domestic battery recommendations

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niccapotamus

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our domestic battery is dying on our 30 footer our power consumption needs isn't great by some standards as we don't have fridges etc but at some time over the next 12 -18 months i'm going to overhaul the battery systems as we don't anything other than a 240v car charger and the usual rotary switch for the alternator between engine battery and the domestic - we'll end up with some sort of smart charger and a solar panel top up

can you recommend a decent battery please as there are a wealth of makes and prices. Decent without going mad as we aren't off world cruising, albeit that I'm slowly improving the boat so that we'll be able to do some longer cruising in the future (read when we work less!)

ta

nick
 
Try and get a battery that conforms to EN 50342, there's more chance of it being a leisure battery rather than just a re badged starter. Banner, Trojan, Exide and Varta all MAKE leisure batteries.
 
I am looking at the same thing, are the leisure batteries sold by say marine superstore considered the genuine thing? Barden sell a bigger range but without getting totally techy about batteries I am tempted to stick to the basic ones, maybe the sealed type?
 
chubby said:
I am looking at the same thing, are the leisure batteries sold by say marine superstore considered the genuine thing? Barden sell a bigger range but without getting totally techy about batteries I am tempted to stick to the basic ones, maybe the sealed type?
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Now that you can buy a Trojan T105 for about £105, if you need about 220Ah of battery and have space for two batteries, I cant see why anyone would buy anything other than a couple of T105s, (or any multiple of 2 as appropriate.

They are 6v batteries with a capacity of 225Ah, so 2 of them provides 225Ah at 12V.
 
Buy an appropriately sized starter battery. Something for a car will be cheapest and best due to volume sales. Fit a suitable sized domestic deep cycle battery.
You can continue to use your 1,2,both switch but much more preferable is a VSR to automatically charge and isolate domestic battery. Get a vSR with provision for start on domestic battery, fit a simple switch for emrgency start or carry a single jumper lead. good luck olewill
 
sailorman said:
i have DC31 from batterymagastore, these come with a 4 yr warranty & are rebaged imports by many retailers
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I have used some.. sometimes they last the said years, sometimes they do not, but it is a bit of a pain re warranty, imho.. you may as well just buy another after few years.
There was a thead on MOBO with some battery specialist engineer.. she was saying (if I understood) that by the time the battery capacity is up to about 110a/h, there is not alot of difference in use between a leisure and starter/deep cycle.
Incidentally, when I asked battery megastore what the difference was between various batteries they implied the price difference was the warranty cost, not the battery build. The Alphaline are pretty good value, free next day delivery etc. £20 a year for the battery... not your highest expense !
 
macd said:
+1
A recent lengthy and highly informative thread made much of this. In terms of cost per Ah, they're now excellent value, with a solid and deserved reputation for quality.
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+2. I have just fitted T105s and its made a massive difference compared to the so called 'leisure' batteries i used to use.
https://www.tayna.co.uk/T-105-Trojan-Battery-Deep-Cycle-T105-P7253.html

All you will need to do is change the connectors and add a jumper cable. Also make sure you have a few inches of extra height to play with.
 
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As sailorman I have three 125amp/hr dc31 from battery mega store too.
This will be their 4th season on two of them. Cheap and well used so hoping they will see this season out too.
 
I've been looking at battery megastore but can't find the DC31 anywhere. Who is the manufacturer? Also, is there any point in buying a battery with a longer warranty as it strikes me there is probably a 'get out clause' for the supplier such as 'it's installed in a boat so warranty not applicable '.
I'm looking for a 75ahr leisure and a start battery for a single cylinder diesel.
 
I think I've found the answer - Hankook. Gosh its confusing isn't it? They do a smaller one from the dc31 which would seem to suit. Labeled dc24, deep cycle and 4yr warranty. Also looked at the trojan 12v one,which have a good reputation but only 2yr warranty, also a lot more expensive. So the hankook seems the one.
 
ghostlymoron said:
I think I've found the answer - Hankook. Gosh its confusing isn't it? They do a smaller one from the dc31 which would seem to suit. Labeled dc24, deep cycle and 4yr warranty. Also looked at the trojan 12v one,which have a good reputation but only 2yr warranty, also a lot more expensive. So the hankook seems the one.
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The Hankook looks like the Alphaline with a different sticker - i would doubt whether they are true deep cycle. You have already said that warranties are probably not meaningful. Based on reputation, I would pay the extra £30 for the Trojan....
 
ghostlymoron said:
I think I've found the answer - Hankook. Gosh its confusing isn't it? They do a smaller one from the dc31 which would seem to suit. Labeled dc24, deep cycle and 4yr warranty. Also looked at the trojan 12v one,which have a good reputation but only 2yr warranty, also a lot more expensive. So the hankook seems the one.
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The Hankook 31 looks identical to the Alphaline DC31's I have, so I imagine it's the same with a different label. For 76 quid delivered they seem to offer the best bang for buck, and they're just fit and forget, with no maintenance required. I've been using them for a few years with no problems.

For what it's worth, they also have no trouble starting a 5.7l V8 petrol engine.
 
geem said:
Na, they are lightweights! My 200 amp hour domestic batteries weigh 65kg each and I have 4 of them......
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I isolated mine before we splashed, 4 Numax 110 amp leisure from the local farmers place (they use them for electric fences), left for a month disconnected, put a load on them for twenty mins, came up 12.7-8v. They were a bit low on electrolite so topped up with distilled water. Am impressed, considering that I bought two of them in 2008 when I first had Sacha!
S
 
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