I was going to ask a question but I’ve changed it. (Leisure battery content)

[jimmyg352]

I was going to ask why is my panel saying ‘leisure battery poor? Even though I’m plugged in to the bollard but I’ve changed to ‘why was the panel beeping when I turned a tap on?
I’ll start at the beginning. We came back from Scotland in early May & parked the van on the drive but didn’t plug it into the mains. 4 weeks later I went to take it off the drive using the mover ( I have to due to the proximity of next doors house) but the mover wouldn’t work as the leisure battery was totally flat. Faffed about & got it hitched up, drove over to the Lakes & everything was fine, came home & plugged it in this time.
We’re now up in Durham & last night switched our halogen cooker on (to do some yummy Chinese chicken) & the RCD on the bollard tripped, I reset it & cracked on cooking, all good. Later in the evening the fridge started beeping & when I looked it had gone ‘gas’ setting & wouldnt switch to mains so I turned it off. Got up this morning to see ‘leisure battery poor’ on the panel, beeping when I turned a tap on & no hot water. Checked under the bed where the fuse box is & noticed the green charging light was off. Now don’t laugh but I always thought it was just a light & not a button (I said don’t laugh right) anyway I pressed & lo & behold it came & now everything seems normal, for now anyway.
So, 2 questions…how is all this linked & do I need a new battery?
Sorry for the long post but wanted to get as much info in as possible.
Thank.

 

[Jcloughie]

If, after a day or so, the battery shows around 13.8 volts while on charge. Then drops to about 12.8 off charge. And it holds that voltage without help from the mains, and with no drain. Then all is good. Happy days.

The longer and higher it holds the voltage the better. A very good battery will hold for a couple of months. But if yours drops over a few days say. It is a sure sign of problems.

John

 

[jimmyg352]

If, after a day or so, the battery shows around 13.8 volts while on charge. Then drops to about 12.8 off charge. And it holds that voltage without help from the mains, and with no drain. Then all is good. Happy days.

The longer and higher it holds the voltage the better. A very good battery will hold for a couple of months. But if yours drops over a few days say. It is a sure sign of problems.

John

Thanks. That’s what I was thinking too. I think it’ll be the original battery anyway (2018)
I’m still wondering why the hot water went off & all the beeping was going on even though the mains supply was ok…

 

[Hutch]

Thanks. That’s what I was thinking too. I think it’ll be the original battery anyway (2018)
I’m still wondering why the hot water went off & all the beeping was going on even though the mains supply was ok…

Which van do you have.
On my Coachman, the 12 volt system controls all the 240 volt stuff, is, water heater , and fridge, when my PSU, gave up the ghost, my symptoms were the same fridge beeping No hot water etc.
But there was 240 power to the sockets, I had a symbol of a battery but no explanation in the handbook as to what it was. I now know it was a low voltage warning.

 

[jimmyg352]

Which van do you have.
On my Coachman, the 12 volt system controls all the 240 volt stuff, is, water heater , and fridge, when my PSU, gave up the ghost, my symptoms were the same fridge beeping No hot water etc.
But there was 240 power to the sockets, I had a symbol of a battery but no explanation in the handbook as to what it was. I now know it was a low voltage warning.

It's a Swift Elegance 565. Sounds like the 12v system controls the 240v stuff on mine too then.

 

[JTQ]

If this van features Alde heating, then indeed you have to have a 12vDC feed to run its control system, and thus that enable the Alde to use the mains supply heating the water.

 

[jimmyg352]

If this van features Alde heating, then indeed you have to have a 12vDC feed to run its control system, and thus that enable the Alde to use the mains supply heating the water.

That's the one. Thanks.

 

[JTQ]

Using the mover will quickly expose a battery that's way past its best.
If after being on charge for 24 hours, you then use the mover [EHU uncoupled] the mover will drop out [ low voltage} after doing very little moving, if the battery is nearing the end of its life. The more arduous the move and or sicker the battery, the shorter the time to the mover giving up.

Having flatted the battery, coupled with very likely it being left flat for sometime both are very damaging to LA batteries. Even if the aging battery had been tolerably okay before, then going through that flattening experience is likely to have finally junked it.

 

[jimmyg352]

Using the mover will quickly expose a battery that's way past its best.
If after being on charge for 24 hours, you then use the mover [EHU uncoupled] the mover will drop out [ low voltage} after doing very little moving, if the battery is nearing the end of its life. The more arduous the move and or sicker the battery, the shorter the time to the mover giving up.

Having flatted the battery, coupled with very likely it being left flat for sometime both are very damaging to LA batteries. Even if the aging battery had been tolerably okay before, then going through that flattening experience is likely to have finally junked it.

Exactly what I thought, I’m already researching new ones. 👍