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Leisure battery + Winter - how to look after?

  • 19-11-2010 7:57pm
    #1
    Top Dog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,175 ✭✭✭


    Looking for a little advice please folks.

    We've a leisure battery in our caravan which has now been parked up for the next 3 months.

    I'm wondering what people think is the best way to look after the leisure battery for this time period? Should I bring it into the house to keep it in a warmer temperature? Should I leave it in situ and give it a mains boost every so often? Should I switch on some circuts in the van every so often just to keep it working?

    Any help or advice much appreciated :)


Comments

  • #2
    tibia
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 70 ✭✭tibia


    Provided it does not get so cold that the electrolyte freezes (most unlikely), it is best left in situ. If I was you, I would run the mains charger for 24 hours to charge it fully then disconnect one of the leads from the battery.

    The biggest enemy of lead-acid batteries is being left in a discharged state. If you disconnect the lead you can be sure there is no external load. It should be fine after 3 months.


  • #3
    spaceHopper
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,099 ✭✭✭spaceHopper


    you could buy a small solar cell nothing to big just a watt or two like this http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=223251 would do it would keep it topped up over the winter and stop the battery self discharging but it's low enough wattage that you don't need a regurlator


  • #4
    paddyp
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,927 ✭✭✭paddyp


    tibia wrote: »
    Provided it does not get so cold that the electrolyte freezes (most unlikely), it is best left in situ. If I was you, I would run the mains charger for 24 hours to charge it fully then disconnect one of the leads from the battery.

    The biggest enemy of lead-acid batteries is being left in a discharged state. If you disconnect the lead you can be sure there is no external load. It should be fine after 3 months.

    Self discharge increases with temperature so its better to be out in the cold.

    Elecrolyte freezing temperature is -23C when totally discharged and about -60c when fully charged. A good new lead acid may lose 50% charge in 4 months at 30C at our winter temperature it might only lose 30% in an entire year.

    Self discharge increases with age and if allowed to go flat the battery will irreversibly sulfate so whereas a new batttery may be good for 3 months with no intervention an older battery may be scrap in a short time without a top up charge.

    Those small solar panels are a placebo for people with good batteries.


  • #5
    niloc1951
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,066 ✭✭✭niloc1951


    Is your 'van at home. Has it they type of inbuilt charger which can be left on to maintain the battery with a maintenance charge. Can you connect your 'van to the mains.
    If the answer to all the above is yes, why not plug in to the mains at home, ensure the charger is on and leave the battery in situ.
    My 'van is left permanently on hook-up at when at home and my batteries (probably six years since they left the factory now) are still in perfect condition, eg. will last over four days when off hook-up and well over a week if tv/sat box not in use.


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