Old Coach Batteries

[mypopslou]

My four coach batteries are 9 years old. I keep filling them with distilled water but have to admit sometimes I wait too long to check them and the plates are showing. They will still power the refrigerator and lights in my coach for about 24-36 hours before they are depleted. I plan on replacing these batteries some time next year when I enter the next stage of my life and start full timing. At the present time I am always hooked up to power at a campground.

My question is by delaying the replacement of these old batteries am I risking any damage to any system in my coach?

My coach is a Diesel Pusher with an invertor/converter.

Appreciate any information

[kaypsmith]

My opinion, if the batteries are properly maintained, water added when needed, terminals kept clean, checked regularly for proper charge in each battery, there should be no need for worry.

While checking the battery charge level, with the charger/inverter in an off state, making sure each battery has achieved maximum charge, if they are 6 volt, 6.6 to 6.8, or 12 volt 13.2 to 13.6. This would indicate no bad cells, if one cell in a battery goes bad, this can cause overcharging by the charging system and start the domino effect on the other batteries.

At 9 years, it seems that your system has performed well, and I think that you have gotten your monies worth, but another year

will surely be an extra for you.

Kay

[wolfe10]

The only risk is if you try to run any of your appliances on less than about 12.2 VDC. Some of the PC boards are not forgiving of low power.

And, as long as you are mostly plugged in, if a battery or two goes bad, the remaining pair may serve your needs until next year. Another option if all the batteries are bad, since you are plugged in would be to buy a reasonably inexpensive 12 VDC marine battery for the house duties over the winter.