Leisure battery confusion.

hobey

Subject:

Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 04.07.2012 · #1

Hi Craicers.
Can someome please advise if there is a difference between a "leisure" battery and a heavy duty "car" battery.
I got a few prices today and the difference in price is huge. One motorhome dealer wants 275 euro for an Exide clone! Another dealer wants 175euro for a lead acid tractor battery! I got a price of 180euro for a VARTA 019/H3 high performance "car" battery 100A/H. What to do?
I'd appreciate some help. Thanks in advance...............Hobey

condagh

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Subject:

Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 04.07.2012 · #2

I think the difference has something to do with discharge recharge rate, but I bought a 140amp truck starter battery 2 years ago for £75 and used it as the sole leisure battery, and its never let me down, I have it on a split charge system so when we drive it tops up, even used it as starter battery when our s failed. When this one dies I will go back and buy the same thing, its a much better price and does the same job. Cheers Anna

Ally

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Subject:

Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 04.07.2012 · #3

The difference between the two are the plates inside. Car Battery has thick plates for that initial boost when starting, whereas a leisure battery has thinner plates for more power over a longer period. But absolutely nothing wrong with using a car battery if it has the amp hour you require, it might not last as long but great saving in cost.

What you have been quoted seems expensive, I recently got two 110AH leisure batteries for £90 each.

Bob

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Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 04.07.2012 · #4

difference is how they discharge power
car batterry is designed for large dump of power then charge up
leisure is a slow release.
the way it was explained to me was.....leave your car radio on,using your car batterry and it will flatten in an hour, leave it on using leisure batterry and it will take hours to discharge.
it really is worth using leisure battery.
elecsols are about 90 to 110 quid at minute.

Davy

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Subject:

Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 04.07.2012 · #5

Hi Hobey,

Have a read at this link, quite usefull.

http://www.a-tconsulting.co.uk…ttery.html

Davy

Viktor

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Subject:

Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 04.07.2012 · #6

Also check this useful information:

http://www.sterling-power.com/support-faq-2.htm

Swanner

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Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 05.07.2012 · #7

I agree that those prices seem excessive.

I got a 110ah lesiure battery from Halfords for less then half what you've been quoted.

Viktor

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Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 05.07.2012 · #8

If you read Sterling Powers article you will see that buying a battery for around the 110a Halford's Battery price is all you need to be paying. The interesting thing is that if you are using your vehicle every day as I am, {quote from article} 'on a daily use cycle, the standard so called leisure battery (which is a starter battery) will last you as little as 6 – 8 months'. I have found this to be accurate as my leisure battery begins to bow the casing after a couple of months. I've had my van now almost 9 months and have replaced the battery once, but looking at it is due a change again this month. This is simply due to frequent running of the compressor fridge and heating which I am using almost continually.

...

Subject:

Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 05.07.2012 · #9

Hobey. I suggest you go for leisure batteries if you don't use electric hook up a lot.

My 2x elecsol 110 amp leisure batteries cost about £200 over a year ago and have never gone low at all. We leave the iPod connected to the base station running on 12 volt almost all the time we are in the van. If it isn't on the TV is. Lights are on if they are required.

When we bought our van there were two cheap leisure type batteries in it and one of the actually boiled and swole quite badly.

If you use hook up almost all the time the battery is simply completing a circuit and might as well not be there. Any old battery will do. If there was no need for them.

Leisure batteries wouldn't exist

Ally

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Subject:

Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 05.07.2012 · #10

Surely 110 Amp Hours is 110 Amp hours no matter the type of battery?

It's simple..

Quote

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 Motorhome but it is unlikely to work very well in the long term.

If the car battery is a lot cheaper to buy it is an alternative.

The Website Viktor quoted tells it how it is.

...

Subject:

Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 05.07.2012 · #11

Yip. That is correct. Car batteries used as a leisure will probably have a much shorter life.

You may find you need to replace it more often. You could be lucky and get quite a while out of it.

Personally I believe you get what you pay for when it comes to stuff like this.

Ally

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Subject:

Re: Leisure battery confusion.

· Posted: 05.07.2012 · #12

Just to confuse it even more. If you get two 220 amp hour 6 volt batteries and wire them together as 12volt, they last longer than a leisure battery I think, and you still have 220amp hour.

But "nomad1" is the expert on that:)

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