maintaining 12v battery for electric fence

razor8

Have a very good Rutland fencer that runs off 12v battery. It’s mainly used for winter grazing but I can’t seem to get much life out of the batteries specially after they aren’t used for a few months

Any tips or ideas to get more out of them??

Muckit

Charge them up straight away after you are finished with them. Also store inside if at all possible. I do it with electric fencer and lawnmower battery.

I seen it somewhere that a battery that isnt charged fully will allow the electrolite to freeze in winter and that's what fecks them. The electrodes stick together and short out.

A fully charged 12v battery should read 13.6v on an ammeter.

Stanford

Muckit wrote: »

Charge them up straight away after you are finished with them. Also store inside if at all possible. I do it with electric fencer and lawnmower battery.

I seen it somewhere that a battery that isnt charged fully will allow the electrolite to freeze in winter and that's what fecks them. The electrodes stick together and short out.

A fully charged 12v battery should read 13.6v on an ammeter.

Voltmeter not ammeter

Genghis Cant

Never leave the battery directly on the ground. Put it on a bit of timber or the like.

patsy_mccabe

Ya keep them charged up. I have two 12v car batteries for the fencer, that I got from a scrap yard. Every weekend I change them around. I leave them in a fertiliser bag and on a bit of timber in the field too. I'd say I have one of them 4 years now and it's going perfect.
Over the winter I'd charge them up maybe once a month.

Spook_ie

https://www.halfords.ie/motoring/bulbs-blades-batteries/car-battery-chargers/halfords-solar-battery-maintainer-12v-6w


Something like this maybe? Cheaper versions available if you search solar powered trickle charger

Muckit

Stanford wrote: »

Voltmeter not ammeter

Or multimeter

einn32

Small Solar panel might help you somewhat but the less sunlight is a factor.

xl500

Muckit wrote: »

Or multimeter

yes but don't try to measure Amps on the Voltage setting or you might be surprised what happens to multimeter:D:D

ED E

razor8 wrote: »

Have a very good Rutland fencer that runs off 12v battery. It’s mainly used for winter grazing but I can’t seem to get much life out of the batteries specially after they aren’t used for a few months

Any tips or ideas to get more out of them??

The prime mistake people will make with 12v cells is deep discharge. Let your phone down to zero then plug it in? Fine. Will still give you 500-1000 cycles doing that.

Discharge a 12v LA cell to empty half a dozen times and you can kill it completely. Your fence can probably run with 10v but when you're down that far its damaging the battery.

NB: There are deep discharge cells available, but you pay more for them.

razor8

ED E wrote: »

The prime mistake people will make with 12v cells is deep discharge. Let your phone down to zero then plug it in? Fine. Will still give you 500-1000 cycles doing that.

Discharge a 12v LA cell to empty half a dozen times and you can kill it completely. Your fence can probably run with 10v but when you're down that far its damaging the battery.

NB: There are deep discharge cells available, but you pay more for them.

Any links to these?

Melodeon

razor8 wrote: »

Any links to these?

Google "deep cycle" or "leisure" battery for lots of examples.
They're made for stuff like forklifts, golf buggies, wheelchairs, motorhomes, etc, where power is drawn off without being continuously replenished.
They can handle being discharged right down to near empty and recharged again over and over again.

They'll all be more expensive than an equivalent capacity starter battery, with prices ranging between "Ah Jeasus" and "WTF?"

Muckit

Melodeon wrote: »

Google "deep cycle" or "leisure" battery for lots of examples.
They're made for stuff like forklifts, golf buggies, wheelchairs, motorhomes.....

Or indeed cars...... with amps and subwoofers in the boot harping back to my car days now. An Exide maximma is what l had fitted if l remember rightly.

Timmaay

Melodeon wrote: »

Google "deep cycle" or "leisure" battery for lots of examples.
They're made for stuff like forklifts, golf buggies, wheelchairs, motorhomes, etc, where power is drawn off without being continuously replenished.
They can handle being discharged right down to near empty and recharged again over and over again.

They'll all be more expensive than an equivalent capacity starter battery, with prices ranging between "Ah Jeasus" and "WTF?"

They actually aren't the worst, 65ah one here for 116e, not a huge amount more expensive that an equivalent car battery, however they will take a hell of alot more abuse in terms of charge cycling.

https://www.google.ie/shopping/product/1?q=halfords+leisure+battery&client=ms-android-motorola-rev2&sa=X&biw=360&bih=512&tbs=vw:l,ss:44&prmd=simvn&prds=num:1,epd:3480800290922719464,paur:ClkAsKraX4cPXk3DokbF54dOHY48oiVd_0zFSit4YZPF2HrnwMxKL5OPQJFZxHQAdu2zZ5KfQYlintVIaz1vyGemmq4L_ITvTYZtafnv8tzrDJvr5Ti3r_svUBIZAFPVH73Ip1dw_hFnf2jKzeENdzz2tp86ew,prmr:1,pid:3480800290922719464,cs:1&ved=0ahUKEwjWh47HhvreAhXgThUIHV6vAQYQgjYImwI