dazmond

  • Posts: 23601
why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« on: April 09, 2013, 05:12:22 pm »
i bought a new pumpbox around 5 months ago now with 12v lead acid leisure battery.

i charge it every night for around 3 hours until the intelligent charger shows a green light(meaning battery fully charged and maintaining)then i pop it back in pumpbox ready for the next days work.

anyway both today and yesterday the controller is flashing BAT 10.8 after around 5 hours working time and pump keeps kicking in periodically! >:( >:(

i had the whole of last week off but when i checked battery on sun night it was still showing a full charge!

im gonna leave battery on charge all night tonight even when the green light comes on and see how i go on tomorrow.

my last leisure battery lasted 2 and a half years before it finally needed replacing!


any ideas guys?? ??? ??? ???


frustrating as i wanted to get a bit more work done today and i have a busy few days ahead of me!!


thanks in advance



dazmond
price higher/work harder!

DG Cleaning

  • Posts: 1726
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #1 on: April 09, 2013, 05:14:23 pm »
Scrapyard make sure you get one off a nice big diesel. ;D

MATT BATEMAN (OWC)

  • Posts: 1821
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #2 on: April 09, 2013, 05:15:09 pm »
What are your charging connections like on the battery terminals?

Clean them and reconnect with vaseline coating them. If not that hows the charger?

♠Winp®oClean♠

  • Posts: 4085
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #3 on: April 09, 2013, 05:17:02 pm »
i bought a new pumpbox around 5 months ago now with 12v lead acid leisure battery.

i charge it every night for around 3 hours until the intelligent charger shows a green light(meaning battery fully charged and maintaining)then i pop it back in pumpbox ready for the next days work.

anyway both today and yesterday the controller is flashing BAT 10.8 after around 5 hours working time and pump keeps kicking in periodically! >:( >:(

i had the whole of last week off but when i checked battery on sun night it was still showing a full charge!

im gonna leave battery on charge all night tonight even when the green light comes on and see how i go on tomorrow.

my last leisure battery lasted 2 and a half years before it finally needed replacing!


any ideas guys?? ??? ??? ???


frustrating as i wanted to get a bit more work done today and i have a busy few days ahead of me!!


thanks in advance



dazmond

You need a new battery. I wouldn't waste any more time, once it's gone it's gone in my experience regardless of whether it shows a full charge or not. ;) Buy the very best & highest Ah you can get.

Dave Willis

Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #4 on: April 09, 2013, 05:21:54 pm »
mine only used to last around nine months - it's probably the nightly charge that wrecks them. They only take so many cycles. Might even last longer if they were charged every other night. Got fed up replacing them in the end and have run off the van battery for the last year with no problems.

dazmond

  • Posts: 23601
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #5 on: April 09, 2013, 05:25:31 pm »
matt the charger is a halfords one 5 months old.its not a cheap one either!specifically for all types of batteries including leisure batteries.

the crocodile clip on one of the negative connection from the controller is a bit corroded.these clips look rubbish!cheap and nasty!!there is also a bit of corrosion on one of the battery terminals.ill clean em and grease them and see how i go on.

cheers.

winpro do leisure batteries give up the ghost after just 5 months  sometimes?very disappointed if they do!! >:( >:(
price higher/work harder!

dazmond

  • Posts: 23601
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #6 on: April 09, 2013, 05:26:44 pm »
would a standard car battery do?thought you were only supposed to use leisure batteries?? ??? ??? ???
price higher/work harder!

robertphil

  • Posts: 1511
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2013, 05:30:37 pm »
most car batteries have a 2 ,3 or 4 yr warranty. dunno about leisure battery though

Tom White

Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #8 on: April 09, 2013, 05:36:19 pm »
With these more complex flow controllers you need to have a battery in top nick.

We don't use a flow controller and one of the batteries we use is coming upto two years old and I charge it every two days, though when I used a flow controller it played up, so we bought another battery and used that.

When that flow controller knacked I never replaced it and the old battery works fine.

DG Cleaning

  • Posts: 1726
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2013, 05:37:51 pm »
A battery is a battery leisure might be better as long as the pump spins it doesn't matter what you use.
I found an old battery in my shed I've been using since August with no problems.
 A lot of people wire straight through to the van battery.  ;D

DG Cleaning

  • Posts: 1726
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2013, 05:41:10 pm »
With these more complex flow controllers you need to have a battery in top nick.

We don't use a flow controller and one of the batteries we use is coming upto two years old and I charge it every two days, though when I used a flow controller it played up, so we bought another battery and used that.

When that flow controller knacked I never replaced it and the old battery works fine.

Good point Tosh I didn't consider the fact that I don't use a controller = less problems.
I still managed 29 houses the other day on less than 400L ;D

MATT BATEMAN (OWC)

  • Posts: 1821
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2013, 05:47:42 pm »
matt the charger is a halfords one 5 months old.its not a cheap one either!specifically for all types of batteries including leisure batteries.

the crocodile clip on one of the negative connection from the controller is a bit corroded.these clips look rubbish!cheap and nasty!!there is also a bit of corrosion on one of the battery terminals.ill clean em and grease them and see how i go on.

cheers.

winpro do leisure batteries give up the ghost after just 5 months  sometimes?very disappointed if they do!! >:( >:(

My connections from the charger are made by removing the crappy crocodile clips and splicing the chargers wires, so about 2 inches is exposed. Then I ensure its connected securely to the terminals by screwing a jubilee clip over the battery terminals with the charger wires clamped in between the jubilee clip and terminal.

Dave Willis

Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2013, 05:49:17 pm »
The problem is the battery takes the charge but doesn't hold it as long as it used to. I've taken every battery I've had back under warranty and they put it on charge and say there's no problem with it.

Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2013, 06:18:07 pm »
Take a look at you tube on Restoring batteries.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UY_Wrxl0Rc


TomCrowther

  • Posts: 1965
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #14 on: April 09, 2013, 06:18:46 pm »
Trojan batteries are a good buy. Guaranteed for ten thousand charges.

Mike #1

  • Posts: 4668
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #15 on: April 09, 2013, 06:30:09 pm »
Dazmond you are better off not charging every night i only charge my leisure when the it gets down to 11.7 had my first battery from August 2011 till Feb 2013 got from cleaning spot with my Streambox .

The crocodile clips are not great as they can disconnect easily i put some insulating tape around mine not long after i got Streambox and have had no problems since

Now got a Halfords 65ah Leisure battery with 2yr warranty . Mike

brianbarber

  • Posts: 995
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #16 on: April 09, 2013, 07:28:39 pm »
I had a problem like this,
After it ran flat two days on trot, I ordered another battery....

But discovered the black wire on the charger to the battery, wih croc clip on, was in fact breaking down, so I spent out for nothing....

Also, leisure batteries all have a shelf life, the guy at pure freedom was telling me.
So if you've been unlucky and it Watson a shelf for two years before being sold to you, maybe that is what's possibly happened.

Mr B
If in doubt.....Leave it out !!

Diamond standard ltd

  • Posts: 236
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #17 on: April 09, 2013, 07:43:25 pm »
Do you know any one with a battery drop tester??? Or take it to a garage to if out if its gone.

dazmond

  • Posts: 23601
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #18 on: April 09, 2013, 08:01:14 pm »
cheers guys gonna take it to a local garage first thing.if battery knackered they sell leisure batteries as well.

its on my way to work!very handy! ;D ;D
price higher/work harder!

richywilts

  • Posts: 4261
Re: why is my battery only lasting 5 hrs?
« Reply #19 on: April 09, 2013, 08:06:58 pm »
get a solar panel on top of ya van
Richard Wiltshire
Window Clean Direct

richardwiltshire36@yahoo.co.uk
www.windowcleandirect.co.uk
07894821844