House Battery

[gary miller]

Gene,
the latest issue of HIGHWAYS (the Good Sam magazine) just came to me today and
had a very good article on batteries and includes an excellent comparison of
battery life, amperage output, cost, and full discharge cycle effects. For house
batteries the golf cart 6v batteries in series is the best choice. Gel cells are
equal but are considerably more expensive (lifetime) and require more stringent
charging procedures. The upside of the gel is that there are no fumes to deal
with and no water to add. I'll stick with golf cart batteries.
Gary
'77 Kingsley
North Bend, Oregon Coast
PS: Gene Fisher: The tables in this article should posted on your page.

> I am going to have to replace my House Batteries and presently have two
> Interstate Marine/RV batteries hooked up in parallel (I think). Thinking
> about putting in two from AutoZone or NAPA et al. Would some of you give some
> experienced info on this?
> Thanks,
> Gene Hyche
> '77 PB

 

[gary miller]

If the batteries are in series the voltage of each battery adds (6v + 6v =
12v) and the amperage output equals that of one single battery (assuming more
or less equal condition). the minus of the first battery would typically be
connected to the coach frame (ground) and the plus of the first battery would
go the the minus of the second battery. The plus of the second battery would
then go to the load.

Batteries connected in parallel give you double the amperage output but the
voltage is that of a single battery. In a parallel configuration the minus
posts of the two batteries are connected together and also to the frame
(ground). The positive posts of the batteries are connected together and also
to the load. This parallel connection is the one you want to avoid unless the
two positive posts are "connected together" through diode device.
Gary
'77 Kingsley
North Bend, Oregon Coast

> My batteries MAY be in Series rather than Parallel. Just to make sure what
> would the connections on the posts look like. Maybe you could describe.
> Thanks,
> Gene

 

[richard waters]

Emery,
I thought you could put 2 12 volt batteries in parallel if they were both new
at the same time and were of the same make and model. I think that was what
Harold Barre said in his book "Managing 12 Volts". The previous owner of
my coach put two in parallel and they seem to be just fine for the past few
years.
I'm still new to all this so I'm probably wrong again.
Golf cart batteries in series would of course be the best thing if you're
starting from scratch.
Richard Waters

>
> Interstate Marine/RV batteries hooked up in parallel (I think). >>
>
> Gene - do not put two 12v batteries in parallel unless you use an isolator to
> keep the batteries from interfering with each other (if you get a shorted
> cell in one it will take down the other). Most people use two 6 volt
> batteries (Golf cart type) in series or a single large 12 volt battery.
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM

 

[richard waters]

Emery,
I can't argue with your logic. When my batteries go South (from one cell
gone bad?) I'm going to replace them with golf cart batteries wired in series.
It's just that I feel bad now that I have 2 12 volt batteries in parallel and
I wonder why the previous owner did that. He did most other things according
to the widely accepted practice's of GMC owners for 18 years.
Richard
'76 PB, Troy, MI

>
> new
> at the same time and were of the same make and model. >>
>
> As they age the cells will differ in their capacity to hold a charge. If in
> parallel, the combination will be held down to the level of the worst
> battery. If they are new and of the same make and model it shouldn't be a
> problem. But, what do you consider new? Is a one year old battery still
> new? I've had to replace batteries in less that one year before because of a
> defect in the battery.
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM