bazooka Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Just seen new leisure batteries 85 A 45 pounds.If they'v been in stock all year does this mean they will last 12 months less. baz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lennyhb Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Provided they have been charged at least every couple of months they should be OK but they have probably just been left so steer clear of them. Brambles will probably be along shortly to give a full technical explanation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 It depends if the acid was added a year back or if they are still dry and await the acid. If they are wet then walk away. C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tracker Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Take along a digital multimeter and check the voltages and if less than 12.5 leave 'em where they stand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian0354 Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Slightly off topic but vaguely relevant; I remember when I started in the motor trade (many years ago!) being told never to leave a lead-acid battery standing on a concrete floor as nothing will kill one quicker. I have always lived by this advise but I welcome opinion of those that know better than me if this is in fact the case? Answers on a £5 note please! Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clive Posted November 14, 2009 Share Posted November 14, 2009 Its an old wifes tale to protect the floor. Acid eats concrete! C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka Posted November 14, 2009 Author Share Posted November 14, 2009 Thanks everybody for the advise i'll wait till late spring and hopefully get one from new stock. bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 If the batteries are a good make, and have been stored properly, then at £45 sound like bargain. If you get 1 year less of use you are still getting at a very low cost per year if use. I would expect to pay about £1 per Ah capacity for a decent battery. Can you post the source/make of these batteries. However, I cannot think of any decent manufactirers who make an 85Ah battery but is 5.20am in the morning and brain is half asleep 8o| . p.s. Ok! you are all going to say there are loads of 85Ah batteries, thing is I do not rate these standard liesure style 85's as 85Ah, they are most likely rated 85Ah at a 100 hour discharge rate and are more like 70 Ah or even 60 at the normally speced 20 hour rate. The typical number of discharge cycles is 150 to 200 at 60%. You should be getting spec of 300 to 400 cycles which probably would be correct if you down rated the battery to 60 Ah. The construction of these leisure batteries are more akin to standard automotive starter batteries, using lates calcium technology. Yiou can actually get a standard starter battery (60Ah - 700CCA) with simlilar spec for about the same money and will last longer in use as a leisure battery. A decent leisure battery will not have a particularly high CCA and reputable manufacturers will not give a CCA rating as not applicable. ...something like the above anyway!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka Posted November 15, 2009 Author Share Posted November 15, 2009 Thanks for the advice.Just checked out battieries for make they are sold out it was promotion weekend clearing out old stock.Ones now in called platignum 85-A £65.With careful use in summer including 2 hours TV and a 60 watt rooftop solar panel we manage for a few days.In the south of france no TV no problem .This time of year we need to go on mains.would like bigger batterie but it has to fit under drivers seat. Dealer for above batteries is Moorland leisure stoke-on-trent. thanks again bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losos Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Brambles - I want to fit two 110 A/hr batteries for leisure use. If price was not an issue which manufacturer would you recommend ? (Assuming you're allowed to say on here, if not maybe you could PM me) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brambles Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Hi Losos, Do not see any reason why I should not give a personal opinion. If price was not an issue then I would fit true 6volt traction batteries like Trojan or many other manufactures such as Exide or Hoppecke. (2 x 6volts in series), but they do not come cheap. However though this would be the correct path for a canal boat you live in and use the batteries every day, it is not always the most sensible choice for a Motorhome unless it is use every day. But they would last you many years if looked after. In excess of 20 years would be expected with ease. The big disadvantage is weight if we ignore cost. So going back to being sensible a battery giving you good Ah for your bucks, and good life even allowing for occassional abuse would be the aim, along with low self discharge so shelf life is long or storage in Motorhome over winter is coped with, and low maintenance (water consumption, with good gas recombination, and ease of charging - VARTA semi traction range is a good starting point..... My money would go on a Varta 70AH, 90 Ah , or 110 Ah Semi traction. ( note these are specified correctly and many other brands of the same type/size will rate slighty higher) Varta 95602, 95752, 81310 respectively. Note the 81310 does not have hold down bars on base. If you go to the varta.com website then you can follow the links through car batteries to their leisure range and compare dimensions etc. So there you have it, my choice is VARTA.......at the moment, and is based on manufactures reputation, technology, specifications and personal experience. As to Battery suppliers mail order there is Tayna.co.uk and countybattery.com as posible suppliers. If you can collect Bristol Batteries are extremely competative. (they also have a debot in Swindon and possibly others) .....maybe one day I will learn to give a straight forward answer. The other reason I would go for VARTA is because if it does fail under warranty I can go to any Varta stockist and they will test it and replace through out Europe....or so I believe or like to believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Losos Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Brambles - 2009-11-15 11:33 PM But they would last you many years if looked after. In excess of 20 years would be expected with ease. Gordon bennet Brambles, do you think I'll live that long ? lol (Just kidding, I hope to but sometimes I do feel like a car that has had the clock go round...........twice ha ha)Anyway, thanks for what I consider a great reply, sometimes you just can't condense something into a 'sound bite' if only our politicians would remember that.So, I'm just off to look up the VARTA site, as it happens in a past life I had some experience of their small sealed units in UPS's on the top of mountains, my recollection is that they are well made and reliable and as I will be traveling along the old E45 autobahn in Germany more times than I care to think about then replacement (If it should become necessary) should be relatively easy. So thanks again, I hope I can do the same for you one day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian0354 Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Clive - 2009-11-14 9:58 PM Its an old wifes tale to protect the floor. Acid eats concrete! C. Thanks Clive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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