Leisure Batteries...

clarkson

Guest
Been gifted a used leisure battery of unknown history. It was totally flat. I have a 5 amp battery charger. I have never charged a leisure battery before. If I had a normal car battery and charged it from flat, the indicator on the charger would show it taking a full 5 amps to begin with and the level would slowly drop as the battery charges. The leisure battery is only taking 1 amp from flat, is this normal?
 
i do know that a normal car battery if it has been flat for sometime can take some time to show full charging rate as you say 5 amps but i think leasure batts are deep cyclic whatever that means not too shure so they will prob take some time to show full charge
 
Leisure Battery

I wonder if you folks can advice me or give me tips. I want to get a second leisure battery. Is it possible to simply connect it to the present one in the MH, battery to battery. And will both batteries be charged simentaineously when being hooked up. Will also my solar panel charge up the second battery as it does the first one at present. Appreciate your help on this one. Thanks
 
Second lesiure battery

Hi David.
I take it you have now got a replacement m/h! What have you got?
Regarding the battery, everything that I have read says that if you fit a second leisure battery, it should be of the same type & age as the first and fitted as close as possible to the first one with a fuse between the two.
Hope this helps:D
 
Just a thought I read somewhere on the net (I think it was the Sterling web site) that so called leisure batteries are just infact car starter batteries that have been re-labelled as leisure batteries, because true leisure batteries are so expensive.
 
PaulC said:
Just a thought I read somewhere on the net (I think it was the Sterling web site) that so called leisure batteries are just infact car starter batteries that have been re-labelled as leisure batteries, because true leisure batteries are so expensive.
Click to expand...
I really do hope that you are wrong!
The difference between a leisure battery is that a leisure battery is made for nearly full discharge and then charge up again where by a starter battery is not made for full discharge
 
clarkson said:
Been gifted a used leisure battery of unknown history. It was totally flat. I have a 5 amp battery charger. I have never charged a leisure battery before. If I had a normal car battery and charged it from flat, the indicator on the charger would show it taking a full 5 amps to begin with and the level would slowly drop as the battery charges. The leisure battery is only taking 1 amp from flat, is this normal?
Click to expand...

Hi pal have a scan through the archive under leisure batterys carnt remember
the person but the info was quite intensive.
all the best
 
Hi

After searching the Sterling web site I fournd this statement (Sterling is a respected company I believe)

"Watch the term leisure / deep cycle as it simply does not exist. The standard, so called, leisure batteries, are simply starter batteries with extra support for the active lead material. This may increase the life by 5 – 10 %, but does not turn a starter battery into a deep cycle battery. True traction (deep cycle) are not available at a sensible price and are uneconomical to use for standard leisure use.", try www.sterling-power.com/support-faq-2.htm
 
Hi

Further reading of the Sterling web site shows that "The shock with this figure is that for Gel, Sealed, or leisure, etc, the constant figure is about 30 – 60 cycles, whereas true traction with thicker plates is over 300+." so total discharge kills a leisure battery in as little as 30 cycles!
 
***** said:
Hi David.
I take it you have now got a replacement m/h! What have you got?
Regarding the battery, everything that I have read says that if you fit a second leisure battery, it should be of the same type & age as the first and fitted as close as possible to the first one with a fuse between the two.
Hope this helps:D
Click to expand...

Hi Graham,
Off on Friday to Germany to have a look at a few MH's. Hopefully, will not be returning empty handed. Back on 20th October and let you know what I have or have not. Thanks for fo ryour advice, including all the other folks have given on this thread. Will clock in again when I get back. Have fun.
 
As well as what others have said, the main difference is a leisure battery is designed to supply a little current for a long time, but a starter battery will supply very high current for a short burst.
From experiance I have charged both with a Halfords 5amp charger with no problems, however a colour TV running on a starter battery will shut-down after a couple of evenings, but on a leisure battery lasted all week!
A leisure battery used for emergency jump start can be ruined as the heavy current draw will buckle the plates!
All batteries fitted in pairs should ALWAYS be fitted in matched pairs as the 'best' battery will try and charge the lower capacity one; thereby bringing them both down to the level of the lower battery!
Hope all this makes sence... and helps rather than baffles!
 
Hi Nosha

It's interesting that. your leisure battery lasts longer than the starter battery, but I'm only going by the Sterling web site (see above) and there should be virtually no different. Unless the two batteries have different ratings, age and condition, resulting in you experience. If that is the case it could be comparing apples with pears. I know I had a new starter battery a few years ago, didn't need it and put it to one side and forgot it. After about 6 months dug it out but it was virtually dud without been used! Batteries seem to be a funny subject and open to many ponts of view.
 
personaly i dont think it realy matters about if it is an expensive so called leasure battery or a good heavy duty car battery i have a realy good heavy duty battery i got from a scrap yard for a tenner i have had it 2 years and it runs my tv phone charger and camera charger for a weekend thro a 700 watt inverter if it goes flat i usualy charge it from my van via a set of jump leads or swap it for my other aux battery i use for my 12 volt internal lights takes about 5 mins to swop batterys over suppose its what you want realy i have found a little work saves a lot of cash especialy if you aint got a lot of cash in the first place
 
PaulC said:
Just a thought I read somewhere on the net (I think it was the Sterling web site) that so called leisure batteries are just infact car starter batteries that have been re-labelled as leisure batteries, because true leisure batteries are so expensive.
Click to expand...


I think Sterling have exaggerated a little bit, otherwise a lot of dealers could be getting 'done' under the trading standards guidelines.

True that so called leisure batteries are not 'deep cycle' in the true sense of the word, but you wouldn't have much payload left with a bank of batteries out of a milk float or fork truck in your locker!

Voxy.
 
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