May 29, 2020 Pageview:1072
12v deep cycle batteries can be used for a wide range of applications depending on your needs at hand. You can use these batteries in your car, storing renewable energy and any other function that needs deep cycle batteries. Over the years these batteries have been evolving and several battery technologies have been innovated to improve their performance, durability and also to reduce the maintenance costs. Some of the most common 12V deep cycle battery technologies include the following;
Gel batteries: These batteries are designed like lead acid batteries but the major difference is that these use Gel as the electrolyte. Using Gel as the electrolyte eliminates the challenges that are faced in Lead acid batteries like leaking of the acid and always making sure the battery is upright. With gel batteries, you can have the battery in any position since there’s limited movement of internal parts due to the thick gel
AGM batteries: These are normally mid-sized batteries between 30Ah to 100Ah. They are designed with a glass mat separator between the acid and the plates. Compared to gel batteries, AGM batteries have a depth of charge of about 80% which is higher than that of gel batteries.
Lithium batteries: These are newer compared to the above two technologies that we have discussed. This battery technology has lots of advantages over other battery technologies at the moment. Some of the advantages they have include; lightness, bigger depth of charge, fast charging and discharge, etc. However, they are the most expensive battery technology due to the high cost of the materials used to make these batteries
What is the best 12V battery?
Deep cycle batteries are meant to last long and also provide sufficient power that is needed by the user. While buying one, you may at times be confused of which one to choose since they are so many in the market. If you’re looking for a deep cycle battery, worry not because I am going to share with you some of the deep cycle batteries that are moderately priced but with good specifications
1.Mighty Max Deep Cycle AGM Solar Battery
This is an AGM technology battery that was specifically designed for solar but it can also be used for other applications that have the energy requirements it can meet. This battery can also tolerate high temperatures which makes it suitable for both indoor and outdoor usage. It is also designed in different capacities ranging from 30Ah to 100Ah.
2.VMAX MR127 AGM Deep Cycle battery
This is another deep cycle battery that can be used to store renewable energy and any other form of energy that is with its range of operations. It’s a 12V deep cycle battery with a capacity of 100Ah. Such a battery can last a couple of hours if you’re not powering power hungry appliances in your home.
3.Universal Power Group DEEP Cycle battery
This is another AGM technology battery and is also among the most rated batteries on Amazon. It is a maintenance free and spill proof battery that can be used without having to worry about leakages of the acid. It is a 12V deep cycle battery with a capacity of 100Ah.
What is the longest lasting deep cycle battery?
The life span of deep cycle batteries depends on a number of factors that include the following;
Operational temperatures: High temperatures are the main cause of batteries losing capacity at a very fast rate. If a deep cycle battery is used in an environment with high temperatures, its capacity will reduce way faster than when used in environments having room temperatures
How the battery is charged and discharged: The way you charge your deep cycle battery has an effect on its overall capacity. Deeply discharging the battery will make it lose capacity faster than discharging the battery to about 40 or 50% of its charge capacity. Even if a deep cycle battery has a higher depth of charge, always make sure you don’t discharge it below 35 or 40% of its total capacity.
But that said the life spans of the various deep cycle battery are as follows;
Gelled deep cycle batteries last between 2 to 5 years.
L-16 Deep cycle batteries last between 4 to 8 years
AGM deep cycle batteries last between 4 to 8 years
Rolls-Surrette premium deep cycle batteries last between 7 to 15 years
Industrial deep cycle (Crown and Rolls 4KS series) last between 10 to 20 years and more.
However, like we have seen above, the battery’s life span will depend on usage and maintenance. A battery that is not properly handled may not last even one year.
Are all 12V batteries the same?
The simple answer to this question is NO. 12v batteries have several other differences despite having the same voltage. Some of these differences include the current that can be discharged from the battery at a time and also the battery capacity. Different 12V batteries are designed with different maximum discharge current that is rated in Amps and different capacities that are rated in Amp-hours (Ah).
Car batteries also have other ratings besides the voltage. Some of these include;
Cold cranking Amps (CCA): This rating is used to show the battery’s capacity to start an engine in cold temperatures. Generally, it is easier to start an engine in warm weather than in cold weather. So, a battery with a higher CCA rating has the capacity to start an engine in colder environments than that with a lower rating
Reserve capacity (RC): This rating is used to determine how long a new battery can run the essential accessories of the engine when the car’s alternator is off. The higher the RC rating, the longer the battery can run the main accessories of the car when the engine is off before it totally drains.
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