Clean It Up
UK Window Cleaning Forum => Window Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: traps7 on January 28, 2010, 08:08:52 pm
-
Hi guys.
My 110 amp leisure leisure battery is about 8 months old and up until last week was lasting me 5 days work no problem. But for the last 2 weeks it has only lasted 3 or 4 days before needing charging. I havn't increased my flow or changed anything. The water covers the plates in every cell and the little looking eye still shows green.
It doesn't go completely flat, just flat enough for the pump controller to flash 'bat' and cut the pump on and off.
Have had to rig a backup via the cigar socket for when it lets me down.
I don't really want to have to charge midweek when it's been working fine for 8 months.
Any ideas anyone?
-
Assuming your pump/controller system draws 7 amps, a 110ah battery in perfect condition will operate the system for 15.7 hours from fully charged.
Do the maths - is yours performing well?
-
Check that your charger is not set on heigh or quick charge e.g. 8 amps this will reduce the life of a battery also never place a battery on a cold cement floor or a van floor rather a piece of wood,Batteries do no like cold serfices.
-
have your battery load tested by you local garage,this will show if its duff and takes only a second or so to test
-
the cold can nacker it , get a new one and be done with it
-
No I never quick charge it. It charges on a 3 amp trickle on a wooden bench in my garage.
I'll call in somewhere tomorrow and get it tested.
Ian I don't get what you're saying? Do you mean I'd only get 15.7 hours out of it? I know I do more hours than this in a week and it had always lasted a week.
-
Hi guys.
My 110 amp leisure leisure battery is about 8 months old and up until last week was lasting me 5 days work no problem. But for the last 2 weeks it has only lasted 3 or 4 days before needing charging. I havn't increased my flow or changed anything. The water covers the plates in every cell and the little looking eye still shows green.
It doesn't go completely flat, just flat enough for the pump controller to flash 'bat' and cut the pump on and off.
Have had to rig a backup via the cigar socket for when it lets me down.
I don't really want to have to charge midweek when it's been working fine for 8 months.
Any ideas anyone?
Over time it will loose performance but if your not charging it on a very regular basis then your only going to ever get a short life span from it.
Ian is correct with his calculations and if you've been getting longer from your battery then it tells me your hammering it, I charge mine everyday and its lasted me for years, take it indoors during real cold snaps.
-
You should not leave it part charged for 4-5days before topping it up. Batteries like to be fully charged at all times so you should be doing it more often. They still don't last long even then.
-
I have two batteries and charge them up daily,I always have a spare in the van,at the end of the day I take the one that was in use out and put the spare one in for the next day,when that is done I charge the other one over night and put it in the van the next morning,this way you you will never be caught out and only takes a minute to do :D
5 days............................ :o :o :o :o ??? ??? ??? ??? :o :o,now thats pure lazyness ;D ;D ;D
-
All week :o
Mate, I have a 110 battery and never get a full week out of it. Lucky if it last 2 or 3 days ::)
Bob
-
I have a 110 and is charged either every day or every other at most
-
my 110 lasted 3-ish days from full charge, now i run a split charge system, and it never needs a charge. works well for me, as a lot of my work needs a bit of a drive to get to.
-
As Jeff Say's your not charging it often enough.
If you want to make a battery last then ideally you should charge it up fully when it's half empty. Get yourself a meter, and when you get a reading of 12.05 volts it's half empty and want's charging.
Running a battery down like you have been doing will knacker it in no time.
-
I charge mine every night aswell - your charger should be an intelligent one so shouldnt over charge it ;)
-
Ok thanks guys.
I'm gonna try and fit a split charge relay at the weekend and then bench charge the battery at weekends maybe.
How does that sound?
-
I am posting via blackberry so takes ages to search, but I posted a thread a while back recommending a decent company to get split charge system from.
Mine is an intelligent charger system. Well advised to research these before buying.
I don't need to charge mine ever.
-
ok thanks. Will do.
-
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Just thought I would pass on a name of someone who has been most helpful when supplying me my split charge system:
www.rawcomponents.co.uk
Steve is the guy I dealt with, and certainly knows his stuff.
The kit comes with superb diagrams and THE most simple instructions, even I can't go wrong.
Hope he will be of use to someone on here.
-
Ok thanks guys.
I'm gonna try and fit a split charge relay at the weekend and then bench charge the battery at weekends maybe.
How does that sound?
Thats fine but I have a split relay on mine and it does'nt make any difference,I don't drive far enough between jobs do justify it working,don't know why I bothered now :(
-
I got through 3 batteries in a year and a half, then I just wired the pump straight to the van battery 8 months or so ago.
Never had a single problem since. ;)
-
I got through 3 batteries in a year and a half, then I just wired the pump straight to the van battery 8 months or so ago.
Never had a single problem since. ;)
Till one day when you've done 7 hours straight without moving the van and suddenly the van won't start :P
You won't know your van battery is on the way out till this happens, then it's too late.
-
I got through 3 batteries in a year and a half, then I just wired the pump straight to the van battery 8 months or so ago.
Never had a single problem since. ;)
Till one day when you've done 7 hours straight without moving the van and suddenly the van won't start :P
You won't know your van battery is on the way out till this happens, then it's too late.
7 hours in one place? Most I ever do is an hour or so.
Ask Dave Morris if he's had any problems this way.
-
When I looked at Concept20 set up a couple of years ago, they ran their unit off the van battery. I was quite surprised at the time. The Express Cleaning guy who demonstrated it didn't seem concerned.
-
Ok seeing as I already have a leisure battery I think I'll go for a split charge relay this time. When this battery dies I may connect straight to vehicle battery then.
I'm still a bit confused though.
I understand the intelligent relays are best but after looking at various sites I still don't understand the amps. I looked at the site posted by concept but seems a bit pricey and maybe overkill in terms of connectors ,sleeving etc.
I'm quite handy so just want the basic kit but don't know which one. I don't do many miles between jobs if that helps.
Would something like this do?:
http://www.brocott.co.uk/towbar-electrics/towbar-wiring-relays/intelligent-self-switching-split-charge-relay-kit-12v-30amp-p-848.html
I'd appreciate your help anyone.
-
yeps that will be fine but get a bigger amp one if you can.
its the exact same relay as i have in my split charge system.
very easy to wire up with little auto electrics knowledge needed.
idealy in the future you should't be discharging you batter no more than 75% max and 50% is better.
the split charge will help alot but your have to do some mile for to have a good effect. the engine will have to first fully charge the main starter battery and then it will switch over and to the leisure battery.
so most mornings it could take 10-15 mins driving before it even starts to charge your other battery and then it will only be giving you 30amps charge per hour. so that could be 2 hours driving to recharge a half empty battery
ian
-
Ok thanks.
I can't seem to find a bigger amp one and seeing as I don't know much about them and don't want to go poking about in my alternator wiring I'm gonna phone www.rawcomponents.co.uk on Monday I think as suggested by Concept and speak to them.
Hopefully I'll get an intelligent kit so I can wire straight to my vehicle battery and will have a lot more amps.
Just seems a bit expensive that's all. But I've bought cheap stuff before and it often doesn't pay.
Thanks for all your help guys.
-
traps, the chap there is so knowledgeable, he will tell you all about the cheaper kits. what you get, is quality...i was like you, dubious about costs, but i have scrimped on a few bits in this game, and fed up with it. let us know how you get on.
-
Traps,
raw components are good but they are a bit expensive.
a 50amp kit will cost over £70 posted
the 30 amp kit you listed will be enough for keeping you new battery topped up in between a full charge at weekend. plus it is intelligent so very very easy to wire.
ian
-
Update....
I spoke to rawcomponents last week and ordered the 50 -70 amp intelligent kit. I've fitted it and it seems to be working fine so far. I will update you in a month or so.
I've gotta say though, although I found them very helpful, with hindsight £80 odd for the kit does seem expensive and having now fitted it, I think I coud've bought the individual parts much cheaper at a Motor Factors, maybe with the exception of the relay itself as I take it that's the bit that makes it intelligent, and I didn't want to go poking around for a wire on my alternator.
-
It's not cheap, and yes you could buy it cheaper, however, the connections are crimped well, and heat shrunk well, if you take into account the tools and time, it's a fair price for a plug and play solution.
My 110a has only been charged once, briefly after a few days of having the s/c system fitted, as I wanted to check how good it was. had it on about 10 weeks now, and not charged it after the first few days.
-
I think my battery is on its last legs, lucky if I get a days work out of it!
I normally charge it up every night. it is a HD Deisel battery. I have been using it for 12 months.
Matt
-
It's not cheap, and yes you could buy it cheaper, however, the connections are crimped well, and heat shrunk well, if you take into account the tools and time, it's a fair price for a plug and play solution.
Maybe. But I borrowed a crimping tool from a friend as they want £25 extra for a pair, the connectors themselves are pence from a motor factor, the heatshrinking could be done just as well with electrical tape and even thick 10mm elecctrical cable is only a few quid. Add a bit of fancy cable sheething I didn't use and a few inline fuses and like I said, apart from the relay itself, at £80 delivered it just seems overpriced to me.
But hey, I got it now and it's working. That's the main thing.
And I am grateful for all your help. Thanks.
-
if you have a lot of work close together and doing short trips then it will not last then it would not be worth haveing a trickle charge unit you need to have 2 types of trick units one from battrie and alternator with 2 battries in the back and then you will always have power just cost more to set up......
-
I hardly ever work more than 6 miles away and my battery has never been any problem.
-
All batteries sulphate up over time from the bottom up - you can delay this by keeping the battery relatively warm and topped up with charge on a daily basis. But after a year or two or three they will lose charge and die.
My 110 is dying and this cold spell signed it's death knell. Since Xmas I start off with my old battery which lasts until about 200 litres have been pumped and then I swap to the new one. I just carry my new replacement battery in the van so as to get every last ounce out of the old one and prolong the life of the new one.