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dazmond

  • Posts: 23569
i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« on: January 07, 2020, 04:14:33 pm »
ive noticed a fault code when shutting down my 9kw diesel heater(3 long flashes)at the end of my day(6 hours with heater running constantly)....this means low power...also (under load) at the end of the day my battery voltage is reading as low as 12.1 where it used to be 12.5......ive only moved my van once today so been parked up for up to 3 hours at a time......

ive also noticed the water is not as hot as usual which indicates insufficient battery power.....

the numax batteries are just over 2 years old and i bench charge them every night plus i have a smart btob charger in the van.....is it just a straight swap?will i have to reset the btob charger?(the module is behind my drivers seat)........cheers lads....
price higher/work harder!

Spruce

  • Posts: 8358
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #1 on: January 07, 2020, 04:28:00 pm »
ive noticed a fault code when shutting down my 9kw diesel heater(3 long flashes)at the end of my day(6 hours with heater running constantly)....this means low power...also (under load) at the end of the day my battery voltage is reading as low as 12.1 where it used to be 12.5......ive only moved my van once today so been parked up for up to 3 hours at a time......

ive also noticed the water is not as hot as usual which indicates insufficient battery power.....

the numax batteries are just over 2 years old and i bench charge them every night plus i have a smart btob charger in the van.....is it just a straight swap?will i have to reset the btob charger?(the module is behind my drivers seat)........cheers lads....

A battery needs to rest for around 4 hours before you do a voltage check to test remaining charge.

I don't know anything about Grippatank's battery to battery charger.
The Sterling unit is programmable. A sealer leisure battery should only be charged at a maximum of 14.2v where a flooded (screw plugs on top to top up the water) can be charged at 14.6v.

I would suggest you ask Grippa as they don't have that info on their site.

Whilst the Webasto is giving you a direction to look in, it could also be a poor supply connection that will also give a low voltage signal. First place to check is the fuse and then the battery terminals.
 
Success is 1% inspiration, 98% perspiration and 2% attention to detail!

The older I get, the better I was ;)

Don Kee

  • Posts: 4850
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #2 on: January 07, 2020, 04:31:47 pm »
As long as you replace with the same batteries (ie size and type) then I should think it’s a straight swap.
Some of the b2b chargers can tell whether it’s a different battery on their own and adjust accordingly if you do go for a different battery type.

You’ve done well to get two years out of the batteries to be fair.
You’d probably get more if you weren’t parked up for as long (as the charger would top up the batteries) but I’d rather the more compact work than an extra few months out of a battery, myself.

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #3 on: January 07, 2020, 04:40:41 pm »

My batteries are over 5 years old running two/three pumps 9 kw boiler  and charged every night and they are still like new , these cheap and nasty ordinary batteries are not suitable for our type of use get a couple of gell 180 amp haze batteries they are brilliant. Your charger might need adjusting though , also some cheap chargers cook the batteries when charging , again a quality charger will charge at a slower rate , that won’t damage the battery , when I was cold I had the batteries you have got and found they lasted about 3-4 years

Jonny 87

  • Posts: 3483
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #4 on: January 07, 2020, 05:17:00 pm »
Daz I replaced my batteries at the end of last year.

It’s just a straight swap. Just make sure your terminals are on nice and tight. (I made that mistake, but Oliver fault found it for me).

I upgraded to over 300 amps of power now so hopefully these last 3 plus years.

An easy option is just to replace with 2 brand new batteries that fit in the same boxes though.
Vision Technician / Visual Engineer /  Vision Enhancement Operative /...........................................................OnlyUseMeWFP AkA Jonny the Windy Wesher

P @ F

  • Posts: 6312
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #5 on: January 07, 2020, 05:17:30 pm »
Daz , rumour has it there’s a chap on here with a heater that only needs a single 105 amp battery , you want to track him down mate as he’s just about to start taking orders
I'm so lazy I'm getting tired of it !

dazmond

  • Posts: 23569
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #6 on: January 07, 2020, 05:59:38 pm »
As long as you replace with the same batteries (ie size and type) then I should think it’s a straight swap.
Some of the b2b chargers can tell whether it’s a different battery on their own and adjust accordingly if you do go for a different battery type.

You’ve done well to get two years out of the batteries to be fair.
You’d probably get more if you weren’t parked up for as long (as the charger would top up the batteries) but I’d rather the more compact work than an extra few months out of a battery, myself.

i think i reduced the life of the batteries the first week i had them fitted as i drained them too much by just relying on the smart split charge relay,they have been great up until the last few days or so.......
price higher/work harder!

zesty

  • Posts: 2324
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #7 on: January 07, 2020, 06:08:01 pm »
Daz , rumour has it there’s a chap on here with a heater that only needs a single 105 amp battery , you want to track him down mate as he’s just about to start taking orders

😁

KS Cleaning

  • Posts: 3896
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #8 on: January 07, 2020, 06:30:45 pm »
ive noticed a fault code when shutting down my 9kw diesel heater(3 long flashes)at the end of my day(6 hours with heater running constantly)....this means low power...also (under load) at the end of the day my battery voltage is reading as low as 12.1 where it used to be 12.5......ive only moved my van once today so been parked up for up to 3 hours at a time......

ive also noticed the water is not as hot as usual which indicates insufficient battery power.....

the numax batteries are just over 2 years old and i bench charge them every night plus i have a smart btob charger in the van.....is it just a straight swap?will i have to reset the btob charger?(the module is behind my drivers seat)........cheers lads....
You’ll be ripping the system out your van next week and telling everyone hot water makes no difference😜😂😂

dazmond

  • Posts: 23569
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #9 on: January 07, 2020, 06:44:40 pm »
ive noticed a fault code when shutting down my 9kw diesel heater(3 long flashes)at the end of my day(6 hours with heater running constantly)....this means low power...also (under load) at the end of the day my battery voltage is reading as low as 12.1 where it used to be 12.5......ive only moved my van once today so been parked up for up to 3 hours at a time......

ive also noticed the water is not as hot as usual which indicates insufficient battery power.....

the numax batteries are just over 2 years old and i bench charge them every night plus i have a smart btob charger in the van.....is it just a straight swap?will i have to reset the btob charger?(the module is behind my drivers seat)........cheers lads....

A battery needs to rest for around 4 hours before you do a voltage check to test remaining charge.

I don't know anything about Grippatank's battery to battery charger.
The Sterling unit is programmable. A sealer leisure battery should only be charged at a maximum of 14.2v where a flooded (screw plugs on top to top up the water) can be charged at 14.6v.

I would suggest you ask Grippa as they don't have that info on their site.

Whilst the Webasto is giving you a direction to look in, it could also be a poor supply connection that will also give a low voltage signal. First place to check is the fuse and then the battery terminals.

fuse fine and terminals are nice and tight spruce,no corrosion(they both sit in battery boxes).......ive just ordered the same numax batteries to swap like for like....£196.36 including VAT and delivery from tanya batteries...i dont think thats too bad......
price higher/work harder!

dazmond

  • Posts: 23569
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #10 on: January 07, 2020, 06:48:00 pm »
Daz I replaced my batteries at the end of last year.

It’s just a straight swap. Just make sure your terminals are on nice and tight. (I made that mistake, but Oliver fault found it for me).

I upgraded to over 300 amps of power now so hopefully these last 3 plus years.

An easy option is just to replace with 2 brand new batteries that fit in the same boxes though.

wow your batteries didnt last long! :o......im sure you had your heater fitted a year after mine was it mate?or did you use your existing battery bank from your old system?

anyway ive just ordered 2 of the same numax batteries to swap like for like


cheers jonny....
price higher/work harder!

Jonny 87

  • Posts: 3483
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2020, 06:51:27 pm »
Daz I replaced my batteries at the end of last year.

It’s just a straight swap. Just make sure your terminals are on nice and tight. (I made that mistake, but Oliver fault found it for me).

I upgraded to over 300 amps of power now so hopefully these last 3 plus years.

An easy option is just to replace with 2 brand new batteries that fit in the same boxes though.

wow your batteries didnt last long! :o......im sure you had your heater fitted a year after mine was it mate?or did you use your existing battery bank from your old system?

anyway ive just ordered 2 of the same numax batteries to swap like for like


cheers jonny....

Grippa added one new battery to my system, so I still had one battery that was a few years old. Then in time the old battery must have been draining power from the new. It’s always best to have both batteries the same age I’ve heard.

I’ve taken the battery from grippa and kept that for the system I have in the pickup.

Replaced it with 2 x 180amp batteries. Little test to see if this makes them last longer. If not, then next time I’ll just replace them with 2 x 115 amp batteries.
Vision Technician / Visual Engineer /  Vision Enhancement Operative /...........................................................OnlyUseMeWFP AkA Jonny the Windy Wesher

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2020, 07:12:32 pm »
Splash and dash what make are your batteries again I need 2 more anytime soon,I charge my batteries but the funny thing is even after charging it powers the heater on and then almost straight away turns off again.
If I turn the heater on while the van is running it starts powers up and then runs all day once it’s going obviously without the van then running,that seems weird if anyone knows why because it still has to go through loads of cycles throughout the day without the van going although I do a fair bit of driving between jobs the split charger wouldn’t put that much back into them,though that shouldn’t matter as they’ve been charged overnight.

P @ F

  • Posts: 6312
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2020, 07:33:29 pm »
It does it on initial start up because you are really pulling amps at that point , during the day if not fully shutting down you are not asking so much of the battery bank .
You should always have the van running when starting the heater up as the alternator will help immensely with the power draw , providing you are b2b or scr that is .
I think Daz does this !
I'm so lazy I'm getting tired of it !

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2020, 07:51:27 pm »
It does it on initial start up because you are really pulling amps at that point , during the day if not fully shutting down you are not asking so much of the battery bank .
You should always have the van running when starting the heater up as the alternator will help immensely with the power draw , providing you are b2b or scr that is .
I think Daz does this !




If you are having to have the engine running to fire the boiler up the battery capacity  isn’t enough , get some decent batteries theses  things most people are using for  there systems are designed for camper vans and motor homes that generally use little power , go to a battery specialist like bbl and ask them , they will tell you they arnt suitable fir the use we give them . Mine are now 5 years old they have run the boiler for over 10,000 hours , run between 2-3 pumps 8 hours a day 5 days a week and are still as good as new .

Splash & dash

  • Posts: 4364
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2020, 07:56:06 pm »
Splash and dash what make are your batteries again I need 2 more anytime soon,I charge my batteries but the funny thing is even after charging it powers the heater on and then almost straight away turns off again.
If I turn the heater on while the van is running it starts powers up and then runs all day once it’s going obviously without the van then running,that seems weird if anyone knows why because it still has to go through loads of cycles throughout the day without the van going although I do a fair bit of driving between jobs the split charger wouldn’t put that much back into them,though that shouldn’t matter as they’ve been charged overnight.




Haze 180 amp heavy duty gell batteries they are about twise the weight of the numax and other cheaper batteries , if you have a bbl batteries near you speak to them that’s where I got mine , they were dearer than normal ones but well worth the bit extra in cost , again you need to be using the correct charger to optimise battery life most get high powerd chargers and think they are doing a great job charging them fast but this kills batteries , a b2 b charger is ok but unless you are doing reasonable mileage they will not be being charged enough and again running them to low will shorten there life quite considerably

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #16 on: January 07, 2020, 08:05:43 pm »
I plug into the side of the van to charge mine I had it fitted by Grippa mains to 3 pin charger.

dazmond

  • Posts: 23569
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #17 on: January 07, 2020, 08:28:11 pm »
i always start the van before firing up the heater first thing in the morning then it stays on all day, the odd time that i let the heater shut down in the day it fires back up no problem with the engine OFF(if i have a brew and dont plug my hose back into the return valves for example)......something doesnt sound right there nigel....your heater shouldnt turn off just because you fired it up without the van running.....
price higher/work harder!

NWH

  • Posts: 16952
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #18 on: January 07, 2020, 10:51:08 pm »
I need new batteries Daz that’s all m8 they are just over 2 years old now Numax I got from Grippa

brianbarber

  • Posts: 995
Re: i think my batteries are on the way out.....
« Reply #19 on: January 07, 2020, 11:25:34 pm »
We have done the following and it helps
Whilst it’s still plugged in to the grippa charger we start the heater, leave it on fir 5 mins, unplug and drive to jobs
I’ve found by using the spare pump (twin 9kw heater fitted) at say a pump setting of 10, it’s constantly recirculating all day and then the heater won’t shut down, which is what sucks a lot of battery juice .
Just my findings
Also daz think your a bit premature with replacing, unless grippa said so....

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