Leisure battery expectancy??

[namwaldog]

This may sound like a naive question to some more experienced MH's but what are the signs of leisure batteries running flat?? Is it like a torch whose light gradually dims before going out or does, say, the TV (when running on 12v) switch itself off. I think that the sensible thing is probably to use being at home as a controlled environment and let the lights etc run the battery down but is there a logical sequence of things stopping working?
Our MH has two 100 amp batteries and two large solar panels! but I start to fret a little when we are not on MHU and have watched , say, a two hour DVD on a 19" screen TV. Am I paranoid??

 

[pappajohn]

Just had to replace all four of my hab batteries....but then, they will be around 8 years old.

 

[PeteH]

When it goes..............................Dark, Its Flat!!!! From memory (old, very) you should never let a battery get below 12v (no Load). Modern batteries are more tolerant of deep cycling, however it should not be forgotten that modern equipment often has residual drains (CMOS etc.

Pete

 

[Yorick]

I've run my pair fully flat many times in last few years and still going strong.

Lucas do make good batteries

 

[daveandsan]

Just took a 5 year old Exide Gel out of mine and it seems fine, only took it out because I was fitting a pair.

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[pappajohn]

I've run my pair fully flat many times in last few years and still going strong.

Lucas do make good batteries

Not too bad if you get them on charge ASAP.
Mine were off charge for anything up to 4 months over winter (my fault, turned isolator off) and showed a tad over 5 volts.
30 plus amps going in....plenty gas coming out.
Check after an hour and 8 volts.

Dead, knackered, caput, no good

 

[Yorick]

Not too bad if you get them on charge ASAP.
Mine were off charge for anything up to 4 months over winter (my fault, turned isolator off) and showed a tad over 5 volts.
30 plus amps going in....plenty gas coming out.
Check after an hour and 8 volts.

Dead, knackered, caput, no good

Yup. Got solar panels to put charge straight back in

 

[pappajohn]

Yup. Got solar panels to put charge straight back in

What....you turn your solar off until your batteries are dead ?

 

[DavidG58]

Multiple batteries, whilst giving more power when new, also can confuse when the eventual failure comes along

When I bought our Hymer it was fitted with 2 x gel batteries, both appeared to be completely shot, absolutely no power from anything unless on hook up or engine running

So bought 2 new batteries at £200 each, changed them then happened to check the state of the ones I had taken out, 1 @ 2V (ish) 1 @ 12.8V, absolutely perfect, the failed one had dragged the good one down to a useless total load despite being in good nick, presumably the same could still happen even with 4 batteries, if one is totally done in

In reality both pf mine were 4 years old and changing both together probably made good sense, I did a good job of convincing myself of that anyway

 

[Yorick]

What....you turn your solar off until your batteries are dead ?

No. The fridge killed the batteries. It drew more than the solar provided.

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[pappajohn]

presumably the same could still happen even with 4 batteries, if one is totally done in

Agreed, but I checked each one individually. and as a whole....all around the 5 volt mark.

 

[DavidG58]

Agreed, but I checked each one individually. and as a whole....all around the 5 volt mark.

I wasn't suggesting you got it wrong, just pointing my mistake to others

Although I think changing all together makes sense if old already anyway

 

[pappajohn]

I wasn't suggesting you got it wrong, just pointing my mistake to others

Although I think changing all together makes sense if old already anyway

No problem.
I know what you meant and was just making clear I checked individually