Im new to the caravanning world so im looking for advice please. I am lucky enough to store my caravan at home and have just put in electric hook up plug from house to van. How often should I plug in through the winter period.
mine is plugged in
EHU 24/7 on a timer,comes on for 4 hours a day and this keeps the battery fully charged.has done for years.only buy a quality timer as cheap ones are a fire risk.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
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My batteries get a charge every couple of months or so when the caravan is on the drive, ie when I remember. In 20 years I have had 5 batteries, no1 lasted 9 years, no2 lasted 8 years, no3 lasted 7 years, no 4 I still have and it is 10 years old and going strong, and no5 is now 4 years old. I have never seen the point in keeping a battery fully charged, they thrive on a bit of use.
------------- Bill
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Quote: Originally posted by janus on 29/11/2012
I have never seen the point in keeping a battery fully charged, they thrive on a bit of use.
The point you are missing is that keeping the battery at 100% state of charge suppresses sulphation, the scourge of lead acid batteries.
In your case though your van's Schaudt unit knows what is needed and will be 100% recharging your battery. Unlike the units fitted to most other vans that will not be 100% recharging. These will still get reasonable charge holding capacity, life, from the batteries but not what they could with better care.
sulphation not only stops the abilty to charge as it should but could cause the battery to overheat and swell up.
If you look on the top of the leisure battery there is a small round plastic pipe which is a venting pipe and acts very much like an exhaust pipe so if the battery does build up any heat and excess pressure during charging the pressure will rise and get exhausted through this vent. This is why they eventually isolated the battery from gas cylinders for this very reason because when on EHU the vent can actually discharge fumes which posed a danger being kept in the same location as flammable liquids such as LPG. Basically there is no harm in leaving your leisure battery on charge 24/7 providing it is kept in a well ventilated area for reasons mentioned.
sulphation not only stops the abilty to charge as it should but could cause the battery to overheat and swell up.
If you look on the top of the leisure battery there is a small round plastic pipe which is a venting pipe and acts very much like an exhaust pipe so if the battery does build up any heat and excess pressure during charging the pressure will rise and get exhausted through this vent. This is why they eventually isolated the battery from gas cylinders for this very reason because when on EHU the vent can actually discharge fumes which posed a danger being kept in the same location as flammable liquids such as LPG. Basically there is no harm in leaving your leisure battery on charge 24/7 providing it is kept in a well ventilated area for reasons mentioned.
did know this but thanks anyway.
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.
I thought you would know that michael but it may help others to put their mind at rest who think that their leisure battery might explode if it was left on charge 24/7 that's all. I leave my leisure battery on charge 24/7 connected to a smart charger in a small box room at home but I always keep it well ventilated so it's always fully charged when I transport it in the car to the caravan storage.
Quote: Originally posted by tango55 on 29/11/2012I thought you would know that michael but it may help others to put their mind at rest who think that their leisure battery might explode if it was left on charge 24/7 that's all. I leave my leisure battery on charge 24/7 connected to a smart charger in a small box room at home but I always keep it well ventilated so it's always fully charged when I transport it in the car to the caravan storage.
ok
------------- the only silly question is the one you do not ask.