Recycling knackered batteries.

[Vara]

Good luck to whoever whipped two of my batteries out of the recycling bin within twenty minutes of me putting them in.

One has a knackered cell...hygrometer reading, the other has a split case as I dropped it.

Only know as when I dumped the third battery, also well knackered, the other two had gone. Leaving loads of other batteries in the bin.

Note on the batteries; standard Numax leisure marine at £50 each which had lasted for four years, and through my own incompetence had been totally discharged, in terms of £/ah they have performed very well. Have been replaced with similar.

 

[MoodySabre]

£420 a ton scrap value. Thats (about) 20p a lb. So a few bob for a skipdiver.

I use Numax too - been very good. One got down to 4v due to a problem but was ressurected with a good charger and has been happy for three years.

 

[Koeketiene]

Note on the batteries; standard Numax leisure marine at £50 each which had lasted for four years,

Out of curiosity (PBO question) - what's the average life expectancy of a standard closed cell leisure battery?

 

[FullCircle]

Out of curiosity (PBO question) - what's the average life expectancy of a standard closed cell leisure battery?

Just replaced my 2010 set. Mostly because they haven't been used and have discharged several times. So 5 years is OK.

I now have AGM Euro 2 spec. Deeper discharge possible, and higher output as a % of their rated Ah

 

[Vara]

Out of curiosity (PBO question) - what's the average life expectancy of a standard closed cell leisure battery?

i would have thought that 5 years would be a good minimum working life if discharge is controlled, kept topped up and a decent charger, mind you a friend of mine ran standard flooded lead acid as his domestic bank for 15 years, and that was with 6 months a year live aboard. My batteries only died as a result of me discharging them to nothing twice in their life time.

£420 a ton scrap value. Thats (about) 20p a lb. So a few bob for a skipdiver.

I use Numax too - been very good. One got down to 4v due to a problem but was ressurected with a good charger and has been happy for three years.

yes but what surprised me was that lots of similar batteries were left behind, the only difference being that mine looked new and shiny.

Update the third battery has now gone!

 

[Cantata]

Probably that bloke in the Fisher next door to you.....

 

[Koeketiene]

Just replaced my 2010 set. Mostly because they haven't been used and have discharged several times. So 5 years is OK.

i would have thought that 5 years would be a good minimum working life if discharge is controlled, kept topped up and a decent charger

Ours are 2010 vintage too. Never been discharged all the way and the solars always keep them topped up to. And they seem to hold their charge very well.
OTOH, I do notice a voltage drop (to 11.7V) when the fridge, autopilot and laptop are in use at the same time.
Is this to be expected because of their age?

 

[Vara]

If when you turn the consumers off the voltage stays at 11.7, then you have a problem, if it returns to something with a 12 in it you should be OK.

A battery monitor, I use a NASA one, at about £90 is a useful indicator of what's going on.

Caveat...not an expert.

 

[Vara]

Probably that bloke in the Fisher next door to you.....

Good point, I have circulated his picture to all the local scrap dealers.

 

[Sailingsaves]

Caveat...not an expert.

You are correct though.
A drop tester will apply a high load to a battery. The voltage will drop to 11.5V (say). If Voltage returns to near 12.7V quite quickly = good battery.

To improve longevity of any lead acid, gel, agm battery, simply do not discharge past 11.7ish volts and try to keep fully charged as soon as possible.

If you own sealed but 'wet' batteries, pop the lid off now and again and check electrolyte level. A friend's tractor battery showed 12.8V but no capacity. It was sealed. Upon opening, not a drop of electrolyte in there, just chunks of flaky lead.

Mate just gave me a red Optima battery of zero Volts. I brought it back to 12.7 Volts with help of youtube and a lot of time and effort. It now has cold cranking Amps of 950Amps - good as new. Optimas cost about £185.

Any old batteries, give me a shout - I love experimenting. Apparently, to desulphate, you can charge battery slowly, use inverter and drain to 11.5V by drawing 20Amps, then recharge slowly - the expansion and contraction of plates cracks the sulphation allowing lead to peek through - I am still experimenting to verify.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Gladys came with 4 Odyssey AGM's (3 leisure, 1 engine start) of unknown vintage but I would have expected c2002... Previous owner put in an "unsmart" charger and lived aboard in DOver, and I discovered a blown (literally) house battery in 2005. I replaced the 3 house with Squadron AGM's, but then had a disaster when she was being repaired at Fox's in 2006 in that I left the navtex on and finsihed up with 3 nearly new house sitting at 4v. I replaced those winter 2013 with more AGM's (progressively getting cheaper), but the start battery is still the original Odyssey and it appears to still be in good health holding 12.7 with no outside assistance...

 

[Talulah]

I am replacing my 3 Lifeline GPL31T's (105AH AGM) batteries this weekend with Rolls AGM.

http://www.leisurebatteryshop.co.uk/105Ah-Lifeline-AGM-Leisure-Battery
(Link to show the battery but never bought from there.)
The existing ones are about 6 or 7 years old. Free to anyone that wants them. Collect from Clarence Marina.

 

[Koeketiene]

A drop tester will apply a high load to a battery. The voltage will drop to 11.5V (say). If Voltage returns to near 12.7V quite quickly = good battery.

Well, that's a relief.
As soon as I cut fridge/autopilot/laptop the voltage goes back up from 11.7 to 12.3 almost instantaneously. And back up to 12.7 over the next 30 minutes or so.

 

[michael_w]

My Rolls flooded batteries are just starting to show their age after 8 years, of which 2 were full time blue water cruising. A decent sized bank, 460 ah and smart chargers plus a monthly inspection/top up must have helped. The house bank is made up of 2 x 135 ah and 2 x 95 ah. The 95ah regularly need topping up, the 135s rarely.

You pays your money...

 

[jerrytug]

Apparently you can 'defibrillate' dead car batteries by briefly connecting them to the mains 240AC. ('Fire in the hole!')

 

[pvb]

Apparently you can 'defibrillate' dead car batteries by briefly connecting them to the mains 240AC. ('Fire in the hole!')

Don't try this at home, kids.

 

[TimfromMersea]

Just had to replace my 2008 'leisure' battery. Hankook brand (Korean) deep cycle leisure battery from www.batterymegastore.co.uk £51.50 including free next day delivery. I used Battery Megastore for the 2nd one in my boat and 5 years ago it was £75......

 

[david_bagshaw]

Our lighting bank seem to last about 7 to 8 years. (varta , bosch or similar)

engine start 8-9 years. same make.

Using alternators and a la manche constavolt charger,(wonderful old tech large core beastie with a 40A at 28.5 V output) either shore fed or genny fed.