Energy Unlimited by Victron

The following table gives an impression of service life at different temperatures.

Battery type

Service life in shallow cycling or float use (years)

20°C

25°C

30°C

Start

5

3.6

2.5

Spiral-cell

10

7

5

Semi-traction

5

3.6

2.5

VRLA AGM battery Traction (tubular-plate)

8

6

4

10

7

5

VRLA-gel Sonnenschein Dryfit A200 VRLA-gel Sonnenschein Dryfit A600

5

3.6

2.5

16

11

8

Finally, temperature plays a big part in charging batteries. The gassing voltage and consequently the optimum absorption and float voltages are inversely proportional to temperature.

This means that at a fixed charge voltage a cold battery will be insufficiently charged and a hot battery will be overcharged. See section 4.4. for more information on temperature and battery charging.

2.5.10. Self-discharge

A battery at rest loses capacity as a consequence of self-discharge. The rate of self-discharge depends on the type of battery and temperature.

Type

Alloy

Self-discharge per month at 20°C

Self-discharge per month at 10°C

Start

Antimony (1,6 %)

6 %

3 %

Spiral-cell

Pure lead

4 %

2 %

Semi-traction

Antimony (1,6 %)

6 %

3 %

VRLA AGM battery Traction (tubular-plate)

Calcium

3 %

1.5 %

Antimony (5 %)

12 %

6 %

VRLA-gel Sonnenschein Dryfit A200 VRLA-gel Sonnenschein Dryfit A600

Calcium

2 %

1 %

Calcium

2 %

1 %

When not in use, open lead-antimony batteries must be recharged after no more than 4 months, unless the average ambient temperature is low. Sealed batteries can be left without recharge for a period of 6 to 8 months. When not in use for a long period of time, it is important to disconnect the battery from the electric system, so that no accelerated discharging can take place as a result of current leaks elsewhere in the system.

19

© Victron Energy

Powered by