Power issues despite full battery charge

[Samcleaning]

I have 2 12v leisure batteries both of which have stopped working with my system. Both batteries are fully charged (checked on 2 chargers) and is unlikely that both batteries have failed at the same time. 

I have a powered reel which no longer works and when I turn on my pump the led display struggles to turn on and the pump won't work. Led display is showing the battery to be at a very low voltage despite being fully charged. 

I have checked the wires and can't see any connection issues. 

I at a loss as to what's causing this fault. 

 

[spruce]

If one battery has failed and they are both linked together, the second will dump charge into it and they will both end up flat.

If this is the case separate the batteries and try to ascertain if there is one battery that can be saved and run that alone. If you have a split charge relay then you could run the engine while using your electric reel. If the reel works, then you have a battery that has no capacity left. It will read fully charged but the moment you put it under load it dies.

It's important that you use the right battery with your electric hose reel. It needs to be a combination leisure and starter battery. It will spec as for wild camping and/or motor mover. A standard leisure battery isn't designed to power an electric hose reel, even if the hose reel runs for a short period of time.

Electric reels draw up to 25 amps.

 

[AW Services]

I have 2 12v leisure batteries both of which have stopped working with my system. Both batteries are fully charged (checked on 2 chargers) and is unlikely that both batteries have failed at the same time. 

I have a powered reel which no longer works and when I turn on my pump the led display struggles to turn on and the pump won't work. Led display is showing the battery to be at a very low voltage despite being fully charged. 

I have checked the wires and can't see any connection issues. 

I at a loss as to what's causing this fault. 

Time for brand new shiny batteries my friend 

 

[Samcleaning]

So they've both failed at the same time, despite working totally fine until this week?

 

[AW Services]

So they've both failed at the same time, despite working totally fine until this week?

Poorly maintained batteries, older batteries and those with faulty cells / plates can show a voltage but not show their true capacity or current output 

Winter, cold weather will finish off a knackered battery quickly 

It's also paramount to use the correct charger for leisure batteries aswel 

 

[Samcleaning]

If one battery has failed and they are both linked together, the second will dump charge into it and they will both end up flat.

If this is the case separate the batteries and try to ascertain if there is one battery that can be saved and run that alone. If you have a split charge relay then you could run the engine while using your electric reel. If the reel works, then you have a battery that has no capacity left. It will read fully charged but the moment you put it under load it dies.

It's important that you use the right battery with your electric hose reel. It needs to be a combination leisure and starter battery. It will spec as for wild camping and/or motor mover. A standard leisure battery isn't designed to power an electric hose reel, even if the hose reel runs for a short period of time.

Electric reels draw up to 25 amps.

That's interesting. I don't have them linked so I doubt that's the problem but I don't think I have right batteries for a powered reel so that's useful. 

Based on what everyone has said I'll try a new battery. 

 

[Samcleaning]

Poorly maintained batteries, older batteries and those with faulty cells / plates can show a voltage but not show their true capacity or current output 

Winter, cold weather will finish off a knackered battery quickly 

It's also paramount to use the correct charger for leisure batteries aswel 

I have a charger for leisure batteries. How would I know if its the correct charger?

 

[AW Services]

I have a charger for leisure batteries. How would I know if its the correct charger?

If it's a numax or other specialist brand you should be okay.

Also having two batteries and a higher capacity will require a greater charge 

The better chargers such as my own Victron has bulk – absorption - recondition – float – storage opposed to a basic charger that just dumps a constant 10 amps into the battery 

 

[Samcleaning]

Just to clarify, the two batteries I have aren't both connected. Only one is at a time. 

 

[Part Timer]

I'm an absolute numpty regarding anything technical but I'd be paying an auto electrician to be testing everything before buying new gear.

 

[ched999uk]

You really need to get a multimeter on things. You need to test to see if your charging system is working. Bench charge the batteries then more testing. 

If both batteries seem to have issues what is common to them both - the charging system? 

If you don't know how to test then either look on YouTube or get someone who knows what they are doing to have a look. No point just replacing batteries till you have found issue as you could kill the new batteries! 

 

[Iron Giant]

You haven't said whether you are charging the batteries every night which you will need to if using and electric reel don't have a Split Charge Relay/SCR and ain't doing many miles, batteries can seem to work just fine the telling sign of them been on their way out is they are fully charged in less than an hour and all can seem fine you'll be getting a full day on a charge then one  day a few hours work and it will be dead 

 

[Samcleaning]

I'm an absolute numpty regarding anything technical but I'd be paying an auto electrician to be testing everything before buying new gear.

I feel like buying a battery with a returns policy would be cheaper than paying someone and then buying a battery

You really need to get a multimeter on things. You need to test to see if your charging system is working. Bench charge the batteries then more testing. 

If both batteries seem to have issues what is common to them both - the charging system? 

If you don't know how to test then either look on YouTube or get someone who knows what they are doing to have a look. No point just replacing batteries till you have found issue as you could kill the new batteries! 

Good suggestion but I think it was a combo of the cold and using an electric reel with unsuitable batteries. I'll look into what you've said for the future though

You haven't said whether you are charging the batteries every night which you will need to if using and electric reel don't have a Split Charge Relay/SCR and ain't doing many miles, batteries can seem to work just fine the telling sign of them been on their way out is they are fully charged in less than an hour and all can seem fine you'll be getting a full day on a charge then one  day a few hours work and it will be dead 

One of the batteries used to only last a day but the other would go for a few days. Both would take a few hours to charge. I haven't got a scr either. 

 

[AW Services]

Just to clarify, the two batteries I have aren't both connected. Only one is at a time. 

Still sounds like you have two dead batteries regardless of their configuration 

Get them tested or replace 

 

[spruce]

You really need to get a multimeter on things. You need to test to see if your charging system is working. Bench charge the batteries then more testing. 

If both batteries seem to have issues what is common to them both - the charging system? 

If you don't know how to test then either look on YouTube or get someone who knows what they are doing to have a look. No point just replacing batteries till you have found issue as you could kill the new batteries! 

I understand he has a Spring controller that has a built in digital volt meter.  The voltage drops on the display as soon as the electric reel is activated.

My last leisure battery lasted me nearly 8 years. It was a 110 amp unit. It still had enough capacity to run 2 Shurflo pumps every day, albeit a shorter working day. So I just presumed the battery was working fine. It was only when I fitted my diesel heater that I realized that my battery had lost capacity. It was reading fully charged but only started my diesel heater half a dozen times before it dropped to 10.4 volts under load. I just happened to be watching the battery voltage on my battery monitor. The moment the diesel heater switched off as it detected low battery voltage, the battery voltage virtually immediately recovered to 12.5v. Had I not seen the voltage at 10.4v I would have thought the battery was fine and the fault elsewhere.

Changing the battery to a new one solved the starting problems.

I do seem to agree with @Samcleaningthat it's strange that both batteries run separately have packed up at the same time.

We have used a Numax "Connect and Forget" 10 amp smart battery charger for Motorhomes. I've used this model for some 14 years now. The first unit packed up a year ago, so I replaced it with the same. It also has a charging and float profile @Apw1210 was referring to

https://advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/product/numax-121000l/

There are other good makes out there such as Ctek.

A cheap car starter battery charger isn't suitable for recharging our leisure batteries.

 

[spruce]

Still sounds like you have two dead batteries regardless of their configuration 

Get them tested or replace 

Agree ^^^^

In 99.9% of cases this type of problem is down to the battery "wearing out" (an American expression.)

There was a local cleaner now retired who had 2 leisure batteries. He didn't have a scr. He took his battery out every night to charge inside, swapping his batteries over each day. Both started to lose capacity at the same rate. Within a couple of years, he had to take both batteries out with him every day and swap them over at lunch time.

He replaced both batteries, one with a starter battery and the other a leisure battery. He did the same charging procedure. His starter battery failed first and then the leisure battery some 6 months later. He believed he got the same performance from each battery cost wise, as the starter battery was cheaper to buy than the leisure battery was.

 

[Deleted member 84]

If it's a numax or other specialist brand you should be okay.

Also having two batteries and a higher capacity will require a greater charge 

The better chargers such as my own Victron has bulk – absorption - recondition – float – storage opposed to a basic charger that just dumps a constant 10 amps into the battery 

What's the spec of your charger please? In the market for a quality charger

 

[AW Services]

Just to clarify, the two batteries I have aren't both connected. Only one is at a time. 

What and how are you using two batteries on ? 

I don't think you understand battery chemistry, performance and the correct usage of them

You shouldn't drain down a battery until there's nothing left.

Also if using a 24v power reel, having two separate batteries which dissimilar charge capacity and health will kill them quickly 

 

[ched999uk]

One of the batteries used to only last a day but the other would go for a few days. Both would take a few hours to charge. I haven't got a scr either. 

When you say the 'battery used to last a day' you are not using them till they stop powering things are you? You shouldn't let the charge drop below about 50% of the capacity or you will drastically shorten the life!!! 50% is about 12.1v but that's rested voltage i.e. a few hrs after use. 

It might be worth you having a bit of a google about lead acid battery care as looked after they should last years but if you don't use them correctly you will kill them in a few months!!!