Leisure Battery Selection

[truckin73]

Looking for advice on selecting a replacement leisure battery for my 2014 Swift Challenger Sport 636 GTS, which has a single motor mover fitted. When on tour, usually connected to EHU, with just the occasional weekend away relying on battery power only. Van does have a factory fitted roof solar panel, as standard.
Current battery is a Platinum Leisure Plus 100A (AH20h) Category 'C' leisure, which has failed after just 6 months in service from new - supplied by dealer when van purchased in November 16. Battery getting very hot, sizzling sound and gassing off.
Believe leisure batteries are categorised: A, B & C - what is the difference between them - apart from the obvious.
Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[thosoneill]

Halfords are currently selling a 115ah quality leisure battery for £99 - I would recommend it - two year warranty

 

[Danddandy]

It's sounds like a charging problem rather than a battery problem.

 

[Martin24]

C = Minimum capacity 60Ah and a minimum life span of 70 cycles

B = Minimum capacity 90Ah and a minimum life span of 200 cycles

A = Minimum capacity 90Ah and a minimum life span of 350 cycles

Both B and C are more or less intended for use with an EHU most of the time whereas A will cope with more off grid use.

 

[Gagakev]

If it is the battery and only 6 months old, why cant you use the warranty to get it replaced?

 

[Gafferbill]

Definitely........back to the dealer and get it replaced.
There will also be a manufacturers warranty on the battery so the dealer won't loose anyway.

 

[remotexperts]

Hope fully the web and especially Google is eligible to provide you best information in any situation.
http://www.campingandcaravanningclub.co.uk/helpandadvice/technicalhelp/datasheets/guide-leisure-batteries/

 

[VicMallows]

It's sounds like a charging problem rather than a battery problem.

First thing I would be checking also.

 

[glenno]

Your battery its being over charged and the electrolyte is evaporating. Dont put a new one on until is sorted. The solar panels regulator is probably the culprit.

 

[VicMallows]

A shorted cell in the battery could though be the culprit. Just measure the voltage directly across the battery terminals when the battery is fizzing. If it is greater than about 14.8 you definitely have a charger/controller fault. Normally with a fully charged battery you would not expect to see more than about 14v. (It would help if you also had a means of measuring the current flowing into the battery)

 

[bertieboy1]

What is the definition of a "cycle"

 

[Anseo]

What is the definition of a "cycle"

I'm looking forward to answers to this one, I wondered if there is a state of discharge ( e.g. 50%) that defines a cycle, interesting.

 

[Anseo]

So happens that today I bought and fitted the Halfords 115Ah http://www.halfords.com/camping-leisure/caravan-motorhomes/electrical-power/halfords-leisure-battery-115-ah .

More of my payload gone, it's a weighty lump :blink:

Tested in store it showed 12.8v, this is a little below optimum I understand.

Been spending some time trying to learn a little more about batteries in general (more questions to follow).

But for the moment, can anyone enlighten me as to the meaning of the following:

• Startup power: 750 amps
• Reserve capacity : 200
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  I read that charger input should be roughly 10-15% of total Ah rating of battery.
  
  From the battery technical information it states:
  
  • Bench charge: 11.0 amps
    
    If a battery charger is rated at less than 11.0 amps output does this mean that the charger is inadequate for this battery ?

 

[DaveA1]

12.8 Volts is a fully charged battery. If at rest can be 12.6.to 12.7

 

[VicMallows]

12.8v sounds fine to me. Ordinary cheap multimeters may well have an error of around 0.1v anyway, and the least significant digit of the display is inherently +/- 1 on any digital display.

The 11amp 'bench' charge rate is the maximum recommended rate at which to recharge the battery from a discharged state. You can charge at any lower rate you like ....it will simply take longer.

 

[StevieRuss]

What is the definition of a "cycle"

The way I understand it is. If a battery claims it has 100 cycles, it can be cycled from flat to full 100 times. If a battery is run down to 80% then recharged to 100% then that represents a fifth of one cycle.

Leisure batteries such as flooded or sealed acid do not like being run down past 50%. In fact, most don't like being run down anywhere near that far. People buy 110ah batteries and say, "great.. I have 110ah of battery to use up", 55ah is more realistic though that amount of consumption will compromise battery health over time.

AGM and specifically GEL batteries can be run down further and usually have a much higher recommended cycle figure

 

[Woodentop]

So happens that today I bought and fitted the Halfords 115Ah http://www.halfords.com/camping-leisure/caravan-motorhomes/electrical-power/halfords-leisure-battery-115-ah .

More of my payload gone, it's a weighty lump :blink:

Tested in store it showed 12.8v, this is a little below optimum I understand.

Been spending some time trying to learn a little more about batteries in general (more questions to follow).

But for the moment, can anyone enlighten me as to the meaning of the following:

• Startup power: 750 amps
• Reserve capacity : 200
  -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
  I read that charger input should be roughly 10-15% of total Ah rating of battery.
  
  From the battery technical information it states:
  
  • Bench charge: 11.0 amps
    
    If a battery charger is rated at less than 11.0 amps output does this mean that the charger is inadequate for this battery ?

• 
  
  Start-up power is the kick current that it can provide to start a car engine - which I was always under the impression a leisure battery could not provide!
  
  You will find the answer to all of your questions just by Googling the term....

 

[StevieRuss]

AGM batteries can crank generally. Depends on the crank amps required.

 

[ProfJohnL]

....Start-up power is the kick current that it can provide to start a car engine - which I was always under the impression a leisure battery could not provide! ...

Every lead acid type(including GEL) batteries will have a peak current capability (Cranking amps). Generally speaking leisure batteries and traction batteries have a smaller peak current capability than starter batteries.

Its perfectly possible to use a leisure type battery where the load dose not exceed the batteries peak current capability.

However It is also likely a leisure /traction battery will be weakened more quickly if it used for high current applications, so its not recommended for continual car starting duties, but there is another however - with teh increase in the number of cars the use stop start technology, starter motors have had to be redesigned for more durability, and one of the techniques is to reduce the stall current of the motor so it stresses the cars electrical systems less.