With over 35 years of family experience and knowledge within the battery industry we like to think we know our stuff! We have complied some useful information below which will help you get the most life out of your battery. If you can’t find the advice you need below then please feel free to contact us.

Car, Commercial & Agricultural

• Make sure that the battery you have chosen is the correct battery for your vehicle. If you have used our battery guide you will still need to double check the existing battery. Our battery finder is a guide only and it is the responsibility of the customer to ensure it is the correct fitment. Failure to check may result in the incorrect battery being supplied. This may lead to premature failure and is not covered under warranty.
• Once your new battery is delivered you may find it worthwhile to get a fresh alternator check done. This will ensure that your new battery is getting the correct charge from the vehicle to keep it in tip top condition
• If you intend to use an external battery charger for charging please ensure that the charger is at least 10% of the rated ah capacity of the battery – for example a 60ah battery will need a charger of at least 6 amps
• If you use your vehicle infrequently, we recommend disconnecting the battery terminals from the battery. This will help eliminate any electrical drains from the battery whilst your car is not in use for long periods of time. Do not leave your battery flat for long periods of time. This will damage the battery and it is not covered under warranty
• Please ensure that your battery is fitted securely and that the terminals are fitted tightly
• If you have two batteries fitted to your vehicle it is important you replace both batteries. Even if you suspect one of the batteries is ok, it will expire before your new replacement and bring the new one down resulting in failure which is not covered under warranty

Leisure

• Most leisure batteries benefit from not being discharged lower than 50%. This is understood to be a level in which the battery will continue to recharge and not loose capacity over a long period of time
• You must not fully flatten a leisure battery or regularly discharge it over 50%. This will result in loss of capacity. If you do this often you may find that the battery will retain charge but starts to drain quicker than normal. This is not covered under warranty as it is not a manufacturing defect
• Never leave you leisure battery flat for long periods of time. If you intend to leave your battery for a time then please ensure the battery is fully charged and then recharged once a month. This will ensure the battery does not sulphate and stays in tip top condition
• Ensure that your battery is getting the correct charge. Automatic/smart charges are great as long as you do not discharge the battery over 50%. If you discharge over 50% frequently you will find that the automatic chargers will cut off too early before the battery is actually fully charged. This will result in loss of capacity. In our experience good old fashioned chargers perform well in battery recovery if you inadvertently fully discharge your battery
• If your battery is used within a purpose built battery monitoring/charging system then please check the setting the charger is currently set to. There may be different settings for different types of batteries ie: lead acid, sealed, gel etc. Please ensure that your system is set up correctly for the type of battery you have. If you are unsure then please refer to your charger manual or contact us
• If your battery is used with an alternator as a charging method then please ensure it is giving out the correct voltage
• If you have more than one battery in operation that share the same charging input it is crucial that you replace the bank of batteries at the same time. This will ensure that the new batteries are all fresh and will perform well. Even if you suspect that one or some of the batteries are ok they will fail before your new battery and will bring the new battery down resulting in failure
• Banks of batteries benefit from all being the same type and capacity. This will ensure even charging and prolong the life of your batteries

Golf

• When your battery arrives from Alpha Batteries it will be fully charged, but we do advise that you immediately give it a top up charge for a few hours before you use it on the trolley
• Only use the correct charger which was supplied by your golf trolley manufacturer or one specifically designed for deep cycle GEL/AGM batteries. It must say that it is a two or three stage (step) charger or have a red/orange and green light. That is because there must be a very low maintenance charge to keep your battery in peak condition
• Do not leave your battery in a discharged state; always put it on charge immediately after your round of golf and leave it on the maintenance charge until your next round of golf. Please do not leave it on the maintenance charge for very long periods, such as over Winter
• Do not store your battery in ‘extreme’ conditions, either very cold or very hot. When you do store your battery for a prolonged period, give it a refreshing charge every month, it will pay you back for your care
• Every four or five rounds check that your golf trolley is in good working order with no sticky wheels or bearings etc. Extra drag will make your battery think it is going uphill for eighteen holes!