Traction batteries

[solarman216]

Hi all, I am just about to spend £1600.00 on a new set of batteries for our electricity supply, I am wondering if there are any battery suppliers in our midst I am looking at 6PZS-ET 840 2 VOLT Cells each weighing 47kg and 12 number to make a 24 volt bank, each cell is £138.12 including vat but not delivery, this is the best deal I can find, unless anyone can do better, regards Rick

[terrano bob]

hi rick give Duracell a ring :augie:lol:lol :thumbs

[AlexD333]

In all seriousness it might be worth you ringing a specialist, what's the age of your batteries? As technology might have progressed somewhat since those batteries came out :nenau just a thought, would be a shame to spend 1600 quid when something better and superior is possibly out there :thumb2

[solarman216]

In all seriousness it might be worth you ringing a specialist, what's the age of your batteries? As technology might have progressed somewhat since those batteries came out :nenau just a thought, would be a shame to spend 1600 quid when something better and superior is possibly out there :thumb2

my current set is 10 years old, at 80% discharge they have a 2500 cycle life which is about 6.8 years but we do not discharge to that % but much less so that is why now even at 10 years use we still have 50% capacity, but that is getting tight if we want to go away for a few days, as we still need to maintain security cameras, fridge/freezer etc, so even when we are not here there is a 50ah drain and as only 220/250 available only gives us 4 or so days, now if the sun shines then that extends this tremendously but cannot be relied upon, so this new lot will give us nearly 700ah in reserve, and yes these suppliers are specialist battery people, yes there is better technology available, it is gell cells but at over double the price for only about 25% extra life it is not viable, just thought that as we have a very varied lot on here that we may have had a battery supplier or a person that works for one that could have got a discount, but at the end of the day I am very happy with the price, been searching a lot and do not think I can better it, and to be fair ten years ago I paid the same for a lesser amp hour battery, Rick

[AlexD333]

Well, from what you've just said I think your on to a winner :thumb2

I don't know nearly enough about the field but If these guys are specialists then you've gotta out your trust in them I guess.

And on a plus more power for less buck has to be a good thing too :cool:

[terrano bob]

you have just answered your question rick :eek: :confused: :thumbs

[Sweety]

I know the MOD sell of submarine batteries not sure if they would be any good for your needs Rick or what they would charge for them but i'm sure I saw a TV program where someone had no mains electric & kept sub batteries charged up via solar panels & a small wind turbine, just a thought:augie

[terrano bob]

:[QUOTE=Sweety;289938]I know the MOD sell of submarine batteries not sure if they would be any good for your needs Rick or what they would charge for them but i'm sure I saw a TV program where someone had no mains electric & kept sub batteries charged up via solar panels & a small wind turbine, just a thought

:) :thumbs

[solarman216]

you have just answered your question rick :eek: :confused: :thumbs

yea I know but there could just be someone on here that could get a discount, Rick

[solarman216]

:[QUOTE=Sweety;289938]I know the MOD sell of submarine batteries not sure if they would be any good for your needs Rick or what they would charge for them but i'm sure I saw a TV program where someone had no mains electric & kept sub batteries charged up via solar panels & a small wind turbine, just a thought

:) :thumbs

great idea and you could come up lucky but on the other hand you could end up with rubbish, problem with used cells is you have no idea how they have been treated in the past and there is no reliable quick way to test them before purchase, Rick

[Lazy-Ferret]

The only person on here who might be able to help you is that really great guy called Rick... He is well into that sort of stuff, and I do not think there is anyone else on this forum who can get even close to his knowledge...

Send him a PM, if he can't help you, then no one can.. :thumb2

:doh:doh:bow

[terrano bob]

yea I know but there could just be someone on here that could get a discount, Rick

yes rick your right no offense meant mate :thumbs

[solarman216]

The only person on here who might be able to help you is that really great guy called Rick... He is well into that sort of stuff, and I do not think there is anyone else on this forum who can get even close to his knowledge...

Send him a PM, if he can't help you, then no one can.. :thumb2

:doh:doh:bow

Will do Clive, thank's, Rick:clap:thumbs

[solarman216]

yes rick your right no offense meant mate :thumbs

none taken, just trying to spend less penny's, so looks like I have cracked a good deal and will go with it, if someone comes up in a weeks time and says they could have done better I will very disspleased,:(, Rick

[rustic]

none taken, just trying to spend less penny's, so looks like I have cracked a good deal and will go with it, if someone comes up in a weeks time and says they could have done better I will very disspleased,:(, Rick
It's always worth asking, there are many visitors to this site, possibly friends we have yet to meet, passing the idea over this forum over a long period of time, and getting no offers is fine too.
Like you say, if you post on here that you spent £X on something, on a Monday, then usually on a Tuesday someone will say ... if only you'd said lol...

When I have bought something, that maybe I could have got a discount, then I wouldn't post the price... to have my nose rubbed in it.
This forum isn't that bad to be fair, but other forums have bullsh****rs that will say they could have got it cheaper, but when you say you want a second one.... magically their offer is no longer available.:doh

That is a lot of money to spend, but no more than you would spend per year on standing charges with the utility companies, so you are still quids in.
The old batteries still have some scrap value, but I expect that you will extract every amp hour out of those for a few years yet, as their scrap value can only increase, provided you have the storage space.

I agree with others on this forum that you are the battery guru on traction batteries, starter batteries and the so called leisure batteries. I have learnt a lot from you Rick. :thumb2 as indeed have many others.:clap

[panelbeater]

there is a chap on the vegebio site that deals in ups big ups and he sells good 6k 8k banks fairly cheap as the firms replace well befor the use by date.
http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/put a request in befor you spend out.he has a wast traders licence as well.steve,

[solarman216]

there is a chap on the vegebio site that deals in ups big ups and he sells good 6k 8k banks fairly cheap as the firms replace well befor the use by date.
http://www.vegetableoildiesel.co.uk/ put a request in befor you spend out.he has a wast traders licence as well.steve,

thank's I will have a look, Rick

[solarman216]

When mentioned used batteries to she who has to be obeyed, said no way, and as she is paying I have no choice, new it is, Rick

[panelbeater]

he does new as well.nothing to lose.steve.

[solarman216]

he does new as well.nothing to lose.steve.

Thank's Steve, but the purchase was made today delivery Friday, should have given it more time I suppose, but at the end of the day doubt we could have saved a lot and I will have piece of mind if we want to go away for a few days that everything here will still function till we return, regards Rick

[AlexD333]

Thank's Steve, but the purchase was made today delivery Friday, should have given it more time I suppose, but at the end of the day doubt we could have saved a lot and I will have piece of mind if we want to go away for a few days that everything here will still function till we return, regards Rick

That piece of mind is important :o

[rustic]

That piece of mind is important :o

I think that's peace of mind, not as in Fawlty Towers.. " Is this a piece of your brain"
lol
I got that wrong once... :doh... but only once when it was pointed out....:eek:

[solarman216]

Rustic I will try and watch my gramma in future but no guarantees as I was never much good to start with, :o, Rick

[Terranical]

Rustic I will try and watch my gramma in future but no guarantees as I was never much good to start with, :o, Rick
How's your Grandma involved with traction batteries then Rick?

[rustic]

Rustic I will try and watch my gramma in future but no guarantees as I was never much good to start with, :o, Rick

God it was so embarrassing at the time, we were doing a brain storm of what was expected of a service contract...
All the directors were there too...:doh

I have never got that one wrong since lol...:lol

[solarman216]

How's your Grandma involved with traction batteries then Rick?

Dunno mate, you tell me? :rolleyes: Rick

[solarman216]

Well took delivery of my batteries today, what a fiasco, they told me they will delivered on a six wheeler so said he will likely have trouble turning round, so suggested he come to the pub where I am working with a large car park, said I just need to know what day as I will take my trailer and tail lift can drop them straight on, so when I saw the van with doors on the back I became suspicious, once the driver had parked said to him "have you got a battery for me?" he said yes, I asked if he had a tail lift? he said "no I was told you had a fork lift" yea right, brain clanking away to find a solution, bearing in mind if it was not for this delivery I would have stayed in bed as feel like sh** honestly do not know how I made it through the day, anyway gave local builders merchants a call, result was yea no problem Rick come straight down, thank's for helpful people as at 600kg we could not have got it by hand onto my trailer, just finishing my wine then onto the brandy, a very hot bath and bed, I have not felt like this for years, normally would have been like a kid with a new toy and unpacked them already but not tonight, Rick

[solarman216]

done absolutely nothing today apart from take the camera a get a pic or two of my batteries, soon going to bed, Rick

[solarman216]

another view, Rick

[solarman216]

As of Tuesday hooked my new batteries up to our house but with no auto charge system operating, so discharge only, as of now 10pm we have drawn 500 ah and the voltage with a very small load is 23.7 according to the manufacturers I can go down to 23.4 for 50% discharge, not something I would normally want to do, but good that I have proven the AH rate for this battery, happy now and will recharge up to full rate and put on standby and continue to run on the ten year old set till it gives out,sorry it is not 4 x 4 related but it does give an insight to battery technology, Rick

[rustic]

...sorry it is not 4 x 4 related but it does give an insight to battery technology, Rick

I think it's great that we can discuss other things that are not related to 4x4.
It makes the posts more personal, we get to know each other better this way.:thumb2
I have learnt a lot about batteries, and has helped me to choose batteries suitable for our boat.
Alex, in his posts have taught me a lot too...:doh.......:augie


:surrender

[AlexD333]

I think it's great that we can discuss other things that are not related to 4x4.
It makes the posts more personal, we get to know each other better this way.:thumb2
I have learnt a lot about batteries, and has helped me to choose batteries suitable for our boat.
Alex, in his posts have taught me a lot too...:doh.......:augie


:surrender

Too right :naughty :lol

[macabethiel]

As of Tuesday hooked my new batteries up to our house but with no auto charge system operating, so discharge only, as of now 10pm we have drawn 500 ah and the voltage with a very small load is 23.7 according to the manufacturers I can go down to 23.4 for 50% discharge, not something I would normally want to do, but good that I have proven the AH rate for this battery, happy now and will recharge up to full rate and put on standby and continue to run on the ten year old set till it gives out,sorry it is not 4 x 4 related but it does give an insight to battery technology, Rick

Okay you have replaced the batteries is there anything else with your set up that you will have to replace such as an invertor ?

Am I right in thinking you have no mains supply as a back up hence the need to sort it before you go away?

[solarman216]

Okay you have replaced the batteries is there anything else with your set up that you will have to replace such as an invertor ?

Am I right in thinking you have no mains supply as a back up hence the need to sort it before you go away?

Correct we have no mains services at all, my current battery bank is almost ten years old and in the early days we drew a lot more power than we do now and the charging system was not as good either, this has led to more than normal deterioration of the bank, both have been addressed and together with 1600 watt hour solar pv and controller we have minimised the generator run time, led lights and a wood burner have made an enormous difference, but as the batteries are of the age they are we can only last two days without recharge (sun accepting but cannot be relied upon) so new bank purchase which will give a usage when we are not here of around 14 days, of course we have family who can call in and monitor and if need be start the genny, such is off grid life, but no power cuts for us and a quality inverter has been going for years, derve costs for a year charging and water heating between 300 and 500 per year, no other bills aside from council tax, oh and the 1975 genny will happily run on a mixture of old engine oil and red derv, the good life? Rick

[macabethiel]

Correct we have no mains services at all, my current battery bank is almost ten years old and in the early days we drew a lot more power than we do now and the charging system was not as good either, this has led to more than normal deterioration of the bank, both have been addressed and together with 1600 watt hour solar pv and controller we have minimised the generator run time, led lights and a wood burner have made an enormous difference, but as the batteries are of the age they are we can only last two days without recharge (sun accepting but cannot be relied upon) so new bank purchase which will give a usage when we are not here of around 14 days, of course we have family who can call in and monitor and if need be start the genny, such is off grid life, but no power cuts for us and a quality inverter has been going for years, derve costs for a year charging and water heating between 300 and 500 per year, no other bills aside from council tax, oh and the 1975 genny will happily run on a mixture of old engine oil and red derv, the good life? Rick

Certainly sounds good I can picture you and the Felicity Kendal in your life being free of the Electric Boars People, presumably you can't flog excess power to the National Grid though. Do you have your own water supply too ? A late friend of mine had a small farm in the Bottom Houses area near Leek. I used to spend summer holidays there as a boy it was brilliant, free range eggs, you went to bed when it got dark as the generator was no good for the TV picture and was really to drive the milking parlour. Happy days!

[solarman216]

Certainly sounds good I can picture you and the Felicity Kendal in your life being free of the Electric Boars People, presumably you can't flog excess power to the National Grid though. Do you have your own water supply too ? A late friend of mine had a small farm in the Bottom Houses area near Leek. I used to spend summer holidays there as a boy it was brilliant, free range eggs, you went to bed when it got dark as the generator was no good for the TV picture and was really to drive the milking parlour. Happy days!

No not connected to the grid at all, yes we have a spring, I sank a 4ft round 6ft deep plastic tank into the ground, fitted it with a submersible pump which when the genny is running sends it to a 200 micron stainless gauze filter whereby it drops into an 8000 ltr storage tank, have had it tested for potability and it is fine although the iron content is on the high side, I have in the past bottled some, stuck it in the fridge and given it out to pure water connoisseurs, all gave it the thumbs up, Rick

[rustic]

...although the iron content is on the high side, I have in the past bottled some, stuck it in the fridge and given it out to pure water connoisseurs, all gave it the thumbs up, Rick

Eeeeee proper "Iron Brew"
:thumb2

[solarman216]

big benefit, no chlorine, ask Alex he loves a cup of tea, here, Rick

[rustic]

big benefit, no chlorine, ask Alex he loves a cup of tea, here, Rick

I'm sure I would too lol...

[Banshee]

Right, trip to Rick's it is then :thumb2

Who's coming?

[solarman216]

any of you welcome at any time if I am here, Rick

[AlexD333]

Yup, I actually pleaded to take a bottle of water home, and I carried out the following test.

The gf's niece and nephew were here, I decided to pour them a glass each of Ricks super water :naughty they agreed it was nice, immediately after that I had been running the tap for super fresh tap water, they took a sip of the tap water and both spat it out :lol

It's funny how you don't know until you have them together.. :o

I would go as far as saying ricks water is probably more pure than bottled stuff as no chemicals have been added!!

Very good stuff!! :thumb2