TYPE OF BATTERIES

TYPE OF BATTERIES: - Low maintenance (non-sealed) and maintenance free (non-sealed or sealed) are the two most common types of car batteries.

The advantages of maintenance free batteries are less preventative maintenance, longer life, faster recharging, greater overcharge resistance, reduced terminal corrosion and longer shelf life, but they are more prone to deep discharge (dead battery) failures due to increased shedding of active plate material.

In hot climates, buying non-sealed batteries is recommended because a sealed battery will not allow you to add water when required, or to test the specific gravity with an external hydrometer. Some manufacturers introduced a third type of car battery, "dual", that combined a standard battery with switchable emergency backup cells. For about the same cost a better approach was to buy two batteries and isolate them.

It is best to buy a commercial or AMG battery for excessive vibration applications. Car batteries are specially designed for high initial cranking amps (usually for five to 15 seconds) to start an engine; whereas, deep cycle (or marine) batteries are designed for prolonged discharges at lower amperage.

A "dual marine" battery is a compromise between a car and deep cycle battery; However, a car battery will give you the best performance in a car. For RVs, a car battery is used to start the engine and a deep cycle battery is used to power the accessories. The batteries are connected to a diode isolator and both are automatically recharged by the RV's charging system when engine is running.