Numax Batteries
As a caravanner who regularly rallies, plus I have to remove my van from its storage compound with a motor mover,I purchased after reading lengthy reviews, decided on a Numax 110ah battery.Cost was around £100.
Whilst unpacking it in my garage, there is a small label saying type "C" class battery meaning "Limited Off Grid Usage" Now I have gone back into the spec sheet on the internet and in the small print it does say "C "Class NCC approved battery.
I never gave it a thought that a Numax 110ah battery would have "limited" use,especially for that money.
I will attempt to ring the supplier tomorrow,but has anyone experienced this before,and how reliable is a "C" class battery is, on regular off grid usage.
Comments
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As the battery is new, I cannot see it being any more unreliable than a battery designed for deep discharging. The problem you will have is battery life, it will in all probability be shorter than one designed for deep discharging.
Right now there is a lot of controversy over battery quality and labeling. I have no idea where Numax sit within this but from what I have recently been reading, I wouldn't rely on the NCC approval system.
peedee
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Numax is just a brand name, they sell batteries meeting various NCC battery verification classes.
It seems you unfortunately purchased one of their offerings not suitable for your needs of frequent off EHU usage. With a decent solar system this might not be that critical.
Again unfortunately, the NCC's scheme is reportedly based on a manufacturer's claims, not on independent testing. Somewhat negating the very objective of the scheme, which I thought was to protect buyers from misleading claims and allowing buyers to select batteries suited to their needs.
The ramifications of the battery being only a class "C" is that it is ill suited to the deep level of discharging inherent with off EHU use, where prompt recharging is not available. Should you not be recharging promptly, say via solar, and are going quite deep [say using levels of more than 20 right up to 50% of its labelled rating], then you can expect a short life. By short life I mean the number of times it can endure this before its holding ability significantly reduces. It will not stop working just lose holding capacity.
Paying just £100 for a 110Ah decent quality deep cycling battery really would be IME a bargain.
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Oscid and Peedee Thanks for the reply I have attached the link below of the battery.It is interesting that Oscid mentioned deep cycling because that is one of the criteria I looked at.
Where this system lets itself down,if caravanners or motor homers never go off grid, never use a motor mover,etc why would they pay this sort of money when any old battery will suffice.
Thanks again for the replies.
12V 110AH Deep Cycle Leisure Battery NUMAX LV30MF Caravan Motorhome, Marine Boat
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"Where this system lets itself down,if caravanners or motor homers never go off grid, never use a motor mover,etc why would they pay this sort of money when any old battery will suffice."
They don't need to buy a true deep cycling [as opposed to one with "deep cycling" just on its label], hence the NCC's "C" Class, lower priced batteries suitable for these type of users.
However, it would be wrong to assume "any old battery will suffice".
It should be one matching the charger, so of appropriate size and technology and one in quite good health. Otherwise the charger will suffer or the battery fail prematurely. And of course a type suitable for the users needs.
Our chargers by and large are sized to require a battery of 75 to 110 Ah, so say a 60Ah would be charging at a higher rate than "desirable".
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