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I have two 110ah batteries which run everything on my boat, including starting the engine. They are 5 years old and must by now be nearing the end of their effective lives. When I consider replacements, do I go for similar 110ah at £67 each, or is it worth changing to 130ah at £83 each from the same company? Both batteries are the same physical size.

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1 minute ago, carlt said:

If the 110ah ones suited you then why pay more?

I wasn't sure whether the extra capacity is worth the extra money, but I figured that bigger SHOULD be better. I thought I'd canvas opinion, as there are some very knowledgeable people on here. I did wonder that, as the two types of battery are the same external size, perhaps the plates may have to be thinner to create that extra  20ah capacity. Thinner plates, more prone to distortion perhaps?

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36 minutes ago, monkeyhanger said:

I figured that bigger SHOULD be better.

Bigger means that for the same usage you will (obviously) discharge them less, thereby treating them slightly more gently. However, if you’ve had 5 years and counting from your existing set then I don’t really see what you’d gain. 

 

A larger set would allow you to increase your usage somewhat but then you have to put more back in...

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All leisure batteries have thin plates. Thin plates provide more instantaneous current than thick ones, and all leisure batteries are rebadgwd starter batteries.

 

I would go for the larger capacity batteries because with the same use they will be slightly less discharged each time than the smaller ones, ehich should show itself as longer life.

 

Damn cross posted with WotEver his name is ?

Edited by cuthound
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I reckon the more important point is that the OP doesn't have a starter battery - thus if he runs down / gooses his main battery bank, he can't start the engine to recharge what he's got.

Get a 'reasonably priced' starter battery and put that in the mix.

Prolly not much use if there's only one alternator / no diode block to make separate battery banks practical.

 

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1 hour ago, Jen-in-Wellies said:

Are the larger batteries also a larger size? If so, then you'll probably need to alter the battery box, or clamps and cover so they will still meet the Boat Safety Scheme requirements.

 

Jen

Oops!

 

Methinks you should go to Specsavers. Then have another read of post #1. ☺

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13 hours ago, OldGoat said:

I reckon the more important point is that the OP doesn't have a starter battery - thus if he runs down / gooses his main battery bank, he can't start the engine to recharge what he's got.

Get a 'reasonably priced' starter battery and put that in the mix.

Prolly not much use if there's only one alternator / no diode block to make separate battery banks practical.

 

I built this engine 30 years ago, when it was only hand start. As the years have caught up with me, I thought it sensible to have an electric start fitted. Without a dedicated starter battery, I was warned that my leisure batteries might suffer, but I've managed to get 5 years out of each pair so far. On a 24volt system, fitting two extra starter batteries and all the extra paraphernalia required is not too easy nor convenient.

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10 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

A battery 18% higher capacity but still the same size, suggests to me it's the same battery but a different way of measuring its capacity has been devised. 

 

Possibly, the OP needs to check that the discharge rates are over the same time period. For example C10 equates to the 10 hour rate. 

 

A battery gives more apparent capacity the longer time period it is discharged over, so the same battery measured at C20 will show a greater capacity than ehen measured at C5.

 

However some manufacturers make batteries of differing capacities with the same case size by simply adding more plates. Does the bigger capacity battery weigh more? It should.

Edited by cuthound
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10 hours ago, Mike the Boilerman said:

A battery 18% higher capacity but still the same size, suggests to me it's the same battery but a different way of measuring its capacity has been devised. 

 

 

 

 

That's what I wondered too!  Posts crossed with Cuthound.

Edited by monkeyhanger
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5 minutes ago, Bee said:

Dunno but £67 seems very reasonable for a 110ah battery, where from?

 

Strikes me as way too cheap! 

 

Either that or the end seller is giving away their retail profit margin. I'd be surprised if bog standard 110AH batteries bought 30 at a time on a palette cost much less than that each.

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On 09/05/2019 at 10:19, Bee said:

Dunno but £67 seems very reasonable for a 110ah battery, where from?

Quite a few sources do them for that price range. Pro Batt charges that to include delivery. Ya can always pay 100 quid for the same article with a posh name sticker on the side if you want.

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On 09/05/2019 at 10:19, Bee said:

Dunno but £67 seems very reasonable for a 110ah battery, where from?

Probat on Ebay. I bought my current ones, 5 yers ago, on Ebay also for £59 each delivered. Can't remember where though. Someone told me that most batteries these days are made in China and they're virtually all the same. The retailers just stick their own labels on them. Don't know how much truth there is in that suggestion.

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8 hours ago, monkeyhanger said:

Probat on Ebay. I bought my current ones, 5 yers ago, on Ebay also for £59 each delivered. Can't remember where though. Someone told me that most batteries these days are made in China and they're virtually all the same. The retailers just stick their own labels on them. Don't know how much truth there is in that suggestion.

Probat from autocarpartrus seller on ebay. Mine are 2 years old 130Ah and are fine.  Yes they are heavy. Thought they were made in Poland, may be wrong

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