteries was the inverter, if you have one make sure it’s off. Put them in one by one until you find which circuit in the motorhome is causing the power drain. The diagnosis of what is causing a battery drain can be difficult to work out. As motorhomes age so do the electrical connections. But if the battery has been dry for a long time, it would have rapidly caused sulfation to build on the plates in the cells. I am stationary waiting for other work to be done on my Motorhome and in the wait..I am living on board Last night I charged the battery by running the engine .. after about 15mins it reached 12.8 on my interior digital readout..after switching everything I could off ie heating, lights, at 2.30am I still had 12.2 in the readout.. but by 6.45am it was down to 10.8 If there is a lot of corrosion, you might need to use some vice grips to wiggle them free. We commonly find cells cased together in 6‘s to form the familiar 12VDC starter/leisure battery. For an explanation of the different types of leisure battery – see here. Heavy-duty calcium coated grids and high-density oxides provide it with maximum power, durability, and life. 08:53. Without care, it could be dead inside one. Handyman Craft Ltd is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. Your leisure battery needs to be maintained in good condition to give consistent performance. This is because some of the water in the electrolyte is split into its component parts of hydrogen and oxygen gas during the charging process and released into the atmosphere. Most of the recommendations I have read is that you should have a charger that is able to charge at a rate of at least 10% of your total amp hours. Our range of accessories include the market leading CTEK range of smart chargers as well as specialised battery terminals, battery cabling, battery split charge relays, modified sine inverters, pure sine inverters and other items. Can I ask a question? Paul Fabrizio I will explain this in another post if anyone is interested –. A battery can fail for a number of reasons. I saw your site and I read it. The Alde wet system is more economical, requiring 0.4A for water heating only and 0.6A for hot water and space heating. If your stereo has a removable facia try that and see if it cuts all power usage. Lucas Dual Purpose Leisure Battery, Lx31 for … If your battery is not charged properly each time then it will radically shorten the life of your battery. Cleaning the battery terminal: Step 1 – Remove the battery cables from the battery terminals. I thought power could only flow the other way through the split chargers? With wet-cel (flooded) batteries, water levels have to be maintained. The voltage should be (worse case higher than 12.25V) ideally higher than 12.4V at the time of installation. May 30, 2019 @ Popular Sizes If they are low, usually re-filling them with distilled water will help. PowerMax Sealed 110Ah 12v Leisure Battery. By switching the main switch off you cut out all the appliances that are powered through the fuse box. The charger is every bit as important as the battery. Our leisure batteries include wet open vented batteries, wet sealed batteries, AGM deep cycle batteries, GEL deep cycle batteries as well as other specialist deep cycle batteries. There will be a main switch for your van that will switch off everything that is connected to the motorhome leisure battery, at least that is the theory. These batteries are well built and have the quality to suit to your leisure or marine application. 16:36. One of the best traditional wet lead acid batteries on the market. June 27, 2020 @ It retains power well and recharges quickly. But as I said I thought that power could only be drawn into the leisure battery not the other way around. A leisure battery is a very important source of power designed to supply power to 12V equipment and appliances in motorhomes, caravans and boats. Numax stands for quality, reliability and durability, and this range certainly ticks all the boxes. Sometimes to find a fault you have to trace a cable from the battery to wherever it goes just to find out what it does. but I didn’t get the information I needed. Nov 9, 2008 3 0 0. Pull the fuses one at a time (power off, then power on once the fuse is pulled) and see if there is a particular circuit that’s causing the problem. Make sure that each leisure battery has its own in-line fuse for safety. Perhaps the biggest single cause of premature failure is leaving a battery in a partial, or complete, state of discharge for more than a few days. Different charging and care guidance is applicable to V.L.A. Paul’s advice is sound, I cannot fault it. Both were giving a reading of about 12.6 volts which seemed fine but once disconnected from the charger would quickly lose power and be useless in a couple of days. My background is submarine lead acid cells we only came up to recharge when we had to, Paul Fabrizio In fact, running a leisure battery down until it’s empty could cause unnecessary and permanent damage. If you are not conversant with battery terminology , kindly have a look at this article for a basic guide to batteries . This would give the impression of having a faulty starter battery. I will explain this in another post if anyone is interested – Motorhome Batteries Explained. 17:39, Hi guys, can I have my motor home completely rewired with a whole new system – charger, control panel etc….. With a range of leisure and caravan batteries verified by the National Caravan Council, you can be sure that you’re purchasing a high quality product. item for sale is a brand new 120 ah low height leisure battery 100% brand new 120 ah very high lead content o.e.m. I would start at the fuse box for the habitation side. Once they reach the 12volt mark they are flat and you should not use it anymore as damage will occur. For example lets say you have 12.7V coming in, and you fit the fuse and the voltage drops say to 11V, than you know you are pulling some high current, or your wiring is very thin! If your motorhome is any age at all you may find that there are a few additions or modifications that actually bypass this switch. Note: For longer battery life, batteries should remain in the green zone (40% or more SOC). These ages are for a typical lead-acid battery, AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) batteries are about the same. 15. I would fully charge the batteries. Causes and Cures, http://classicmotorhomeowner.com/motorhome-batteries-explained/, https://www.yuasa.co.uk/leisure/how-to-extend-the-service-life-of-your-leisure-battery/, https://www.amazon.co.uk/Meterk-Multimeter-Capacitance-Resistance-Temperature/dp/B072QYZ7LR/ref=sr_1_5?dchild=1&keywords=clamp+meter&qid=1611660603&sr=8-5. http://classicmotorhomeowner.com/motorhome-batteries-explained/ However, they are very costly and can be around double the price of a standard wet leisure battery. Looking for a leisure battery, we offer low prices & next day delivery throughout the UK. ‘wet’) starter and leisure batteries described here usually have a polypropylene container (available in standardised sizes) and moulded with compartments. You would only notice when you have drained your leisure battery and find that the motorhome won’t start. In our motorhome the leisure battery had a second battery in parallel so should be adding power to the leisure side of the motorhome. Marine batteries contain sulfuric acid which is highly caustic, so whenever you are working with a battery, you should be wearing protective gloves and goggles. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Handyman Craft Ltd is a participant in the Amazon Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. Even the charge acceptance of this model is far greater than for a similar flooded or wet marine battery. January 26, 2021 @ This helps to protect the starter battery but will draw a constant current from the leisure battery. A wet battery is a rechargeable battery that contains a liquid electrolyte. This is a key difference between leisure battery and car battery set-ups. If a vehicle battery is used for the leisure electrics you may find yourself stranded at the campsite on a Sunday afternoon. Our 120Ah Leisure battery is an extremely high quality product at a budget price. Leisure Batteries are used in many applications such as Caravans, Motorhomes, Boats, Solar Equipment, Camper Vans and many more. Energy Bull batteries are also proven to last 4 to 5 times longer than a standard leisure battery, typically 300-400 cycles against a figure of 80. With a price beat guarantee you can be certain of the best deal in the UK. The poor battery was pulling down the good battery and the good battery was making the poor battery look good. Spend time choosing a charger and get the best one you can afford. If your camping lifestyle cannot quite be supported by one leisure battery, then adding another matching battery is the best way to double your independence. Wet Cell batteries are typically the best choice for backup power applications, utility, and grid energy storage. It is an easy installation and ensures you'll always have power in your leisure battery when you need it. They should then reduce the advitised AMP Hour capacity as 32Ah not 110AH. Powerbatt provides a good range wet/flooded leisure batteries. A DC current clamp meter is the best way to find out where the power is draining away. 21:57, Your van sounds exciting Andrew, look after those LEM batteries! Is a Motorhome RV a Good Investment for a Family? This is a very useful addition to your toolbox if you are having battery issues. This is why, especially here in Scotland, a lot of batteries fail in the winter time. Our leisure batteries include wet open vented batteries, wet sealed batteries, AGM deep cycle batteries, GEL deep cycle batteries as well as other specialist deep cycle batteries. As I like to listen to music while we are camped I wired the stereo to the leisure battery rather than the starter battery. Engine and leisure batteries will both receive 'wet-battery suitable' charging via the vehicle's alternator while driving - which may not to optimal for the gel battery, but shouldn't do it any harm - and, when the motorhome's on-board charger is operating, only the gel leisure battery gets charged. Motorhome Leisure Battery Drain? Wherever your caravan or motorhome may take you, Kwik Fit offers a leisure battery to suit you. 4.8 out of 5 stars 7. So you want to determine if there is anything in the motorhome that will be using power when the main switch is off. Next stage is to check the fuse box. I would say you need to start thinking about recharging at 11.5V. Numax stands for quality, reliability and durability, and this range certainly ticks all the boxes. These are traditional leisure batteries with accessible vent plugs to open and top up electrolyte as required. Jul 2, 2010 It was amazing what people had kept connected to the battery and never used, these were relics from the 1990s. The most common form of a l ead acid battery is used in cars and trucks. I was finding that the leisure battery was draining way too fast once the electrical hook up was removed. January 26, 2021 @ Most of the cons of the flooded battery stem from the fact that they contain free liquid that requires periodic inspection and maintenance. As a leading 12 volt Battery specialist our experts have hand selected our range for you. Thanks to the full-framed grid design, the battery won’t short circuit at any time, thereby prolonging its life. The Powermax 110Ah sealed, dual-purpose leisure battery is renowned for its quality and reliability. Here is some info from Yuasa Batteries The standard (i.e. The main ones being; This tends to be the main problem. There are some devices that you can buy which will protect the battery by cutting it off once the voltage reaches a certain level. LUCAS 12V 120AH LX35MF. I was shocked when I found this out, a lot of the time it can be -5℃ here – that’s a 30% drop in battery capacity. Unlike regular batteries, leisure batteries can be used for extended periods of time without needing to recharge or replace them. P. Peter_374382745. October 22, 2020 @ If you have a double battery set up your charger will have to be able to charge at 22A. It’s safe to use up to 50% of your leisure battery’s charge, after which it’s advisable to recharge it. During recharge, the sulphate converts back to lead and lead dioxide. Here at Alpha Batteries we stock a huge range of Leisure Batteries for all kinds of applications such as Caravans,Boats and Motorhomes. Make sure your inverter is off if not in use as it may still be consuming power. And if I’m right could it be a faulty split charger do you think? Pete PRODUCT DESCRIPTION The Numax XV35MF flooded leisure and marine battery range is number one in the UK, and perfectly fits the bill if you want a well built, quality battery to suit your leisure or marine application. They will have six caps on a 12v battery, or usually one on a maintenance free battery. This seemed very strange as all seemed normal. Give it a few days and you should be able to see. Either measure the current of each circuit with a multimeter as you put the fuses back in or keep an eye on the meter at the motorhome control panel if you have one. This blog takes a look at some of the problems we had. This is a dead battery and if yours is reading anywhere near 6 volts then get rid of it. This means that these new additions won’t be isolated by the master switch and can make the process of fault finding take a lot more time. They are not cheap to replace and I like to squeeze as much as possible out of them. However, if left for an extended period, the sulph… How do I know if I should replace them or not? Required fields are marked *. To charge from 12 volts or below you really need a smart charger that will adjust the current to bring it back to a charged state. They can be a pain as your power just cuts off abruptly but they do protect your expensive batteries so worth it. Lucas Lx31 12V 105AH Dual Purpose Leisure Battery. A Great online Leisure Battery supplier for all your leisure, deep cycle and hobby needs. In this article, the advice concerns ‘wet’ lead-and-acid leisure batteries. The only batteries that seem to get round this are the lithiums which can be discharged 80% for thousands of cycles. Leisure Battery – Deep Cycle Battery Leisure batteries, also known as Deep Cycle batteries, power the electronics on-board motorhomes, caravans, campervans, boats and other leisure vehicles over extended periods of time.Leisure batteries are designed to withstand deep discharges (up to 100% of battery capacity) and offer a long cycle life. If the battery holds its charge then the drain is something that is powered through the fuse box. Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 75/10, 75/15, 100/15 & 100/20; Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 100/30 & 100/50; Victron Energy SmartSolar MPPT 150/35 & 150/45 Leisure Batteries - Wet Lead Acid Our range of Flooded lead acid batteries are cheaper than AGM or GEL batteries and provide a reliable low maintenance storage solution making them a popular choice for powering onboard equipment in caravans, motorhome, boats such as your fridge, A leisure battery allows caravan and motorhome users to get off the beaten track and really enjoy life on the road The radio in our motorhome would have been wired through the ignition switch and would only come on when the engine was on or the ignition on. A wet cell battery often dies more quickly in a hot climate because the heat causes the plates to either accumulate or lose material, and also because water evaporates from the electrolyte solution. Standard Starter Batteries. You can run a battery much lower but there will be damage to the plates and will be very difficult for the battery to recover shortening the life of the battery. The battery may be old, cold or just need to be replaced. IDEAL FOR MOTORHOMES, CARAVANS, BOATS AND ENGINE STARTS. Stocking brands such as Hankook, Varta & Victron Energy. Wet cell batteries (SLI) – proven and economical; A conventional starter battery consists of six battery cells. Look for any corrosion or loose fittings and connectors. Gel cell batteries are best used in high deep cycle applications such as off-grid living and solar. A fully charged 12 Volt Leisure battery, will very quickly fall to 12.5V or less in a hour or so of moderate use, at 10.5V it would be considered fully flat. 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Test the voltage at each stage of both batteries. 22:46. SEALED LEISURE BATTERY. The battery cells quickly degrade in this state and is sometimes not recoverable. If the battery is not showing a drain you know its problem with something that’s powered through the fuse box. This will let you see if the batteries are holding a charge and if there is something pulling down the power. So, just have the leisure battery connected but not the starter battery, leave for a few days and vice versa. Not just a light but there are a whole number of electrical devices and items that consume power in a motorhome. Leisure battery technology differs from standard car battery technology as it is optimised to handle the loads and patterns of use that are common in caravans and motorhomes.