Clean It Up

UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: mikeyfaerosyth on March 15, 2014, 08:34:05 am

Title: batteries and relays advice
Post by: mikeyfaerosyth on March 15, 2014, 08:34:05 am
Ok,so been wfp 4 years now,all work is within about 3 miles,

 do about three and a half thousand miles a year,

Started with 85 amp leisure battery,had to take in every couple weeks to charge because of short mileage.

Then had a big battery out  of 3 litre jag,lasted over 6 months before I needed to take out van and charge.

Bought a numax 110 amp leisure battery about 6 or 8 months ago,its not charging,get 18 hours work out of it,may take a charge in the summer months but is too heavy for me to carry in to charge.

So got a 90 amp battery of gumtree,genuine bmw,unused the guy said,£55.

This battery is great,not had to take out and charge yet.

Think car batterys take a higher charge rate so more suited to short journey charging.

So the moral of the story is get a split relay,mines was about £20 4 years ago and fitted myself,easy,and dont buy a leisure battery if you do short miles get a car battery.




Split relays do work if you dont do many miles.

Title: Re: batteries and relays advice
Post by: Clever Forum Name on March 15, 2014, 08:43:50 am
One thing i wont be skimping on is batteries on my next van 3 x 125AH one for each pump and a spare one in the middle. NOM NOM NOM
Title: Re: batteries and relays advice
Post by: robert mitchell on March 15, 2014, 09:50:37 am
Ok,so been wfp 4 years now,all work is within about 3 miles,

 do about three and a half thousand miles a year,

Started with 85 amp leisure battery,had to take in every couple weeks to charge because of short mileage.

Then had a big battery out  of 3 litre jag,lasted over 6 months before I needed to take out van and charge.

Bought a numax 110 amp leisure battery about 6 or 8 months ago,its not charging,get 18 hours work out of it,may take a charge in the summer months but is too heavy for me to carry in to charge.


So got a 90 amp battery of gumtree,genuine bmw,unused the guy said,£55.

This battery is great,not had to take out and charge yet.

Think car batterys take a higher charge rate so more suited to short journey charging.

So the moral of the story is get a split relay,mines was about £20 4 years ago and fitted myself,easy,and dont buy a leisure battery if you do short miles get a car battery.




Split relays do work if you dont do many miles.


I have been saying this on every battery post but people seem stuck with the idea you must use a leisure battery.

A big car battery is in my opinion much better .
Title: Re: batteries and relays advice
Post by: SeanK on March 15, 2014, 11:27:58 am
Its just the luck of the draw you can get a good or bad battery leisure or not.
I use a 85 ah Platinum leisure which works for about 6 months on the split charger alone.
After that I charge it at the end of the day and get another couple of years before changing.
I charge it in the van with a Halfords smart charger 2 hours and its fully charged.
As soon as I don't get a full days work from it I change it.
Don't really worry too much about batteries as they cost less that a fill of diesel to replace.