[tam north]

Most guys on this forum seem to have lesuire batteries and need charged every 3 days.(is this norm).

Fitted a second hand battery from scrappy linked to main battery through split relay charger and ran for a week with no problems . Running 2 pumps averaging 6hrs work per day. Will this be ok or what lies ahead.

[Mike #1]

The batteries that need charging 1-3 days are the ones fitted to trolleys which dont last as long as a good lesuire battery mine lasts about 2 weeks before needing charging again . Not sure about ur set up but if it works for you mate no need to change . Mike

[Spruce]

Hi Tam North

I have a 110 amp leisure battery powering my system with a split charge relay.
I have this in a Citroen Relay SWB van with a 150amp alternator.

The reason why we have to charge our leisure batteries regularily is that we mostly don't drive enough miles to put back into the battery what we take out.

Each of my Shurflo pumps draws about 3.4amps with the digital controller setting we use. The battery will accept a recharge of about 10 amps at best, but usually between about 5 - 7.5 amps with a fairly full battery - remember a battery nearing a fully charged state will accept an ever reducing charge until the battery is fully charged.

So if we travel 10 minutes to and from the day's work, a 20 minute charge of 7.5amps (2.5amps) won't come anywhere near replacing the 13.5 amps we have used assuming the pump runs 4 hours.

The split charge relay wiring from the main van battery is protected by a 15 amp fuse which has never blown in the 3 years this system has been in this van. This means that the amps drawn by the leisure battery has never been more that 15 amps even when the battery was flat. If it had then the fuse would have blown.

My son in law has a Ford Transit Connect LWB with the latest Varistream digital controller and he drives around trip of about 30 miles a day and he now manages keep his 85amp leisure battery pretty much fully charged travelling this distance with his split charge relay. (The new digital Varistream draws current even when the controller is switched off, and its only since we have put an isolator switch on the supply to the Varistream that we have been able to achieve this. We estimate that the draw on the battery was about 25 amps over a week.)

Now I'm not sure about a standard starter battery, but I believe it will accept a faster charge than a leisure battery. But again if your split charge relay is protected by a 15 amp fuse as is recommended, then the alternator will not be charging the aux battery higher than that if the fuse has never blown. It would be interesting to put a volt meter across your battery to determine exactly your battery's state of charge. Your controllers will still be working fine with a half charged battery, but won't indefinitely if you are taking out more than you are putting back - so it's all down to amount of time your engine is running.

I have found that my battery will still be charged at the exact same rate whether the engine is reving at 3000 rpm or just idling at traffic lights.

Spruce

[Cliff perkins]

I have a split relay on a 100 amp battery leisure. I found that it doesnt charge my battery enough so i now charge my battery every other night over night. I arrived to work 1 morning with a flat battery so i cant chance it anymOre

[Spruce]

I found that each leisure battery we had to replace after 3 and 4 years service has showed up as being fully charged but with very little capacity. If it's not lasting, then it's time to get a replacement.

This debate over leisure verses starter batteries will go on and on. I'm was tempted to buy a standard replacement battery last time, but opted on a replacement leisure battery in the end. One of the local lads has 2 batteries, one leisure and one starter and he has found over the years that they both perform the same.

If this is right then the starter battery is usually a much cheaper option.

Spruce

[SB Cleaning]

I just get um from the scrappy, does the job at a fraction of the cost

[Window Washers]

I changed from leisure batteries to a good quality car/van battery, they dont seem to like being battered all day everyday

[Spruce]

I changed from leisure batteries to a good quality car/van battery, they dont seem to like being battered all day everyday

Most battery experts support your comment regarding battery applications. They say that a starter battery is designed for short heavy draw requirements such when the starter motor is used. They aren't designed for low continious current draw as our application demands.
 
There never seems to be a question of motorised caravan owners using anything other than a leisure battery for their in-caravan requirements, yet we are window cleaners haven't yet found a powering solution we all unanomously agree on as we each have our own experience.

This is the reason why I chose to stick with the leisure battery option when replacing my last battery 18 months ago. I'm also aware that it is easy to keep repeating what we believe works best for us and fail to see another option that could be better.

Spruce

[Scott Dean]

Had a similar issue with a cheap leisure battery so have just this weekend upgraded to a top end Varta Marine leisure battery much more expensive but seems ok after a test today...

Look on eBay they are on there...

[Tom White]

I bought a hefty 115 Amp leisure battery last year; I have to charge it every night.  It starts off great, but after 300 litres, it's not much cop.

I run two reels from it, each with it's own flow controller; the brands are variflow and cleaning warehouse.

After 300 litres my variflow will play up if I have both on a high flow setting (my preference) and I get a "U" on the dial.  So after the first 300 litres we work with a lower flow rate (still fast enough though).

I'm thinking of getting a car battery and running each pump from it's own battery.

[Window Washers]

I bought a hefty 115 Amp leisure battery last year; I have to charge it every night.  It starts off great, but after 300 litres, it's not much cop.

I run two reels from it, each with it's own flow controller; the brands are variflow and cleaning warehouse.

After 300 litres my variflow will play up if I have both on a high flow setting (my preference) and I get a "U" on the dial.  So after the first 300 litres we work with a lower flow rate (still fast enough though).

I'm thinking of getting a car battery and running each pump from it's own battery.

I don't think you need 1 for each tbh, I have car/van battery with 2 pumps, no problems at all been using it no probs at all (touch wood) this is used all day every day, never charge it either as it a ballache. just get the best amph you can 

[Smudger]

I have just added a 110 leisure to my set-up the 85 just doesn't last for 2 man set-ups - like Spruce will do very little
miles per day + the digi controller needs to be on when filling as their is a solaniod cut out - after all this the battery is
pretty low - linking 2 together should mean we keep cleaning without having to run the van.


Darran

[Dave Willis]

I now run mine from the vans batteries but can swap the power to a leisure battery when required. I plan to alternate between the two to give my vans batteries time to fully charge and by using the leisure battery only two or three days a week I would hope it will last for years.

[tam north]

Now on my second week running 2 pums and controllers from my second battery (£20 from scrappy)) linked to main van battery,will  keep you updated how it goes.
Cheers tam.

[Smudger]

Now on my second week running 2 pums and controllers from my second battery (£20 from scrappy)) linked to main van battery,will  keep you updated how it goes.
Cheers tam.

just remember that as long as the 2nd battery holds it's charge to will be fine - if it cant hold a charge and is wired in parallel with
the 1st you'll drain both batts

Darran