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Topic: House batteries (Read 11 times) previous topic - next topic
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House batteries
Yahoo Message Number: 135489
Hi folks,
 Will someone please tell me how I can know when my house batteries need replacing? I've owned my 1995 22' for 6 years now and I have no idea when the batteries were installed.
 I use the Pro-Fill watering system and maintain battery water levels regularly. And the batteries are working just fine. But I don't have a monitor other than the one that came in my LD.
 I dry camp virtually all the time and only connect to power at home the night before I'm leaving on a trip. But with batteries that old I wonder if they're just going to go kaput on me some day, a surprise I don't want of course.

Thanks for your help.

Chuck in Bellevue, WA
Re: House batteries
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 135491
Hi Chuck, I have a '94 MB with batteries that have been very well taken care of and lasted a very long time because of it. I decided they needed changing when they started holding their charge for less and less time while boondocking.  Also noticed the batteries using more water. They were still functioning, but as I had a long trip comming up, and the batteries were way up there, age wise, I thought it prudent to make the change.  If you continue to take care of them I don't think they'll just up and give out on you one day.  You should see warning signs such as loss of fluid, or not taking and/or holding a charge as well as they used to.
Good Luck, Skip

com, "chuckx6"  wrote:
Re: House batteries
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 135497
Hi Chuck,
 You will probably get other (and better) responses, but my suggestion is 'don't mess with anything that is working'.
 I replaced our batteries about 8 years after we got the LD, and there wasn't anything sudden about their decay.  They just slowly lasted shorter and shorter periods.  As long as you are satisfied with how they perform now, I would wait until there seems to be a problem or inconvenience.

JMHO

Barry
  From: chuckx6

Will someone please tell me how I can know when my house batteries need replacing?

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: House batteries
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 135500
Ah, thanks very much Skip, Barry and Garry. That's what I needed to know. I've had car batteries that were just dead, 30 minutes after I pulled into a grocery store parking lot and I wondered if that could happen with the house batteries.
 I'll watch for the "take a charge" and "lose water" signs you've mentioned, and thanks again for your help.

Chuck in Bellevue 1995 22' FL
House batteries
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 135503
Quote
I'll watch for the "take a charge" and "lose water" signs you've mentioned, and thanks again for your help.

Chuck in Bellevue
Hi Chuck in Bellevue
 One other thing to keep your eye on. If your batterys start swelling, that is the sides are becomming curved rather than flat, that indicates sulfation and your batterys haven't long to live.

Tom on Whidbey Island
Re: House batteries
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 135525
Quote
One other thing to keep your eye on. If your batterys start swelling, that is the sides are becomming curved rather than flat, that indicates sulfation and your batterys haven't long to live.

Tom on Whidbey Island
Thank you, Tom. That's one I hadn't heard about and may not have noticed since the batteries are squeezed into such a small space. I appreciate your help; I'll definitely watch for that.

Chuck in Bellevue