# gel battery



## zedman (Dec 21, 2012)

hi all
can anybody tell me if this would work ok, 
i want to fit an extra leisure battery but have no more room in the external locker on my autotrail cheftain, can i fit a gel battery under the seat and wire it through the floor and connect it to the two lead acid batterys ?
i also have a 100w solar panel fitted


----------



## cabby (May 14, 2005)

NO, 

cabby


----------



## Patrick_Phillips (Aug 17, 2006)

Cabby is, of course, right but... there is a bit more to be said 8) 
You can fit a Lead Acid under the seat if there is room to make it secure and wire it back to the other two batteries but do make sure that there is proper ventilation and drainage. The ventilation is the vital bit because charging batteries produce noxious gasses which are heavier than air. So think of them as liquids and give them a definite way out to the outside.

It is still not an ideal way forward because your batteries would not be all of the same condition and structure (probably) and would therefore have different internal resistance. That can set up battery drain which rather defeats the objective.

Best wait until you are going to replace the other two batteries and then put in three new Lead Acid (not gel if you want the best performance).

But Cabby is still right! :lol: 

Patrick


----------



## zedman (Dec 21, 2012)

thanks for the replys 
is it dangerous to mix lead and gel batts ?


----------



## listerdiesel (Aug 3, 2012)

GEL batteries are Lead-Acid already, it's just the technology that is different, and with it the settings for the charge voltages.

Do not mix the two types, you will either overcharge one and undercharge the other, or both, depending on the charge settings.

*Vented Lead-Acid* - Basic battery.

*Sealed Wet Lead-Acid* - Same as above but cannot be topped up, still have ventilation outlets to release gases. Usually have extra electrolyte to allow for loss through evaporation.

*Sealed (VRLA) Lead-Acid* - Breaks into multiple types:

All are all Absorbed Electrolyte sealed gas recombination types, but how they are charged and how they deal with overcharging is different.

All have pressure vents to release any gases formed by overcharging.

All cannot be topped up.

All have different charge voltages to wet lead-acid vented types.

All generally are more sensitive to over-discharge than wet vented types, but are safer in an accident as there is no free electrolyte.

How the electrolyte is contained and how it reacts with the battery plates defines the various types.

I'll not go into much more detail now as the original question has been answered.

Peter


----------

