# Battery advice.



## NTG (Dec 16, 2011)

I am looking to replace a single auxiliary battery of unknown condition in my Adria Twin for a large capacity battery or pair of 110 Ah in preparation for a 5 week trip in Europe.

Now, I have a fairly decent understanding of electricity and a basic understanding of battery technology, but whilst searching for the best type to use, I have come up against a barrage of specifications and terminologies that can be bent out of shape to make a battery sound better than it actually is.
Some popular sales blurb:

Deep Cycle Technology. 
The amount of cycles a battery can take and to what percentage discharge these cycles were measured at.
Starter or Liesure batteries.
VRLA (Valve Regulated Lead Acid)
AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt)
Gell Cell.
The list goes on!

I don't pretend to understand it all, but for those of you that are looking to replace your batteries, I came across THIS article which has helped take all of the confusion out of it.
I will be going for one of these

I hope this helps, but if anybody knows of any reason not to go with these batteries, (other than the normal "cheap is bad") I would appreciate the advice.

Nick.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Personally I see no advantage of sealed, but feel like a stuck record on the topic with my MHF posts so won't bother justifying yet again.

Dave


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## NTG (Dec 16, 2011)

Sorry Dave, I haven't read your previous posts but the article agrees with you. I would go for the non sealed if I could find one of the same spec and price but most tend to be sealed nowadays.

Nick.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

after looking at the blurb from the link I see that they cannot make their mind up as to 3 or 4 years warrany.
Personally I woud buy from a place that is easy to return to if faulty and not have to have it tested and a printout and sent off and wait for them to send me a replacement.
As to sealed or not, well leave that to the better technically minded than myself.mine are sealed as supplied with van.
though previous comments on here have said that fitting the biggest battery that will fit is best way to go.


cabby


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

I use 2 Rolls/Surrette 6FS 220 traction ones.

Wonderful batteries.

Paul.


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## NTG (Dec 16, 2011)

cabby said:


> after looking at the blurb from the link I see that they cannot make their mind up as to 3 or 4 years warrany.
> Personally I woud buy from a place that is easy to return to if faulty and not have to have it tested and a printout and sent off and wait for them to send me a replacement.
> As to sealed or not, well leave that to the better technically minded than myself.mine are sealed as supplied with van.
> though previous comments on here have said that fitting the biggest battery that will fit is best way to go.


Yes, I noticed the warranty thing too, although if you had to return a battery after a couple of years I think it would be near impossible to prove the battery is at fault.



> I use 2 Rolls/Surrette 6FS 220 traction ones.
> 
> Wonderful batteries.
> 
> Paul.


They sound expensive.


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pair-12V-...ssories_SM&hash=item3a694df77e#ht_2297wt_1392


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## coppo (May 27, 2009)

NTG said:


> cabby said:
> 
> 
> > after looking at the blurb from the link I see that they cannot make their mind up as to 3 or 4 years warrany.
> ...


Yes, they are but we fulltime and don't use EHU, even in winter, so worth it.

Paul.


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I understand your viewpoint Dave, but I dont think that in this era that a non sealed battery is a good idea.the youngsters have no idea about topping up and gasses and ventilation etc.In this compensation age companies will go for the least problematic answer.
I still say buy the biggest that will fit, buy from a firm that is not afraid to post it's address, even better buy local.or at least check local prices.

cabby


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Cabby,

I don't understand why you are saying sealed can EVER be better. Even sealed MUST be ventilated for safety. IMHO sealed is less safe in part because people are wrongly under the impression you can do without venting.

Mine aren't sealed yet have not needed any topping up, simply because of my charger setting.

Dave


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## Techno100 (May 8, 2010)

They are only sealed in terms of being impossible to top up.
They are still vented but via a labyrinth so it's very difficult for any evaporated electrolyte to actually leave the battery.

I would never strive to make my batteries last beyond 3 years if I get good service beyond then all well and good but I wont pay silly money for fancy names and definitely not gels unless I plan on mounting them upside down.


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## Fatalhud (Mar 3, 2006)

I agree with Coppo/Paul 
True Deep cycle batteries are the way to go

They tend to be big and heavy and cost more than leisure batteries, but they do the job
Most leisure batteries are either jumped up starter batteries or call themselves deep cycle but are not

An interesting Read

http://www.lafdacs.org/pdf_files/Batteries.pdf

Alan H


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

Dave READ my post, I did not say they were better.blooming eck !!!!!

should have gone to spec savers. :roll: :roll: 

may I also say that rather than nit picking give the OP some advice instead.you do know your stuff after all.

cabby


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

NTG said:


> I will be going for one of these
> 
> Nick.


Hi Nick

It's a calcium battery and my understanding is that if it's discharged below 40% capacity; a charger should be used that specifically supports calcium batteries, for example the ring automotive rsc16 charger i have, in this scenario a standard charger will only ever charge the battery up to 40%. hope that makes sense.

Lee


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

" I dont think that in this era that a non sealed battery is a good idea"

Cabby,

The above states that flooded is not a good idea. And I don't think it is nitpicking for me to disagree with that, for it goes against everything I have consistently stated on the subject.

As to the OP, I answered his OP with my advice. And he said he understood, and would prefer one, but can't find one of that capacity at that price. That's good enough for me.

Dave


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## cabby (May 14, 2005)

I'm sorry Dave to be persistant, as you are well qualified I know.
but where has flooding come from, or am I having a senior moment, again.

what I said, in this day and age manufacturers will produce an item that the customer cannot play with, for their own safety and in this compensation era.hence a sealed battery is supplied more often than not.I never said it was better or to be avoided. 

I have no wish to be rude, but could we please put this to bed.or revert to pm's rather than ruin this posting.

cabby


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## NTG (Dec 16, 2011)

lgbzone said:


> NTG said:
> 
> 
> > I will be going for one of these
> ...


Thanks for the info Lee. I don't really understand the charging to 40% bit, but i will do some research on it before parting with my cash.

Nick.


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

Hi Nick

I had it explained to me by a friend that owns a garage, a lot went over my head to be honest, but the basic understanding i got was this;

A lead-calcium battery acts like normal when it hasn't been heavily discharged, for example used as a starter battery that gets drained to a small extent when the car is started and then immediately topped up by the alternator, so long as the charge of the battery stays above 40%, a standard alternator or battery charger will fully charge the battery.

however if the calcium battery is discharged to below 40%; a standard battery charger or alternator will only ever charge it back up to 40% full, to get above the 40% threshold, a smart charger is required that supports calcium batteries, apparently a calcium battery needs higher than normal voltages at certain stages of the reconditioning regime in order to allow the full 100% capacity to be used.

HTH


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## CliveMott (Mar 10, 2008)

A pair of 6 volt 220 AH Traction duty (deep cyc;e) golf buggy batteries connected in series are my first choice. Wet electrolyte. Not AGM and not GEL unless there is a considerable commercial advantage.

C.


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

How difficult and covenient is it to use cheap wet and use a venting pipe off the provided outlet on the battery it should come with... :?: .....then fit it anywhere you like.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

Some Ctek chargers have a recovery mode that goes to 15.6V from memory. I think this is a compromise. Higher is better, maybe indeed for dead calcium, but that would significantly increase the risk of damaging connected electronic loads, from which Ctek absolves itself with the euphemism "may curtail life of connected" etc.

Dave


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## spatz1 (May 19, 2011)

DABurleigh said:


> Some Ctek chargers have a recovery mode that goes to 15.6V from memory. I think this is a compromise. Higher is better, maybe indeed for dead calcium, but that would significantly increase the risk of damaging connected electronic loads, from which Ctek absolves itself with the euphemism "may curtail life of connected" etc.
> 
> Dave


And a solar regulator that gives 14.7v at 25 degrees (as quoted)when temperature compensated to 0 degrees can give very high voltages if you care to read the gumf that comes with them.... mine is 30mv increase per degree giving nearly 15.5v


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## Oscarmax (Mar 3, 2011)

Techno100 said:


> They are only sealed in terms of being impossible to top up.
> They are still vented but via a labyrinth so it's very difficult for any evaporated electrolyte to actually leave the battery.
> 
> I would never strive to make my batteries last beyond 3 years if I get good service beyond then all well and good but I wont pay silly money for fancy names and definitely not gels unless I plan on mounting them upside down.


My Elecsol 2x 110 amp batteries came with the Motorhome 4 years ago and touch wood are working fine.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

spatz1 said:


> How difficult and covenient is it to use cheap wet and use a venting pipe off the provided outlet on the battery it should come with... :?: .....then fit it anywhere you like.


That is indeed optimum I feel, provided one uses a battery monitor to minimise the frequency with which you go below 50% capacity.

Dave


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## Jean-Luc (Jul 21, 2005)

I have 2 X 95 Ah Varta Semi-traction which are now seven years in use and still going strong.
If (when) they need replacing I will be considering a pair of THESE which got a very good rating in an article comparing a number of leading brands of true leisure batteries in The Caravan Club magazine October 2010


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## NTG (Dec 16, 2011)

Jean-Luc said:


> I have 2 X 95 Ah Varta Semi-traction which are now seven years in use and still going strong.
> If (when) they need replacing I will be considering a pair of THESE which got a very good rating in an article comparing a number of leading brands of true leisure batteries in The Caravan Club magazine October 2010


They look like fairly decent batteries, but I have decided to go for a single high capacity, rather than a pair. Not sure if that's best to be honest.


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## DABurleigh (May 9, 2005)

If 12V and you can carry it, yes.

Dave


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