Is my leisure battery on the way out
I have lunar clubman which is kept in storage when it's not being used.
I've noticed recently via the phantom device that the voltage is dropping daily even although everything is shut down and the only thing that's on is the alarm. Since putting the van back into storage on Monday the voltage today Wednesday has dropped from 13.2V to 12.9V.
Normally this wouldn't be a problem as I take the van out most weekends but I plan not use it again until early Oct.
Is this normal ? is there a Voltage below which I should not let it pass?
Is this 6 month old battery goosed?
Comments
-
Sounds pretty normal to me. Arriving back at storage, your battery has just come off charge. It takes a few hours for the voltage to stabilise. If it's reading 12.9v on a six month old battery, I'd say that is about right. You don't want to let one drop much below about 12.4v though.
1 -
I agree with CY but discharging and recharging a battery is what shortens the life, better to keep it topped up on a trickle charge if you can. If you intend to leave it in storage for prolonged periods of time, I would fit a solar panel and regulator to keep the battery in better condition and of course to maintain the status of your alarm system.
peedee
1 -
Thanks for the replies, very helpful.
My concern is however that if it continues to drop at this rate of 0.1V per day then very quickly I get into the danger area below 12volts
Think I might need to invest in a solar panel.
0 -
12.6 or 12.7 is the normal fully charged reading after a battery has rested.
After disconnecting/switching off a charger it normally takes a few hours or more to drop to the correct level.
After it has reached these levels is the only time voltages will give an indication of a battery state.
My MH engine battery drops to 12.3 or 12.4 (from 12.6 or 12.7) if not used for 3 or 4 weeks 'or so' due to the alarm etc.. I then switch/connect my charger for at least a few hours until it suggests it is full.
I always use a multi meter (£10) and never rely on inbuilt meters.
As advised a solar panel will save any problems
PS 12.2v is still 60% charged.
0 -
It won't drop at 0.1v per day if it's in good nick. If you check it after a couple of weeks, I'll warrant it will still read about 12.8-12.9v. That's assuming you don't have any constant drains such as alarms/trackers etc.
2 -
On sunday my the lLPG alarm was churping so I pluged the van into a ssocet on the storedgsit for 3rs anditwas fine
0 -
Perhaps the meter in my caravan is optimistic.
1 -
I swap over batteries periodically as we have an alarm / tracker and no solar panel. I usually take it off the smart charger several hours before taking it across. By the time it is put in the van the voltage has dropped to 12.8 using a multimeter. I generally check the van every couple of weeks. By week 2 it will be reading 12.6, but depending on temperatures will take till week 6 to get to 12.5.
0 -
As I'm new to caravans I've been wondering what is the best way to look after my leisure battery (especially over winter).
I have both a CTEK XS 3600 and Tronic T4X intelligent chargers which I've used for conditioning car batteries when not being used over winter. Would these be suitable for keeping my leisure battery in good working order?
I'm also interested in the idea of a solar/regulator. What systems do you recommend/use?Regards
Simon
0 -
A solar and controller will help keep your battery toped up over winter and when not being used, the size and type of solar panel depends on if your looking to visit sites without EHU (Electric Hook Up)
0 -
I'd say I will always go to a site with EHU.
0 -
A solar panel is the answer. I have had a SP on the roof of my van now for 4 yrs and have never had to take the batteries out to charge them and they have kept a tracker and alarm alive. All the messing about running backwards and forwards with newly charged battery/s I did before has been eliminated- just that has paid for the panel!! An absolutely vital piece of kit to keep batteries in tip top condition if you ask me. A Godsend! My monitor always shows 13.8v when fully charged.
0 -
I don't think so EJB. I turn the systems on with the master and the 13.8 starts to drop as the amps from the Panel start to rise. I use electricity through whatever and switch the system off. The amps continue to be fed into the batteries falling slowly to 0.0 when the voltage shows 13.8 again. I am no expert in this and welcome any interaction from a more electrically educated mind.
0 -
Thanks...never needed a solar panel as we tend to move every 2 to 4 days although we use EHU for longer periods.
My MH has brackets for them but they/it was obviously transferred before we bought.
I assume that the zero is the output from the panel and the 13.8 is the battery reading before it decays to 12.6 ish.
0 -
My mind is severely undereducated about things electrical, but I can see a multimeter would be useful. £10 was mentioned - there are also much more expensive ones. Other than price I have nothing to compare, as I've never used one, so I have no idea if what I might buy cheap was rubbish or not.
Any recommendations of sensible, cheap, reliable, but without bells and whistles variety to buy, please?Thanks
0 -
Start at Maplin?:
https://www.maplin.co.uk/search?sort=price-asc&text=multimeter&show=Page#
First one comes in a £5 (which is fine for 12V caravan systems and UK mains - care is needed if you don't understand what you are doing) and they obviously go up from there with lots of extra bells & whistles.
I know that for really accurate results calibration etc should be done but it would cost a fortune and for normal purposes any modern digital meter should be fine?
0 -
Sounds good to me. Now just need to workout what I need!?
I feel my main need is just to keep the battery in good condition rather than run devices of any description.
Has anyone any advice on what the minimum requirements would likely be?
0 -
A solar panel will keep it topped up and in good condition, however, if you don't have one then you should recharge the battery once a month using a decent charger (not just plugged into the EHU unless your van has a Sargent or other intelligent control system).
Sealed batteries require 14.4 volts to properly recharge. Most caravan chargers give you 13.8 volts which is OK to maintain the charge but not good enough to recharge.
You can use a trickle charger if you want to keep a spare battery on charge but make sure it is a decent one like a CTek. Some trickle chargers are not suited to continual connection. Most battery manufacturers recommend the once a month recharge as stated above.
As others have said, the battery voltage will be higher than normal after recharging but will drop to 12.7 volts within 12 hours or so (or more quickly with load on) which is the normal open circuit voltage for a lead acid battery. Dont let it go below about 25% which should be around 12.2 volts.
0 -
"Sealed batteries require 14.4 volts to properly recharge. Most caravan chargers give you 13.8 volts which is OK to maintain the charge but not good enough to recharge."
Hitch, we will have to disagree on this one! I maintain that a battery will fully recharge eventually at 13.8v ..... although it may well take a good few days.
Yes, a much faster recharge will result if you charge it from a current limited source until it reaches a terminal voltage of 14.4v, and then maintain it at that voltage for a few hours before reducing to float at around 13.8v.
I have recently been considering the charge characteristics of my PV regulator. By default it starts everyday (when the sun switches on!) by charging for 2 hours at 14.4v, before reducing to 13.8v. This is fine when the 'van is in regular use, but during long idle periods it results IMHO in excessive overcharge. I intend to create a specific 'storage' profile with a very short (say, 10 minute) boost charge at 14.4v, and a lower float/maintenance charge of 13.6v. (Incidentally that is the float voltage at which back-up batteries in telecoms are usually maintained)
0 -
Simon, you should be able to get away with a 10 to 20 watt panel if you just want to keep your battery charged. Have a look at >Sunstore< who do a range of solar panels to meet every need. If you go even smaller, 5 watts you might get away with a free standing one and no regulator but it probably won't keep your battery in as good a condition but it will keep it charged.
peedee
1 -
Thanks, I'll have a look.
0 -
13.8 volts is a compromise voltage which van manufacturers use so that the "12 volt" system does not have excessive voltage and that the battery can sustain for short periods and maintain charge, although if you leave the van plugged into EHU for a long time the battery will suffer.
Actually, neither of us is correct because it is too simplistic to say that a certain voltage is required to recharge a discharged battery. This varies with temperature but very few chargers have full temperature compensation. As you know, even a cheap charger has at least three stages including constant voltage and constant current, however, for a sealed battery all chargers will give 14.4 volts initially. This helps reduce sulfation and is the maximum for a sealed battery to avoid gassing. The old type of wet, flooded, battery takes a higher voltage.
13.8. volts will recharge your battery but at the cost of small reduction in life. Many years ago I got through two batteries much quicker than normal due to relying on EHU hook-up to recharge after discharge.
0
