[neil100]

I have normally charged my Batterys at 14.4v But my charger also gives me the option to charge at 14.7volts.

Does anyone know if it makes any difference charging at the higher voltage?

Will my battery last longer in use or will it shorten its Life span?

I have read the instructions that came with the charger but it gives no explanation. I would like to know the diffrence and the effect it would have on the battery.

I know a few on the forum are RED HOT on the subject of batterys so your thoughts would be wellcome. Thanks.

Nel.

[jeff1]

Without going into a long story if you charge a battery at 14.7or8v you giving your battery a better charge.

It will not shorten its life span and it will cause no damage.

[paul mather]

If you are talking about the intelligent charger that you recommended to me a few months ago then I'm sure in the instructions it recommends the 14.4 cycle for everyday use, but far be it from me to disagree with Jeff, Mr Battery himself.

[neil100]

Thanks Jeff, I would have liked to have heard your long story  nstead of your short one though.

Thanks Nel.

[jeff1]

If you are talking about the intelligent charger that you recommended to me a few months ago then I'm sure in the instructions it recommends the 14.4 cycle for everyday use, but far be it from me to disagree with Jeff, Mr Battery himself.

The intellegent charger has a setting for normal and sealed batteries, if it is this charger? then it must be set for the type of battery you are using and it cannot be changed.

Just caught your post Lol
I haven't got the time tonight for long bed time stories 

[neil100]

Paul, Hope your ok.

Yes its the same charger I recommended.

The instructions dont give me the reason for the diffrence in voltage. It basicly says to use 14.7v at very low tempretures or if your batterie is an AGM one or a Optima, Maxxima or Odysseys.

Nel.

[paul mather]

Paul, Hope your ok.

Yes its the same charger I recommended.

The instructions dont give me the reason for the diffrence in voltage. It basicly says to use 14.7v at very low tempretures or if your batterie is an AGM one or a Optima, Maxxima or Odysseys.

Nel.

Yeh great thanks.

I went round to that guys house in Warrington to pick up the charger & what that bloke didn't know about batteries wasn't worth knowing. He reckoned we as WFPers are asking more of our leisure batteries than they were designed to give & tried to sell me a £200 battery, needless to say I declined his kind offer!

Answered quite a few of my questions though so it was worth half an hour of my time, I'm sure the £200 battery was one of those you just listed, apparently it is used & recommended by the US Army as it is completely sealed & can be safely transported anywhere in the world unlike bog standard batteries.

[jeff1]

I did a topic on batteries and I included a little on your £200 battery, there of a carbon structure in the cells, they will out preform and out last any leisure battery.
Saying that my leisure battery is 8 years old  and still going strong.

[neil100]

I do beleive Paul that a standard lesiure batterie is not siuted to wfp Especially when they are poweing the pumps through 100mtr of Microbore hose.

I charge my lesiure batteries everyday.

I have been wfp for 18 months, After 6 months of useing Three 85amp Numax Lesiure batterys. I got them changed under warranty though the caravan company said their was nothing wrong with them. I said three batterys giving a total of 255 amps should last longer then 8 hours.

I upgraded to two x 110amp numax batterys. By Xmas that were pretty shot at and running out of steam.

In march I got a115 amp battery that was recommended by JM123 I think. Its a Very deep cycle american battery. Cost £100. Its that one I have just started to put on the 14.7 volt charge.

My two Numax batterys a total of 220 amps cannot last 3 hours between them. I have not had them 12 months, They have been tested and yes they are fine according to the caravan shop. I have had my set up tested by an auto electrican to see if my pumps are useing to much current. No they are fine. Its in my opinion the Numax is Very cheaply made and not up to the work load I ask of it.

Any more info on this £200 battery as I will be buying another this week. I prefer to use two baterys in a day to save taking to much juice out of just the one battery.

Nel.

[jeff1]

Extract taken from one of my battery topics.

A flat battery is any battery continuously registering below 12v, this same battery will continue to give power but is being irepparably damaged in the process. So although you will still be able to take power from the battery, do not be surprised when the battery doesn't last

Now I have not tested this but a 12v pump may be able to operate with a couple of volts less say 10.5v, (pushing it,) this then has the affect of the struggle you hear, from your pump. And the depletion, of the remaining current and voltage continues. Until the voltage, and current, are no longer able to run your pump.
 

The battery’s I would recommend for the Trolley, Trailer, and van mounts are all the same and I would recommend the leisure battery for your equipment.

All batteries are manufactured to provide a certain number of deep discharge cycles.
The conventional leisure battery should give a cycling life of between 200-300 deep discharges.
A Gel battery will give between 400-500 cycles and an AGM battery 600-800 cycles.
There are manufacturers that sell leisure batteries that deep cycle up to and over 1000 deep discharge cycles

Batteries fail in cycling life due to a permanent encapsulation of PbS04 on the plates (lead sulphation)
The capacity loss is more rapid with these battery types, the deeper that the battery is discharged, the quicker lead sulphation builds up. Upon recharging the battery, not all of this sulphation is converted back to lead (PB0). The result is a gradual loss in capacity.

Another major reason for premature battery failure is due to the oxide shredding from the plates. Standard lead plates are bound only with acrylic and polyester fibres, they do not serve as reinforcement of the plate. The cycling life of the more expensive battery is much greater than all other battery types because they are built using carbon fibre and this eliminates lead sulphation of the plates permanently. Upon recharging all the original capacity will be replenished. Carbon fibre acts as a mechanical reinforcement fibre to the lead grid and paste reducing shredding.

[neil100]

So who sells batterys with the carbon fibre in them?

Nel

[jeff1]

So who sells batterys with the carbon fibre in them?

Nel

Check with that Guy in warrington if he's near you?
If not any good battery specialist should do them, they were new to the market when I wrote the topic, but at £200 I would have though it sounds like the one.

try to take a couple of tips from the above topic and I know your battery will last you longer.

[paul mather]

Any more info on this £200 battery as I will be buying another this week. I prefer to use two baterys in a day to save taking to much juice out of just the one battery.



I've just found a leaflet the guy gave me & the battery he recommended was an Odyssey. I remember him saying that most "wet" batteries as he called them used plates that were either not 100% lead or were thin plates of lead stuck together whereas Odyssey use a thick piece of lead for their plates which means they hold their charge far better. I bet his website has a bit more info on it.

www.knightbatteries.com

Or Odyssey's website is

www.odysseyfactory.com I think

[jeff1]

Paul try a couple of battery suppliers, I to would recommend the £299 one if I was selling them? don't get me wrong they are good batteries

The batteries on his site may all have good cranking ranges but it says nothing of deep discharges and this is how wfp W/C live? we deep discharge our batteries every day, the cranking power of the batteries on his site are excellent for your vans/cars, boats etc.

I'll see if I can find more on the carbon fibre battery, but the leisure battery is still built for deep cycle and discharge.

He is right on the plates of a battery, the more you pay the better the plates
but it doesn't matter how thick the plates are, if there not looked after properly the sulphation will still stick to it and reduce the capacity of a battery.

Please check a couple of places before you part with your cash.

[kevin @ Ess]

i am an ex-electronic tech. and although i am certainly not a battery expert, i always understood that any rechargable battery must be charged according to its exact ratings.
E.g if the battery says 14.4v and 1200mah on the side, it must be charged at 14.4v and at least that current.
but having said that the charging voltage and the output from the battery are not always the same and many batterys dont have them both writtain on the side.
sorry to muddy the waters!!!   i just thought i would throw in my pennys worth!

jeff1 and the others probably have a more practical working knowledge as oppossed to my theories!!

[neil100]

Just spoken to BatteryMegastore where I bought my American Deep cycle battery from and He advised me to charge at 14.4 volts.

He also told me that The  Numax battertys that I have used are very cheaply made and If in use I use 50% of its capacity before recharging they only have a life span of 150 charges.

The deep cycle American battery in comparison to the numax can charge 1,050 times. So it should in theory last 7 times longer then a numax battery whilst only costing 40% more.

So paying more for the battery will save me more money in the long run.

Batteries are starting to go up in price due to the increase in Raw cost of Lead because of the Demand that China is making on Raw materials. If your after a new Battery Buy now.

Nel.