House Batteries

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fireball

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We are going to replace the house batteries onboard as they are showing signs of their age and although the lights work ok they're not firing up the more voltage sensitive equipment ...

So - sizing ...
Given that we've got space for 2 large batteries, we're looking to run - Fridge, Radar, Wheel Autopilot, Windlass (with engine only usually) + the normal Nav gear.
We normally only have the engine for charging - except when we visit a marina when we can plug the charger in ...

So - what size batteries should we go for? 2 x 110? 2 x 130?
 
When faced with a similar situation ( my domestic failed and pulled down stereo and chartplotter before the lights went dim) I created space for a second to be wired up in parallel.

Tho' I had room for 2x 130aH my local wholesaler could only deliver 2x110 maintenance free; larger meant acid + hygrometer + distilled water and all that stuff.
No contest.
 
The larger the capacity the longer the charge time, this applies to total amp hours, not the size of the individual batteries.

So, 2 x 110 = 220 amp hrs.

This might lead to longer recharge times, more fuel and engine hours, more service of engine.

I suspect a couple of good solar panels will make a word of difference.

Avagoodweekend......
 
All the posters have valid opinions, however the decision for what batteries to go for is fraught with subsidiary challenges.

If you only use the boat occasionally and know you are slapdash, go for the sealed batteries. Personally I have no time for them having found them consistently inferior in performance to conventional wet batteries, neither accepting charge as readily or giving it up readily. They also need a higher voltage to charge successfully.

If you do go for larger "wet" batteries they will need more charging time, without a smart charger they'll probably not get that, and they will need regular checking of the electrolyte.

Whatever batteries you get go for industrial (or golf-cart) batteries, they'll stand the slow, deep discharge and rapid recharge far, far better than so-called leisure batteries (which term appears to me to be an attempt to justify an uneconomically high price rather than anything else).

There is a piece of commonsense in oldsaltoz's advice, though the benefit of solar panels is hampered by UK's climate, they are probably the "best" way of keeping your batteries up to scratch in the absence of shorepower.
 
ta ... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I was thinking along the lines of solar panel - would prefer wind charger, but it's not so practical to fit ...
I've been trawling the web for batteries ... can't find anything particularly enthawling ...
 
[ QUOTE ]
I was thinking along the lines of solar panel - would prefer wind charger, but it's not so practical to fit ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Fitting a windmill might provide more power if the weather comments I read here are even near right.

However, after delivering a very nice 45 footer almost the length of the east coast of Oz, I can assure you I was convinced I would never install one.

There can be no doubt the fitting was not done properly, or it would not have made so much noise and vibration, being mounted on the port/aft corner and with the bottom of the blades just above my head did nothing to stop me putting a hand in if I forgot it was there. Needless to say it was shut down and braced when needed a few hours of checking our eyelids for holes (sleep).

Avagoodweekend......
 
Try batterymegastore.co.uk for batteries, price includes next day delivery - excellent service and often recommended on here. Several types available. I chose the Leisure no maintenance type as I use them for engine starting and domestic power.
 
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