Table of Contents
Exide leisure battery care
exide leisure battery care
battery charging regime
I say regime because, truthfully, that’s what it is. Casual people like myself often come up short in life. Although I advise people to look after their batteries, I am the worst at it.
So, my vehicles are regularly maintained by my garage. Checking the batteries at regular intervals. However it is my lawn mowers batteries that suffer from neglect!
I have two mowers a ride on and a starter battery regular mower. Sticking to my own advise I do try and keep a spare battery for both machines. Ones a 12volt 7 Ah and the others a 12 volt 5Ah battery.
However I do forget to change them over at decent intervals. This prevents me being caught out with a flat battery. I do get myself into trouble by finding that I have a flat battery and forgot to charge the spare battery.
Importantly, this is what the owners of leisure vehicle and caravanners should watch out for. There is nothing worse that being stuck in the middle of nowhere with a flat battery.
keep your battery fully charged-exide leisure battery care
By the way this article is a reference for all brands of batteries and not just the Exide brand. So firstly batteries should be fully charged at all times. Your battery is at risk of damage if you let the charge level drop too low.
Especially during winter storage! batteries that are stood down over winter will of course slowly lose their charge and deteriorate. Consequently, your lead acid battery will “sulphate” and never recover.
This process can also happen to the battery that is fitted to your camper van or motorhome. These types of vehicle are now fitted with many electrical devices. Things such as tracking systems, freezers, fridges, TV’s and also alarm systems all draw power from the battery. Especially if left over a period of time!
modern chargers will do the trick-exide leisure battery care
Of course many owners of motorhomes and camper vans do have charger in operation all the time. These days smart chargers are excellent quality. These machines will recharge the battery when required and go into stand by mode when charging is not required.
Such a smart charger will ensure that your battery is kept at optimum voltage also keeping the vehicle security system in full operational mode.
These chargers also work as an over winter battery charge protector. Leisure batteries are now becoming more and more expensive. Due to high transport costs and indeed battery shortages then the leisure batteries will rise substantially.
Lead acid batteries should not be allowed to drop lower than 50% charge. This is when there is a risk of damaging the condition of your battery. Another good tool to own is a “multimeter”.
These are relatively cheap and will tell you the voltage reading of your Exide leisure battery. Generally if the multimeter reading is 12.4 volts the charge level is at 50%. Anything bellow this reading means that you have a flat battery on your hands.
Good housekeeping is essential -exide leisure battery care
generally then I find that most caravan and motorhome owners are very proud about their vehicles. Keeping them immaculately clean inside and out. However this should also extend to you batteries.
Keep your battery and the terminals clean. A smudging of “petroleum jelly” helps keep off acid crystallisation on the terminals. That’s the horrible white powdery stuff that we can see on some battery terminals.
Importantly, if possible, buy and use a smart charger. These will ensure that the battery is kept on the charger when not in use. Especially during the winter break.
Finally, eventually you will need a new battery. Due to the chemical nature of lead acid batteries, they do deteriorate over time. However, regular care and good housekeeping will extend the battery’s life.
Finally for some more important advice, I recommend that take a look at this excellent blog post from “SAGA”
- Deep Cycle batteries-to Reedley Marina.
- Electric Wheelchair Casualty
- Unlock Your Freedom-with Mobility Scooters and Electric Wheelchairs That Are Exempt from VAT
- The Future of Mobility- Say Goodbye to Lead-Acid Batteries in Electric Wheelchairs!
- Extended VAT relief: on adapted motor vehicles for disabled people and charities (VAT Notice 1002) – GOV.UK
- Deep Cycle batteries-to Reedley Marina. - December 4, 2024
- Electric Wheelchair Casualty - December 3, 2024
- Unlock Your Freedom-with Mobility Scooters and Electric Wheelchairs That Are Exempt from VAT - December 2, 2024
