Mixing Leisure battery Types

[RAW]

I am thinking of getting an additional Leisure Battery, however there are a few factors influencing my decision:

• Budget
• Space (dimensions available to place battery)
• Technologies

So at the moment I have a very good 160AH LEOCH AGM, this one
Additionally there is a not so good generic 70AH Sealed Lead Acid in the front of the Van which has been made very challenging to remove/replace since the Gas (LPG) Upgrade.
I have effectively isolated the two batteries, though I can (if needed) connect them to allow for Solar Charge to Both or for Trickle Power Charge from 240V outside or Split Charge Relay from engine alternator and also to have a Max of 230AH available to Habitation, though it is never that.

I am thinking of adding another battery into the Mix and am wondering if it will mess things up or reduce the life of the LEOCH AGM if I were to also put in something like this https://www.alpha-batteries.co.uk/12v-130ah-leoch-adventurer-agm-leisure-battery-lagm130/ OR even this, which is slightly different Technology

12V 115AH Leoch AGM Lead Carbon Deep Cycle Battery (LDC12-115-G31-DT) (SLCA-12130 DT) - Alpha Batteries

12V 115AH Leoch AGM Lead Carbon deep cycle battery – LDC12-115-G31DT What Makes Lead Carbon AGM Superior to other AGMs? […]

www.alpha-batteries.co.uk

Lastly spotted this on EBAY which seems quite cheap but no idea if it is any good

12V 135AH 135 AH Leisure Battery DEEP CYCLE for Motorhome / Caravan / Campervan£ | eBay

DEEP CYCLE - STARTER CAPABILITY AS WELL. SPECIFACATION 135AH@C100 DEEP CYCLE LEISURE. Suitable for dual power use: starting and deep cycle. VERY HIGH LEAD CONTENT. We are a leading independent battery specialist in England.

www.ebay.co.uk

Any ideas ?

Cheers
Robert

 

[wildebus]

One thing I would recommend is selecting a battery that has the same charging characteristics as your main Leisure Battery (voltage levels for charging and float).
If the new battery is a replacement for the Starter Battery , it means when you are charging on Solar or EHU and the bi-directional VSR clicks on, you can be sure whatever charging profile you have set for your Leisure Battery will also be suitable for your Starter Battery.
If this is to go in parallel next to the Leisure Battery and so be a direct addition to the Leisure Battery Bank, I would go for as close a battery to the first - so the 130Ah version of the 160Ah one you already have if you didn't want to get another identical 160Ah one.

 

[RAW]

The VSR operates to the Starter Battery when there is throughput from the Mains charger as it is Voltage activated then I guess also when the Solar supplies voltage to the Main Leisure battery and I open the connection to 2nd LB then should the Voltage be > 12.8V sensed at the Relay then it will open and charge the Starter Battery too. This is the VSR https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/user/downloads/VSR Installation Instructions.pdf

Useful and good point as you say:

I would recommend is selecting a battery that has the same charging characteristics as your main Leisure Battery (voltage levels for charging and float).

Is there a massive variance in charging characteristics between manufacturers then ? So AGM 130AH from Manufacturer A might have quite different charging characteristics to 130AH from Manufacturer B ?

Cheers
Robert

 

[wildebus]

The VSR operates to the Starter Battery when there is throughput from the Mains charger as it is Voltage activated then I guess also when the Solar supplies voltage to the Main Leisure battery and I open the connection to 2nd LB then should the Voltage be > 12.8V sensed at the Relay then it will open and charge the Starter Battery too. This is the VSR https://www.12voltplanet.co.uk/user/downloads/VSR Installation Instructions.pdf

Useful and good point as you say:


Is there a massive variance in charging characteristics between manufacturers then ? So AGM 130AH from Manufacturer A might have quite different charging characteristics to 130AH from Manufacturer B ?

Cheers
Robert

I don't think much between manufacturers but there is between technologies.
I had the Leoch Extreme AGMs in my van and they wanted a 14.4V at Abs/CV charging. I fitted an identical one as a Starter Battery as it needed replacing anyway.
The Batteries I have now are AGM Lead Carbon batteries which I charge at 14.1/14.2V instead. I had a specific reason to change the Starter Battery so I chose another replacement that was quite powerful but basic (and cheaper), but the key thing was it liked 14.2V charge as well rather than the 14.4V of the Extreme AGM (so I was more likely to be able to keep that at 100% with my setup using a bi-directional VSR).

When paralleling batteries though, you want the batteries as similar as possible to keep them as balanced as possible - so ideally same make, model, production line & build date and usage if that is possible.
not always so in the real world so ticking as many of those boxes as you can is the best thing.

 

[RAW]

I don't think much between manufacturers but there is between technologies.
I had the Leoch Extreme AGMs in my van and they wanted a 14.4V at Abs/CV charging. I fitted an identical one as a Starter Battery as it needed replacing anyway.

Helpful - Thanks, as is the rest. Will continue to search around for another battery to give me +300AH capability in the Van

 

[SquirrellCook]

Having normally purchased batteries in pairs I've always suspected that they are not of the same quality.
The last pair I checked, one did not perform anything like the other. If I hadn't had purchased them so close to going away I would have sent one back as faulty.