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Looking After Your Leisure Battery

First of all, what is a leisure battery!

There are two main types of battery:-

1. Standard car battery

2. Leisure battery for marine, caravan or such things as solar power

Although it is not impossible to use either battery in any of the
above situations, the leisure battery has been designed to supply
power over a long period of Time, whereas the standard car battery is
designed to produce a high power over a very short time.

The leisure battery also has the greater ability to constantly
discharge and recharge compared to the standard car battery. This is
known as deep cycling, although the battery shapes are similar they
should not be interchanged on a permanent basis.

Battery Construction

The two battery types are similar in construction, they mainly have
six cells filled with sulphuric acid which is topped up with distilled
water. The main construction material is Polypropylene for the casing.
The cells each have a set of lead plates and during the recharging and
discharging process each plate expands and contracts. Unlike the car
battery has good cell separation which helps contain the active
materials and prolongs the battery life.

Sulphuric acid fills the voids in each of the cells and is used as a
conductor between the cell plates. As the cells discharge the density
of the acid decreases reducing the ability of the plates to produce
electricity. Obviously the recharging process reverses the condition.

Battery Life

The predicted life of a battery very much depends on it's use, by
regularly inspecting for electrolyte levels (top up with distilled
water if not a maintenance free type) and state of charge. It is also
worth cleaning the battery around the terminals and ensuring that the
area is grease free, clean any white deposits from the terminals with
warm water and coat the terminals with a petroleum jelly such as
Vaseline or a better product specifically for the purpose. ALWAYS WEAR
PROTECTIVE CLOTHING - BATTERIES CONTAIN ACID AND ANY SPILLAGE WILL
DAMAGE YOUR CLOTHES AND BURN YOUR SKIN. Never totally discharge a
battery as it is unlikely to be able to recharge it back to it's
original state. In practice it is best not to let the battery
discharge to less than 85% of it's capacity. Using a direct current
voltmeter check the state of charge. 12.7 volts or above indicates a
fully charged 12v battery, 12.3 volts means it is approximately half
charged and anything less than 11.8 volts means it is very flat and
may not recover.

Another way of checking the battery condition is to test the
electrolyte in the cells using a hydrometer. A reading of less than
1.1 indicates a discharged battery, at 1.28 the battery is fully
charged. During a long lay up period store the battery in a dry place
(not on the garage concrete floor) but on a strong suitable bench and
charge up at least once a month.

Safety and Care Check List

Avoid naked lights or electric sparks when inspecting or topping up

Remove the negative terminal first

Ensure the battery is securely fixed

Use gloves, protective clothing and goggles when cleaning and topping
up

Never smoke near a battery or when maintaining

Turn off battery charger and disconnect mains electricity before
moving battery

Always use proper clamping clips on battery terminals

Ensure battery venting is clear and properly positioned if a pipe is
supplied

If you have any additional information to add to this article please
post your information here - thanks

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