So, how long can house batteries last?

[Thunder_Mountai]

I have got to be running on borrowed time with my 4 6V house batteries. They were put in service in December of 2006. They've been kept charged via solar or shore power, never discharged, never allowed to run low on water and have had new cables.

Looked at new battery cost and had a bit of sticker shock. So how long can they last?

[pnichols]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Trojan and Crown have thicker plates with denser plate paste in their GC batteries
Rolls has the best.

David ... I've searched and searched to no avail. Maybe with your new old computer you can do better.

Can you locate a Rolls 12V AGM battery in a "standard" Group 30 or 31 size anywhere? They offer the 30 H 125 model, but it's wet cell.

I wonder if Rolls offers AGM batteries at all? They sure make a lot of weird batteries - strange shapes and voltages - all expensive, all with stellar reputations, ... and none from C@#*a.

[alfresco]

The battery that came in my 5er lasted a few months over 14 years. I never had a battery last that long in anything before. I have to buy a new one this spring.

[2oldman]

I work my batteries hard.

2kw inverter used for coffee maker, toaster, MW.. and I watch tv. So yeah, I'll use up a set in 4-5 years.

[Gjac]

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Talk about asking for unintentionally misleading info !!!

Trojan and Crown have thicker plates with denser plate paste in their GC batteries
Rolls has the best.

Let's assssume the T-105 Owner has deep cycled his batteries 270-times in 5-years

A second owner chimes in. His set of Snerdly & Throckmorton warehouse membership batteries have endured 39 genuine cycles in 7 years and spend most other experiences at 20% depth of discharge, prompt recharging and vacationing under ideal floating.

They compare notes. Misleading notes. "Hah! You only got 5-years service out of your Trojans and my Throckmorton's are going to enjoy their sixth birthday next month!"

A person will NEVER convince the Throckmorton owner his data is skewed beyond hope. He will argue until he is blue in the face.

Without knowing individual records of usage asking about "battery life" is fraught with peril. This is true with almost everything. People with opinions that are STRONG and LOUD out-blast folks whom they disagree with.

It is easy to fall into this conclusion without looking at the whole picture. My first set of T-105's lasted only 4 years before they died. My second set of Sam's club batteries are going on 9 years old. I dry camp 95% of the time, but I don;t believe the Sam's club batteries are better, just that I learned how to maintain them better, not optimal just better. After reading a lot of posts 10 years ago how Magnatech converters overcharge and boil batteries, my Trogen's were being under charged and died of sulfation. The Sam's club batteries were still charged with the Vecter 40 amp car charger and floated at 13.8 volts with the Magntec 950. I still can't figure out how the 13.8 v Magnatec is a "battery boiler" as many on here have posted? The new batteries have never been below 50% SOC and have been recharged to 100% or there a bouts within 7 days. They have sat over the winter from Nov 1st 2014 to Feb 20th without charge and were at 80% SOC so now they are floating on the Magnatec to bring them back to 100%. Everyone has different requirements on how the camp. I don't watch TV or use the battery other than water pump or lights so the batteries last 7 days, by then I am out of water and out of clean clothes and want to move on anyways.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Talk about asking for unintentionally misleading info !!!

Trojan and Crown have thicker plates with denser plate paste in their GC batteries
Rolls has the best.

Let's assssume the T-105 Owner has deep cycled his batteries 270-times in 5-years

A second owner chimes in. His set of Snerdly & Throckmorton warehouse membership batteries have endured 39 genuine cycles in 7 years and spend most other experiences at 20% depth of discharge, prompt recharging and vacationing under ideal floating.

They compare notes. Misleading notes. "Hah! You only got 5-years service out of your Trojans and my Throckmorton's are going to enjoy their sixth birthday next month!"

A person will NEVER convince the Throckmorton owner his data is skewed beyond hope. He will argue until he is blue in the face.

Without knowing individual records of usage asking about "battery life" is fraught with peril. This is true with almost everything. People with opinions that are STRONG and LOUD out-blast folks whom they disagree with.

[Denny___Jami]

We are starting our 13th year on two Optima Blue Tops,first 10 years with a one stage charger and now a staged charger.

Denny

[westend]

Trojans will have a long life cycle, especially if maintained and treated right. 10 years would not be out of the range for light use and shallow cycling. Any battery will have a short life if not maintained and allowed to be deeply cycled for a dozen or so cycles. I've maintained fleets of them and it is all about treatment.

FWIW, my original truck battery that was put under severe loads but maintained well lasted 10 yrs, 1 mo.

[Huntindog]

As others have said, they can go a loooong time. Consider how much value you feel they have given you over the years. The best years are behind you, not in front. Mayb you can get a few more years out of them, maybe not.
It depends on how big a deal it would be if your batteries died on a trip.... If it would be a catastrophe, then replace them.
I don't think I would spend money testing batteries that old.. Put that money towards new ones.

[MEXICOWANDERER]

Test test test test test test test...

Specific gravity AND electrolyte clarity.

Connect pair in series then load to 220-amps. Voltage MUST remain above 9.6 during test

Test batteries with a battery impedence tester.

Get all three tests done.

You might be in for a pleasant surprise...

[time2roll]

Thunder Mountain wrote:
I have got to be running on borrowed time with my 4 6V house batteries. They were put in service in December of 2006. They've been kept charged via solar or shore power, never discharged, never allowed to run low on water and have had new cables.

Looked at new battery cost and had a bit of sticker shock. So how long can they last?

Fairly normal for light usage or float service. I would give them at least 12 years so 2018.

Nice to have the capacity when needed but you may only need half that battery.

[Dakota98]

If it's of interest to you.

Step by step instructions for testing deep cycle batteries

[Bobbo]

Mine lasted 7 years, but for at least half of that time, I abused them with a single stage charger, and less than frequent water checks. When I finally did get around to checking the water, the pair of group 27 batteries never took less than 3/4 of a gallon, between them. I am really surprised that thay lasted that long.

I upgraded to a 3 stage charger after 4 years. I finally replaced my batteries a couple of months ago with a pair of 6v golf cart batteries. I am vowing to check the water more frequently.

[MrWizard]

On normal flooded golf cart batteries, I figure 30~36 months
But we full-time off grid, mostly dry camping
Do that is around 1000 use cycles, charging..discharging

[TurnThePage]

I'm currently running a couple T105s that are approaching 12 years old and still work well. They were 8 years old when I acquired them. I don't think they were ever really used before I got them, and I haven't strained them much either. They've spent most of their time in maintenance mode. I'm considering replacing them this year just because.