Does second leisure battery have to be new one?

[two]

I don’t know how ‘intelligent’ chargers decide how to control their charging regime, but assume they monitor the voltage. If the batteries in a bank are not similar (condition or construction), the measured voltage may not be particularly indicative of their state of charge and the charge provided may be less than ideal.

Dissimilar batteries are likely to require different charging cycles, so it seems likely that putting them together in a bank will compromise the ability to charge one or both of them correctly and affect their lifespan.

 

[autorouter]

This advice of not mixing old and new batteries came about I think because people often consider a second battery because the original is old and failing. That's not the case for the OP, who simply wants more energy storage, and his original battery is still good.

The original is an AGM, so it's best if the second battery is an AGM too.

 

[Maddogontour]

Thank you to everyone for their advice
I think I might get just one new battery( the same as the one I’ve already got? ) and see what happens!!!!
Anyone going the next AGM?

 

[Wildbill]

I have used batterys from the Scrapyard's for years with no problems
I currently have a 180 ah lorry battery
I am fitting x2 mobility deep cycle batterys in to the systems on other side of the van connecting every thing with heavy duty welding cabile
I will give me 380ah when the all the lights are on drawing abut 7a
Bill

 

[Minxy]

I have used batterys from the Scrapyard's for years with no problems
I currently have a 180 ah lorry battery
I am fitting x2 mobility deep cycle batterys in to the systems on other side of the van connecting every thing with heavy duty welding cabile
I will give me 380ah when the all the lights are on drawing abut 7a
Bill

You going to have a disco in there Bill with all that lighting and power for the record decks etc????

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[tonyidle]

The ONLY disadvantage in mixing batteries of different ages is that if one dies before the other there is a possibility that the dying battery could be driven to overheat and gas excessively by the remaining good battery. Still a fairly remote possibility that could still happen with perfectly matched batteries.

 

[joka250]

I
The only thing I would add is to suggest removing existing battery and bench charge, do same with 2nd battery to achieve same level of charge or very close then fit both. Isolate solar charging before rremoval. I'm sure there will be a queue to say not necessary but I like to achieve balance if possible.

 

[The Wino]

Good to see this am looking at getting a second battery was going to replace both (old 4 years old) but might try just one. Isn't the bad one ruining a good one arguement not fixed by petting a fuse in the connecting lead between the batteries so if one drastically fails the fuse goes?

 

[chaser]

the thing everyone forgets is motorhomes move about , its what they are for, then the batterys are charged by the alternater to whatever is right, solar is only an addon , if it doesnt charge the batterys to whatever is supposed to be full, the engine soon will.

 

[Geo]

You going to have a disco in there Bill with all that lighting and power for the record decks etc????

Bills Decks are Gas and only play Garage Music

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[John.]

If it's ok to add add a new 2nd battery to the system how about the onboard charger?
Will that only see one battery and work as normal?

 

[Wildbill]

If it's ok to add add a new 2nd battery to the system how about the onboard charger?
Will that only see one battery and work as normal?

Yes

 

[Wildbill]

Only thing abut charging and batterys use one of those old fashioned chargers that desulfat the batterys I have resuverd many batterys with my 1970s charger
When ever I see a old fashioned charger I buy it
Another tip don't run with light on in day time
That way you get 14v or more this helps to convert sulfate back to sulfuric acid
Moderns chargers are constricted to make batterys fail through sulfate keeps battery sales up
Bill

 

[two]

Good to see this am looking at getting a second battery was going to replace both (old 4 years old) but might try just one. Isn't the bad one ruining a good one arguement not fixed by petting a fuse in the connecting lead between the batteries so if one drastically fails the fuse goes?

I don’t think so, but you can get a fancy electronic device to put between dissimilar batteries and stop them affecting one another. The fact that such a device exists suggests that it is a recognised issue and one worth addressing this way.

Close monitoring (but who really does this?) might avert a prematurely failing battery from taking companions with it but I believe that other batteries in the bank would be damaged by the effect. Rather than add a new one now, I’d run the old one until it becomes unserviceable (or sell it to another Funster who could make better use of it) and then refresh the lot. An opportunity would then exist to consider a different technology, also.

It’s no bad thing to attempt to get every last ounce (Amp) out of something before discarding it but the economies of doing so by combining an aging battery with a brand new one seem dubious to me. I imagine that this is something we’ll never have a definitive answer to, however.

 

[Minxy]

Bills Decks are Gas and only play Garage Music

I thought it would have been Mike and the Mechanics' stuff ....

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[John.]

Thanks Bill

That's the one thing we really need is more battery storage as the fridge really hammers the 110a we have.
Fine whilst on hook up or the suns out so I'll get another one fitted.

 

[two]

Only thing abut charging and batterys use one of those old fashioned chargers that desulfat the batterys I have resuverd many batterys with my 1970s charger
When ever I see a old fashioned charger I buy it
Another tip don't run with light on in day time
That way you get 14v or more this helps to convert sulfate back to sulfuric acid
Moderns chargers are constricted to make batterys fail through sulfate keeps battery sales up
Bill

I have used a ‘MegaPulse’ device to prevent battery sulphation, but was not convinced it did anything. There were wonderful claims made about it being able to rejuvenate ‘dead’ batteries (of which I had plenty) but I was never that lucky.

Like so many things, it’s easy to be persuaded that something works but not so easy to prove. If you take precautions against something and the event doesn’t happen, it may not be due to those precautions.

I think that sulphation is the major enemy of batteries. Having disassembled many in pursuit of Lead, it seems that all of mine were affected by it. But now we’re drifting away from the subject of marrying batteries of similar age and gender…

EDIT: I'm not sure that the companies producing chargers have an interest in battery sales, but like the conspiracy idea.

 

[Pausim]

LiFePO4 solves most of the above issues but can cause severe sulphation of the bank account.