If your habitation battery ...

[Ventoux]

... has screw caps on the top, and the chambers are empty, does that mean its a Dry Cell battery? Or is a Dry Cell battery something else, and mine need topping up.

I don't seem to be getting as much from it as last year.

Now into 5th month away.

 

I can email photo of battery if it will help any advice.

 

Sorry to be a thicko' :-D

 

McDonalds free wi-fi.

Albertville.

[Stuwsmith]

Top it up as soon as you can! It should be topped up so that the electrolyte level covers the plates. Hopefully your level will not be too far below the plates as it doesn't do the battery much good. Probably a good charge after topping up wouldn't do any harm either.

[Geoff Cole]

Hi,

There are normally only 2 types of battery wet lead acid or gell used as leasure batteries, yours will be a wet type as gell batteries are usually sealed. You need to top the battery up with distilled water available in super markets in France usually on the shelf next to the acetone and thinners or if stuck you can use cooled boiled water. Its is likely that your battery cells are damaged and have sulphated up causing excess gassing on charge, or your charger is over charging the battery.

The best thing to do is

1 top your battery up with water as above

2 If on hook up charge the battery with the caps off and see if there is excess gassing from any of the cells if there is you will need a new battery

3 check your charge rate and voltage max volage on charge should range from 13.6 to 14.8.

4 when charged up take off charge standing voltage should be around 13.6v put a load on eg light setc for about 15 mins or so then check your battery voltage with load swithed off it should read 12.7-12.9v if the standing voltage has dropped below this then it is most likely that your battery will need replacing.

Hope this helps, Regards geoff.

PS.

I am in SW France at the moment an if you are in this area I can check it out for you

 

[hallii]

It's not a dry cell battery, they are the ones you put in torches etc.

 

It might be "maintenance free" or "sealed for life" but if it has screw on caps and you cannot see any water/acid it might need a top up.

 

If you are not sure how to do this drive to your local Kwik Fit or whatever and let them do it, they have the distilled water and hydrometer to do it properly. They can also test it for you to see how "good" it is.

 

I use distilled or demineralised water (from Halfrauds) and top up so the plates are just covered. Do not splash any liquid in your eyes or onto clothes etc, it is sulphuric acid (diluted somewhat) and will burn.

Charge the battery straight away and leave on charge for 24hours. Re-check the levels. If they have dropped significantly in one or more cells you might have a problem in that cell or cells. Then it's time for a new one.

 

Geoff

[Ventoux]

Stuwsmith - 2008-08-16 3:42 PM

 

Top it up as soon as you can! It should be topped up so that the electrolyte level covers the plates. Hopefully your level will not be too far below the plates as it doesn't do the battery much good. Probably a good charge after topping up wouldn't do any harm either.

Crikey! I can't believe I've messed up here. Thanks.

[Ventoux]

Geoff Cole - 2008-08-16 3:43 PM

 

Hi,

There are normally only 2 types of battery wet lead acid or gell used as leasure batteries, yours will be a wet type as gell batteries are usually sealed. You need to top the battery up with distilled water available in super markets in France usually on the shelf next to the acetone and thinners or if stuck you can use cooled boiled water. Its is likely that your battery cells are damaged and have sulphated up causing excess gassing on charge, or your charger is over charging the battery.

The best thing to do is

1 top your battery up with water as above

2 If on hook up charge the battery with the caps off and see if there is excess gassing from any of the cells if there is you will need a new battery

3 check your charge rate and voltage max volage on charge should range from 13.6 to 14.8.

4 when charged up take off charge standing voltage should be around 13.6v put a load on eg light setc for about 15 mins or so then check your battery voltage with load swithed off it should read 12.7-12.9v if the standing voltage has dropped below this then it is most likely that your battery will need replacing.

Hope this helps, Regards geoff.

PS.

I am in SW France at the moment an if you are in this area I can check it out for you

It says "Carbon Fibre Monobloc Battery 125"

How do I recognise 'excess gassing' Geoff? Smell? Bubbling?

Thanks for the info I'll book into a site and follow instructions.

I'm in the Alps but thanks for offer of help.

[Ventoux]

hallii - 2008-08-16 3:49 PM

 

It's not a dry cell battery, they are the ones you put in torches etc.

 

It might be "maintenance free" or "sealed for life" but if it has screw on caps and you cannot see any water/acid it might need a top up.

 

If you are not sure how to do this drive to your local Kwik Fit or whatever and let them do it, they have the distilled water and hydrometer to do it properly. They can also test it for you to see how "good" it is.

 

I use distilled or demineralised water (from Halfrauds) and top up so the plates are just covered. Do not splash any liquid in your eyes or onto clothes etc, it is sulphuric acid (diluted somewhat) and will burn.

Charge the battery straight away and leave on charge for 24hours. Re-check the levels. If they have dropped significantly in one or more cells you might have a problem in that cell or cells. Then it's time for a new one.

 

Geoff

Thanks. Nearest Halfords or Quick-Fit is about 700 miles :-D

I'll get some distilled d'eau from Supermarket.

I'll have to book into a campsite to charge up :-S

What a thicko' :$

[MelvynT]

Please don't use cooled boiled water. Boiling water only concentates the chemicals, yes I know people have been doing this for years and it's never been a problem, all I can say is that they live in a clean water area to start with. (large areas of the North). Now city water, I wouldn't put that into my battery. Distilled or demineralised water bought from Halfords or likewise, is not expensive. If one cell uses more water than the others, it's a safe bet that the battery is on it's way out.

[Geoff Cole]

Hi,

You have a 125 APH battery in a carbon fibre case normal lead acid. If you have a cell or more that is duff they will gas rapidly producing lots of bubbles and a horrible smell (hydrogen sulphide) You may be lucky and find that once you top it up it will be Ok depends on how old the battery is. By lowering the level you have reduced the battery capacity which is why it was not working as it should have .hope all goes well.

Regards Geoff

[Ventoux]

Ok, I drove 2 hours to a particular camp site at Bourg d’Oisans and before hooking-up electric, topped up cells (2 litres used). €1.70 in Leclerc compared to €5.40 across the road in Halfords type car shop.

Hooked-up. (Mobitronic Auto Charger) on yellow light = ‘Between 10% and 50% charged’. Within 30 minutes Green light ‘Over 90% Charged’. No smell and hardly any bubbles at all. Level at 14v +.

Used Satellite receiver box most of the afternoon and evening (LCD TV plugged into Engine battery socket) and a bit of lighting when it got dark. Went to bed 10.30ish.

Un-hooked next day at 1pm (23 hrs). Interior Hymer display reading said 12.6v.

Drove for 2 hours and reading said 13v.

So two hour drive gave a better charge than a 23 hour hook up?

Set up satellite box 7.30pm. This lowered the reading down to

11.9v at 9.20pm,

11.8v at 10pm

11.6v at 10.30pm

Next morning, before using anything, back to 11.9v.

Drove 1 hour to next overnight stop.

12.8v at 5pm before using anything.

11.8v after 3 hours of satellite box usage.

Next morning, before using anything 11.8v

11.7v after one hour of satellite receiver usage.

I think the battery is lasting longer now, but not as long as last year, or I may be looking at last year through rose tinted glasses.

I’ll run it to expiry (usually 8v) and see how long that takes.

 

Many thanks for help.

 

[libby]

I'm no elecrtrical buff but to lower a battery charge to it's expiry at 8v (your words) is doing serious damage. I would never use below 11v.

 

LB

[MelvynT]

if your battery is a "deep cycle" or Leisure battery, you can discharge it below the normally flat level on the car battery, about 12V, it will shorten it's life, but you can do it.

I would have thought that all the gear would start packing in at about 11V, sometimes in modern vans there's a shut off to prevent total discharge.

The battery voltage is always higher after being charged, this does not indicate increased capacity, merely a higher voltage.

After stopping, or after taking off the hook up, let the battery settle for about 30minutes, then check the voltage. (not always possible if you want to watch tele straight away).

Charging from the hook up will be by your trickle/float charger, at maximum output it should never exceed 10% of the battery capacity. It is designed to be left on for long periods to provide different charge cycles to the battery as required.

[Ventoux]

Until I topped it up (after 18 months :-S ) the Satellite receiver box would go off after 3 or 4 hours (travelling alone :() and upon checking, hab' battery level would be down to 8-9v.

 

I don't understand electrics at all, completely goes over my head :D .

 

How long should a hab' battery run a sat' receiver and a bit of lighting if you park for a couple of days?

[libby]

I would suggest you're well on the way to ruining your battery(s) for ever!

[libby]

I would suggest you're well on the way to ruining your battery(s) for ever!

[Ventoux]

Oh I've ruined loads of stuff through lack of maintenance :-D

I'll update you when it happens ;-)