batteries

[Guest]

hi all

could someone shed light on leisure batteries

i want to store one for 5 to 6 months

should it be kept fully charged or left to drain

completely.the information that came with it

does not tell you how to store it

with thanks BIG DAVE

[Brian]

Now that's a good question,

I also have the same predicament.

[kfurbank]

Lead acid batteries should always be stored charged up. If there is a danger of leaving them for too long, they then need a boost charge to keep the voltage up. Leaving a battery on a trickle charge for a long period is also not a good idea. Give them a full charge, leave stored at a reasonable temp and then give a boost charge after about 3 months if needed.

A lot more info than you probably want, can be found here.

http://www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-19.htm

Keith

[Brian]

I have one of those Gel Batteries that don't have acid in them ?

As well as the Lead acid one on the Bayliner.

So trickle charge is a no no for 6 months ? With a Lead Acid Battery ?

[kfurbank]

Brian,

Gel batteries, still have acid in them, but they also have silica gel added to absorb the acid and turn it into a jelly like substance that won't leak, however you need to be aware that they need a lower charge voltage and slower charging, otherwise the excess heat generates voids in the gel, leading to failure. Otherwise store the same as lead acid batteries. Store fully charged and give a boost charge when needed, probably 3 months.

Leaving batteries on trickle charge for long periods leads to corrosion on the plates that inhibits the batteries power to deliver voltage. Most four step chargers, such as Sterling have a weekly conditioning cycle that charges for short periods at a higher current to avoid this. They also have settings for lead acid or gel batteries.

Keith

[jillR]

i was told not to leave batterys stood on concrete

so i always stand them on wood

jill

[Brian]

Ok ,

So leave the batteries standing for about 3 months, then give them a Full Charge, then leave them again

Makes sense

[Guest]

thanks for your imput

most helpfull BIG DAVE

[Guest]

As an alternative you can purchase a charger called an optimate which you can leave connected permantely on the bench, it also will desulphate and check for duff cells. A lttle pricey at around £35 but if it saves your batteries!

JohnT

[Labrador]

I think it is a good idea after fully charging the battery to attach a very low wattage light to let it gradually drain and recharge when low. This keeps the battery cycling.

[Antares_9]

I think it is a good idea after fully charging the battery to attach a very low wattage light to let it gradually drain and recharge when low. This keeps the battery cycling.

Not really a good idea, one of the things that defines a lead acid battery’s life is the number of discharge / recharge cycles (especially deeper discharges) it is subjected to. You would artificially shorten it’s life by doing that.

[Jim]

I can see Lab's idea but as you say David, not best practice where lead acid batteries are concerned.

In the case of Ni-Cd batteries, Labrador is correct as the idea of discharge/recharge helps to stop "memory effect"

[Guest]

I was having a word with farther about this gel batteries a couple of question if you could give me some insight would be most grateful

how much do these cost.

do they all come in one size.

what would be the pros and cons of getting one of these batteries

were thinking of getting three.

would they be able to handle boat usage.

thanks all for your time :

[kfurbank]

Jonny,

I don't know the cost of gel batteries, think there about the same size, but personally I wouldn't use them. Advantages, the acid doesn't spill, hopefully not a problem on a boat. Disadvantage, you need to be more careful about charging them and should charge them slower and at slightly less voltage than a normal battery. On a boat, you will often take quite a lot out of them, before the next recharge and normal leisure batteries are better at accepting this kind of abuse.

Don't know about now, but last year I got 110ah Bosch batteries with 2 year warrenty from Costco for £45 + VAT. Cheaper than just about anywhere else, and decent make.

[Guest]

Thanks Kieth i think its good to find out about new equipment for your boat unlikely you might not get it but you neva know :-D

[Gordon]

Hi Jonny

I totally agree with the above, and cannot think of any advantage of a gel battery on a boat, they are sensitive beasts and require a constant voltage charge, not even sure if they are suitable for charging off an alternator. As we have seen above leisure batteries are getting cheaper year on year and are the accepted tool for the job.

Something to bear in mind with a leisure/dual purpose battery is contrary to popular belief they don't like deep discharges, taking em too low too often will expedite their demise in the same way as a cranking battery. Whatever you do don't store them in anything other than a full charged state it will kill em

[Guest]

Thanks Gordon :

[Palmtree]

Hi,

I was looking at the boats batteries and noticed they are marked 5amp bench charge rate.

The battery bank is of the 75amp/hour leisure type with 2 working and one spare. The plan is to set up a charging system for the boat but I do not want to 'over cook' the batteries when charging, so assuming two will need charging are they limited to a 10amp total charge rate?

Any thoughts?

Ian :santa: