Appledore
Member
My Wetline Leisure Marine battery is on its last legs. Removed from the boat yesterday and only 12.1 volts. I bought it in Alderney 8 years ago, and it's been used mainly as the engine starting battery, although I can swap to 'both' batteries if needs be. I think it has lasted quite well really. Looking on the internet for a good deal I've made note of a replacement at a reasonable price, but reading through the information I came across the following:
" ******** leisure batteries are manufactured to the very highest of standards, but to get the very best performance, and longevity out of your batteries it is well worth following a simple care and maintenance program:
" ******** leisure batteries are manufactured to the very highest of standards, but to get the very best performance, and longevity out of your batteries it is well worth following a simple care and maintenance program:
- Always recharge your battery as soon as you can after use after discharge and keep it as fully charged as possible during long periods of in-activity.
- Please must use Continual Automatic chargers with these batteries such as NUMAX 12V 10A DC Fully Automatic Intelligent Connect & Forget Leisure Battery charger can be left attached to the battery for long periods and will look after your battery at correct state of charge until you need it next.
- Avoid completely discharging your battery (Below 10.5V) as this will reduce its cyclic lifespan.
- When the battery is out of the caravan/motor-homes etc., always store it in a cool, dry and well ventilated place.
- From time to time make sure the terminals are free from dust and dirt, and all connections are sound.
- Please must not use Trickle charge with these batteries.
- An equalizing charge for a 12volt battery required that it be charged with a voltage of at least 14.4 volts for a period of at least one hour once a month, or every 10 discharge cycles. An equalizing charge prevents battery stratification and reduces sulfation, the leading cause of battery failure. Equalizing should be performed when a battery is first purchased (called a freshening charge). Reduced performance can also be an indicator that an equalizing charge is needed.
- All batteries, regardless of their chemistry, will self-discharge. The rate of self-discharge for lead acid batteries depends on the storage or operating temperature. At a temperature of 80 degrees F. A lead acid battery will self-discharge at a rate of approximately 4% a week. A battery with a 125-amp hour rating would self-discharge at a rate of approximately five amps per week. Keeping this in mind if a 125 AH battery is stored for four months (16 weeks) winter without being charged, it will lose 80 amps of its 125-amp capacity. It will also have severe sulfation, which causes additional loss of capacity. Keep your batteries charged while not in use."
