One leisure battery?

[Ricco1]

The posters on my thread about claiming on a battery who said I'd get nowhere were spot on!

 

It's new battery time. I live aboard but use very little electricity. Everything is low wattage, I have a gas fridge. I calculate that use between 20 and 30 amp hours daily. Got me thinking: I charge my batteries one way or another every day. 1 battery would last several days so why do I need 2? If I only have 1 battery it should be easier to charge it up fully, it might last longer. Also I'll save the cost of one battery and inevitable replacements.

 

Would you think this is a good idea, any pitfalls?

[Loafer]

Good idea. With that usage, you only need one.

[Phil Ambrose]

Sensible to only have a battery bank sufficient for your needs and in your case 1 would seem to be enough. I have often had the same thought about my 4 x 110 bank, is it too big? part of me says yes but part of me says no, you need to be able to store all the output of my 3 x 100w PV array. Still not sure which way to go.

Phil

[Ricco1]

Sensible to only have a battery bank sufficient for your needs and in your case 1 would seem to be enough. I have often had the same thought about my 4 x 110 bank, is it too big? part of me says yes but part of me says no, you need to be able to store all the output of my 3 x 100w PV array. Still not sure which way to go.

Phil

 

I have 375w of solar myself. I guess where you save by storing solar power during the summer you lose by having to run engines in the winter to stop the batteries getting knackered.

[David Mack]

We only have one leisure battery. We are not your average leisure boat, just an under-sheets camping boat with basic electrics (and no solar). The fridge runs off a relay so it only operates when the engine is running. We usually boat long days, so the battery gets a decent charge. But it provides sufficient juice to keep us going, and copes with the occasional day when we hardly move.

[Robbo]

The posters on my thread about claiming on a battery who said I'd get nowhere were spot on!

 

It's new battery time. I live aboard but use very little electricity. Everything is low wattage, I have a gas fridge. I calculate that use between 20 and 30 amp hours daily. Got me thinking: I charge my batteries one way or another every day. 1 battery would last several days so why do I need 2? If I only have 1 battery it should be easier to charge it up fully, it might last longer. Also I'll save the cost of one battery and inevitable replacements.

 

Would you think this is a good idea, any pitfalls?

Pitfalls are that you'll deep cycle one battery more than two so it won't last as long. if your charger/alt is more than 15-20% of the battery capacity you'll suffer from surface charge and therefore undercharging. It's more efficient to charge a bigger bank fully than a small bank.

[John V]

Following some updates on Shapfell, I now have only one leisure battery

(originally had 2 wired to supply 24v to an erbesplutter which has now been replaced by a Propex)

Normally during the summer she is used intensively for long periods of extended cruising. My electrical consumption is very modest, my coolbox is a section of the bilge with well insulated lid and sides. so I only need power (when stopped) for the small amount of lighting and if cold, the Propex. (My TV has it's own built in battery which is sufficient for my requirements)

I am working on the principle that one cheap automotive battery replaced every couple of years is an economic route for me to follow.......As has been said many times before....It's horses for courses

[ROBDEN]

I have just been thinking about this myself.

I'm about to replace 4x12v=440amps batteries with 4x6v=450amp Trojans. But, could I get away with 2x6v=250amp Trojans?

 

It's hard to do a power audit as I'm not sure how often the fridge cycles and the tv is 240v so the inverter is on as well.

 

Problems, problems.

 

I hate boats!

[bottle]

Fridge, approximately 50% of the time so 12 hrs,total in 24.

 

This is a slightly pessimistic figure but will give a leeway, if you have a day when you keep opening the fridge for beer.

 

TV take the wattage, divide by ten (if 12v system) times number of hours per day. This works for all 240v ac equipment supplied by an inverter and allows for the losses in the inverter

 

That gives you amp.hrs per 24 hrs, double that ( guidance of never letting your batteries go below 50% SOC)

 

That will give the minimum size of your battery bank but it is also advisable to add a percentage so that your batteries are not fully discharged (50% SOC) everyday.

 

The additional percentage will vary on whom you ask

 

I would say a minimum additional of 10% but 50% or even 100% would be better the batteries would not 'work' so hard and as they age you would still have a battery bank, although down on capacity, that could cope with your needs.

[ROBDEN]

Fridge, approximately 50% of the time so 12 hrs,total in 24.

 

This is a slightly pessimistic figure but will give a leeway, if you have a day when you keep opening the fridge for beer.

 

TV take the wattage, divide by ten (if 12v system) times number of hours per day. This works for all 240v ac equipment supplied by an inverter and allows for the losses in the inverter

 

That gives you amp.hrs per 24 hrs, double that ( guidance of never letting your batteries go below 50% SOC)

 

That will give the minimum size of your battery bank but it is also advisable to add a percentage so that your batteries are not fully discharged (50% SOC) everyday.

 

The additional percentage will vary on whom you ask

 

I would say a minimum additional of 10% but 50% or even 100% would be better the batteries would not 'work' so hard and as they age you would still have a battery bank, although down on capacity, that could cope with your needs.

Thank you.

 

Rob....

[mrsmelly]

The posters on my thread about claiming on a battery who said I'd get nowhere were spot on!

 

It's new battery time. I live aboard but use very little electricity. Everything is low wattage, I have a gas fridge. I calculate that use between 20 and 30 amp hours daily. Got me thinking: I charge my batteries one way or another every day. 1 battery would last several days so why do I need 2? If I only have 1 battery it should be easier to charge it up fully, it might last longer. Also I'll save the cost of one battery and inevitable replacements.

 

Would you think this is a good idea, any pitfalls?

 

 

Our first boat as full time liveaboards 1989 till 2004 had only one battery. The engine was hand start with no electric option fitted. Inverters had not been invented.

We had a gas fridge a rinnai water heater and a squirrel stove.

Best time of our lives. Most of us now have far too much crap fitted on our boats that we dont need ( us included )

Keep it simple it IS the best way.

 

Tim