Trojan T105's as replacements for failed banners ??

[spirou]

If you're never off grid, why bother with 2 batteries? Even with the compressor fridge, a single one should be more than enough in your case.

[ajpepe72]

I do a few weekends a year off grid and me and friends do a week tour around Cornwall every August with no hook up, so it’s not a great deal. If the weather is glorious on the August trip I could probably manage with one battery but if it was overcast I’d struggle as would not get much Solar charge.

I also feel much happier sharing the load between two batteries so depth of discharge is not as high.

I also do a few Vw shows where I plug my dj gear into the vans and use the vans sound system which is powerful but that’s maybe once or twice a year.

[aandncaravan]

It should have a none conventional 'power Supply' mode in that when an additional load is placed on it should meet that.

 

Because you are using the van the items in it will be 'drawing off' any potential overcharge, for example the Fridge will be on, heating on low, display unit powered on, etc.

In other words it will look after itself with new batteries.

 

It is only longer term Float overcharging that is an issue, days, weeks are fine if the vehicle is being used.

 

Why not stick with the existing charger and see how it pans out, I am convinced you will see very different, much better charger behaviour with the new batteries, because it just won't work as hard with either the Varta or Yuasa as it did with the Banners.

 

 

 

[ajpepe72]

Great advise Allan, thanks for all the help, it is much appreiciated.

Out of interest, are there any Figures to indicate at what level the yuasa's would begin to gas at ? I guess if I had that info then id no for sure that its not something id have to worry about, I assume it will be somewhere around the same figure and the Varta ?

 

[aandncaravan]

I don't think the Yuasa L36-EFB is likely to match the Vartas for gassing voltage, the Varta is that special.

 

The Varta has the unique, patented Powerframe technology that uses a Special Silver alloy for the Grids. This makes them resistant to the usual corrosion that promotes gassing in other batteries, even the best ones.

 

See photo below of a Varta/Bosch Grid versus the same age corroded conventional battery. You can easily visualise how that Powerframe frame grid could have Varta's claimed 70% better electrical flow, both into and out of the battery.

Whereas a high corrosion Banner or Trojan might lose 70% of the charge rate fighting it's way past all that garbage to get to the Lead Paste, the Varta will maximise every milliamp.

 

If you relate that to a Solar panel, then running an older Trojan with corrosion on the plates would be like putting a blanket over 50% of the Solar panel. Would you really want to put up with that kind of performance to get a battery that lasts longer?

I would be itching to ditch it EARLY!!!

 

 

Like I said at the start, the best batteries look after you. The lowest technology want all your attention, and still throw the Dummy out the pram.

There is much, much more than Deep Cycling to motorhome batteries.

 

 

But then Yuasa's Carbon EFB technology is pretty new to Motorhome Leisure batteries. Yuasa claim 170% faster charging, so the internals have got to be pretty dammed efficient to do that, so who knows?

 

The slightly larger capacity of the Yuasa L36-EFB would certainly benefit your compressor Fridge.

 

 

 

If you do buy from Alpha and ask for the discount by mentioning us, would you be kind enough to repay my time and come back on here and report the buying experience, please?

 

 

 

 

[ajpepe72]

Of course, no problem at all Allan.

[ajpepe72]

I have ummed and ahhh’d about this for few days.

I was looking at the leoch tubular gels but at £200 for a 110ah battery I decided that in reality your recommendation of the yuasa’s would be worth a punt, not buying the tubular gels also gives me the option to also be able to double my solar capacity to 200w from 100w and still have plenty of change.

 

[kevina]

There are a few mentions here of the Yuasa L36-EFB. If anyone wants to take a punt on a

possible bargain I was in Halfords today and spotted a new Halfords branded EFB leisure battery with exactly the same specs as the Yuasa for £105. Halfords, of course, are a major stockist of Yuasa and their own brand batteries are almost certainly Yuasa.

 

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/bulbs-blades-batteries/leisure-batteries/halfords-leisure-battery-hlb700

[aandncaravan]

Derek, good spot. The best batteries at Halfords have in the past been more expensive so this is a promising development.

 

Yuasa do have the contract to supply Halfords with batteries and the spec is the same.

£105 is a good price too, although it only has 2 year warranty. But the convenience of Halfords can be worthwhile for many.

 

Alpha Batteries sell the Yasa L36-EFB at £110 with £9 delivery, 3 year warranty, but give a £5 discount if you mention us.

So about the same as £106 as Halfords if you collect and get an extra years warranty.

 

[ajpepe72]

Batteries arrived today, both reading 12.55 volts on unpacking. Put the mains charger on each one give them full charge before installing, mains charger went into float (had reached 14.8v) after only around five minutes. The one I have connected is still accepting 3.5amps according to my clamp meter while on float (13.8v) do I just leave this on overnight as the battery is still obviously accepting charge ?

Or would I be better putting them on my bench ac-dc supply and use a specific voltage and current ?

[aandncaravan]

I would leave it on a gentle charge for at least 12 hours and monitor the current at the end.

 

.

 

 

[ajpepe72]

I’ve put my small ‘lidl’charger on them now, they are at 13.55 volts and 0.8amp charge current.

I have my variable dc power supply if there are more suitable figures to be applying, or am I just getting too anal now ?? LoL

[ajpepe72]

My load test of these batteries, both behaved identically.

After a long trickle charge batteries were left overnight, they seemed to settle at 12.97volts

 

I then applied a 4.05amp load which after 60 seconds saw the voltage drop to 12.55 volts (kind of what i would expect to see on a full battery of say 12.6-12.7v once load applied)

 

This was left for 6 hours exactly, after 6 hours the voltage was 12.18v (load still connected)

 

Load was then disconnected and battery left to recover, after an hour voltage was at 12.45 volts which I work out at 25% discharged.

I took a total of 24.3amps out of the battery so as near as dammit to 25%.

 

 

 

[ajpepe72]

Alan

I have just re read your Battery technology web page again and there is an addition now about efb batteries state of charge voltages which would indicate that the voltages I recorded after my load test (post above this one) would be on the low side considering I took approx 25amps out of the battery ?

Load disconnected saw battery recover to near 12.5 volts but if efb voltages are comparable with vlra voltages then at 12.5v that suggests 50% discharged?

[aandncaravan]

ajpepe72 - 2018-09-27 8:35 PM

 

Alan

I have just re read your Battery technology web page again and there is an addition now about efb batteries state of charge voltages which would indicate that the voltages I recorded after my load test (post above this one) would be on the low side considering I took approx 25amps out of the battery ?

Load disconnected saw battery recover to near 12.5 volts but if efb voltages are comparable with vlra voltages then at 12.5v that suggests 50% discharged?

 

 

I am not sure where you have found that EFB will be the same SOC voltage as VRLA, that would not be our expectation?

We would suggest the CX & YuMicron column is more appropriate for the L36-EFB?

 

Allan.

 

[ajpepe72]

Ah my error it’s actually the VartaLFD you state is nearer vlra voltages, I assumed the yuasa was similar/same tech as the Varta.

That’s fine then.

[aandncaravan]

The SOC voltage of a lead acid battery is generally, but not always, determined by the battery acid strength. The stronger the acid the higher the resting voltage, but a stronger acid promotes faster internal corrosion, so shorter life.

 

The Varta LFD90 uses Patented Powerframe Silver technology (that no one else can copy) that is designed to stop corrosion (and the gassing that usually goes with it) at source.

As a result the Bosch/Varta Powerframe batteries can use a higher strength acid without issue, hence the close on 13.0v SOC.

By contrast the Banner Energy Bull has 'high corrosion', high fluid loss Antimony technology and a relatively weak acid concentration and correspondingly lower than 'usual' 12.5 - 12.6v SOC.

 

 

The Yuasa L36-EFB focuses on carbon technology for it's performance of high cycle life and capacity.

 

 

 

 

 

[weldted]

I have fitted two L36-EFB' 100 amp and so far they seem OK. Uprated to Votronic 350 mpp solar controller and a new Victron 30 charger. As stated in previous posts I run an inverter from my engine battery to enable the on board charger whilst driving as well as the ses fridge. On a 60 mile trip last week having been parked up the previous day the tv had been on for some ten hours Alde heating, charging I phones (2) I-pad left with batteries at 83% (Victron Solar Computer) some sun but overcast, 300 watts of solar giving 4.1 amps 11:30 am. Start engine computer now showing 7.7 amps, turn inverter on to power charger computer now showing 21.7 amps begins to fall within fifteen mins down to 14 amps, at destination app 30 miles down to 6 amps all turned off part shaded by trees solar only 1.4 amps. 2 hrs later start return journey solar engine and mains all on after a few mins down to 5 amps turn mains charger off 3.2 amps. Back to compound just before turning off 2.7 amps engine off low sun but clear sky 1.1 amp. Computer shows batteries at 99%.