[Chris - CBWC]

Oh yea, I'm a pillock!  I read quite a few postings on here that guys use their batteries for their pumps all day without issue, so I didn't think about my own battery while working down one road for the day last Thursday.  Just one small van move all day just after lunch.  Packed all my stuff up, looking forward to a cuppa at home, turn the key... click click click click argh smh!

I turned my digital flow control on, yep it shows my battery at 11.8v.  RAC turn up and it turns out my battery's capacity is only around one fifth of what it was when new (116CCA compared to 500CCA new) so I clearly needed a new one.  After leaving the van on for a while, letting it charge, I get it home and check the voltage on the flow controller and it's showing 14.3v, nice!  But the reduced capacity means it won't last long.

I've since put a new battery in (670CCA now) but right from the start, it was only showing a fluctuation between 12.5v-12.8v.  I only ever do short trips, so it doesn't have a lot of time to charge up, and I'm naturally paranoid that I'm be stuck with a dead battery again - what numbers should I be seeing on the read out?  Is 12.5-12.8 normal or should I be plugging a charger in when I get home to fully charge it again for tomorrow?

I fully intend to fit a second leisure battery and link the two with an isolator switch, but until then, I'll be using just the one, and keeping a constant eye on the voltage readings.

[Clever Forum Name]

All those volts are spot on assuming the van is not running or on charge.

[windowswashed]

New battery 14.4 volts

[Clever Forum Name]

6 cells. Average 2.1 per cell = 12.6 volts

[Clever Forum Name]

http://m.wikihow.com/Check-a-Car-Battery

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

Best advice I can give you is to buy a Bosch silver 5 series battery for your van. Outperform others by miles!

[Chris - CBWC]

All those volts are spot on assuming the van is not running or on charge.

The volts are from while the van is off and me working, but also after having driven a few minutes between houses, or for example, a five minute drive home and then leaving the engine running for five more minutes.  I was hoping it would've shown 14.3v but I guess it hadn't been running for long enough to charge it fully.

It's too late now but maybe the best thing is to put it on charge when I get home from work tomorrow and see what the reading is once full.

[Clever Forum Name]

Check the link I posted.

[H20cleaning]

Its not the volts that give you the jolts... Its the amps that give you the cramps.

[rosskesava]

Its not the volts that give you the jolts... Its the amps that give you the cramps.

Or, it's not volts that jolts, it mills that kills.

[Spruce]

You can't measure a battery voltage for at least 4 hours after switching the engine off. This allows the battery to settle and the voltage across the battery to stabilise.

The only time you would put a volt meter across the battery terminal when the engine is running is to see if the alternator is charging.

[johnny bravo]

which is the best way to connect your pump and controller for power in a van mount scenario.

i will need to know.     is it best having a leisure battery,     connected to where for power without damaging your own van battery.

these are serious issues when starting out.      these wories can be off putting

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

which is the best way to connect your pump and controller for power in a van mount scenario.

i will need to know.     is it best having a leisure battery,     connected to where for power without damaging your own van battery.

these are serious issues when starting out.      these wories can be off putting

Mine's wired to a permanent live from the ignition loom & run off the van battery. I have mini RCD breaker/power switch on my pump box & use a controller also. As stated earlier in the thread, a top notch battery will pay for itself many times over. I tend to get around 18 to 24 months from the Bosch series 5 batteries before they start losing power within a full days work. I know people who don't even get this life from leisure batteries!

[johnny bravo]

so you dont use a leisure battery at all,  as many do

[♠Winp®oClean♠]

so you dont use a leisure battery at all,  as many do

No, never have. I have been caught out in the past & flattened the battery but that was down to cheap batteries. That has never happened since I've been using the Bosch silver 5 series. They are only £65 delivered off tinternet too! Over £100 in Halfrauds!

[Frankybadboy]

leisure battery 110amp for me with spilt charger,the battery well over 2 years old and still going strong

and I only do less than 5000 miles a year,and some days less than 5 miles.

now and a gain I bench charge it up 

[johnny bravo]

bench charge the leisure battery