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| Leisure batteries and car batteries
- what's the difference? |
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A car battery is designed
to give out a large amount of power in a short space
of time (starting the car) and then being quickly recharged. A
leisure battery on the other hand is designed to store
power and release it over a much longer period of time. Undoubtedly
you can use a car battery in your caravan but it is unlikely
to work very well in the long term. |
| How big? |
| Battery power is measured in amp hours.
The higher this number is the better as this gives you
an idea as to how long it will last. Generally,
leisure batteries are available from 75amp hours to 110amp
hours. A common question is how long will a leisure battery
last for caravanning. The obvious answer, is unhelpfully,
depends how you use it and what for. To give you an idea
as to consumption of caravan equipment running on battery
we have prepared a chart for you to add up how much power
you need. |
| How long will a battery last in reality? |
| If you followed this consumption pattern
and ran a 110 amp hour battery to total discharge you
would it would last just under two days. However,
in reality you would not get this performance for the
following reasons: |
- If you run a leisure battery to total discharge
it would not be as effective.
- Amp hour ratings given to batteries are based on
new batteries and in ideal conditions
|
| We would never recommend totally discharging
a battery ever, ideally you would never let it go below
50%. |
| Calculating battery requirement |
Caravan Equipment |
Wattage rating |
Estimated hours
you will use it without a re-charge |
Total watt hours
e.g. Rating x hours |
Three 8w lights |
24w |
10 hours |
240 watt |
One 10w spotlight |
10w |
12 hours |
10 watt |
Water pump |
50w |
30 mins |
25 watts |
Colour TV |
50w |
10 hours |
500 watts |
|
If you add up the total
watts used e.g. 240 + 10 + 25 + 500 = 775 watts
To work out the total number of amp
hours you divide by the voltage
(12v) 775 watts /12 volts = 64.5 amp hours. |
| Preserving the life of your battery. |
| There are a number of ways to keep your
battery working longer: |
- Switch off all appliances when they are not being
used
- Avoid using high drain appliances such as televisions
etc
- Keep your battery regularly topped up.
- Consider a battery charging device (see below)
|
| A guide to caravan voltage meters |
| If your caravan has a volt meter fitted,
if not a simple volt meter will suffice, you can check
your batteries condition using the following guide. Even
though batteries are rates at 12v a fully charged battery
will give out nearer 13v (see guide below) |
Voltage shown on voltmeter |
Guestimate of battery condition |
12.7v or higher |
Fully charged |
12.5v |
Three quarters charged |
12.4v |
Half charged |
12.2v |
A quarter charged |
12v or lower |
Empty |
|
| Battery Charging |
| There are a number of devices on the market
that will trickle charge your battery. The most
environmentally friendly versions are solar powered or
wind powered. Other alternatives are a generator
or to use the power in your car battery. Although
be careful not to drain your car battery - so it is only
really advisable to do this while the car is being driven. |
| Winter lay up |
| Our advice is to remove your battery from
your caravan when you lay up your caravan. Make
sure you keep it charged over the winter to ensure it
is in good condition next time you want it. |
| When removing your battery always disconnect
the positive first (red) and then negaive. Connecting
your battery you should connect the negative terminal
first (black wire) and then positive. Always switch
everything off first to prevent sparks etc. |
| Battery Types |
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Flooded: These
are so called wet batteries, filled with sulphuric
acid. They are manufactured with lead plates which
are designed to handle high starting capacity for
automotive use, or plates designed tor deep cycle
leisure use, but Not both. Even leisure types can
be easily damaged by deep discharge. |
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Carbon Fibre: The Elecsol range
are a type of flooded battery with carbon fibre
reinforced lead plates. This gives more power for
less weight and better cycling performance. Unlike
normal leisure batteries, they offer dual purpose,
both deep cycle for leisure use and high starting
capacity for automotive use. |
 |
GEL: The Exide GEL range are
absolutely maintenance free, clean and environmentally
friendly with no release of acid vapours. Extremely
low gassing for use in closed compartments. Constant
cold cranking performance over the entire service
life. Minimal self discharge. Extremely high cycling
capability. 1 00 % leak proof. Deep discharge proof.
Unlike normal leisure batteries, they offer dual
purpose, both deep cycle for leisure use and high
starting capacity for automotive use. |
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