any mobile detailer using marine battery for power?

[I-car]

as the title says, any of you moble detailer here are using a marine battery or a deep cycle battery to operate your pressure washer, buffer or vac instead of using a generator?

whats the correct way of using it and which is better? marine or deep cycle battery?

thanks

 

[rustytruck]

Not sure what you mean. Pressure washer, vac and buffer are all AC 120volt. Batteries are DC 12 volt. I use a Honda 2000 generator. It's very light very quite and very powerful. Runs all my equipment perfectly.

 

[Gurge]

I carry a 2000w Honda gen just like mentioned above. After researching everything it just seemed like a much better idea than doing an inverter setup (which is what you're suggesting as far as running off strictly battery power)

However, my water pump / 45gal tank relies on an optima blue top. marine deep cycle. biggest one they make. D31M I think is the size. This is strictly for the flojet pump to my hose reel. I have it mounted in the bed along with everything else. it's not wired to the alternator so it needs to be periodically charged (either in the bed or removed which actually isn't so bad considering it weighs 60+ pounds)

Just got this up and running recently. been meaning to post pics in the forum

 

[poweraid]

I carry a 2000w Honda gen just like mentioned above. After researching everything it just seemed like a much better idea than doing an inverter setup (which is what you're suggesting as far as running off strictly battery power)

However, my water pump / 45gal tank relies on an optima blue top. marine deep cycle. biggest one they make. D31M I think is the size. This is strictly for the flojet pump to my hose reel. I have it mounted in the bed along with everything else. it's not wired to the alternator so it needs to be periodically charged (either in the bed or removed which actually isn't so bad considering it weighs 60+ pounds)

Just got this up and running recently. been meaning to post pics in the forum

what kind of run time do you get with that optima battery running the water pump before it needs charge ? I have a 120v pump and use either power from wall or generator . kinda hate the noise of the generator , but it runs my master blaster and and anything else if needed . sometimes all I do is a wash and not having to use generator to power my pump would be nice . do u need a special battery charger for that optima battery ? I use a yellow top in my truck not sure if that's a deep cycle type or not but maybe that alone can run the water pump ?

 

[Gurge]

what kind of run time do you get with that optima battery running the water pump before it needs charge ? I have a 120v pump and use either power from wall or generator . kinda hate the noise of the generator , but it runs my master blaster and and anything else if needed . sometimes all I do is a wash and not having to use generator to power my pump would be nice . do u need a special battery charger for that optima battery ? I use a yellow top in my truck not sure if that's a deep cycle type or not but maybe that alone can run the water pump ?

I charge it pretty frequently, so I don't know its limits really. I just know it holds as much juice as optima offers (concerning amp hours)

my flojet is 12a I think so its drawing a fair amount of power when in use.

per the recommendation of optima, for charging I bought a ctek multi us 7002

gotta do your math on whether or not the yellow top you have is sufficient. but you don't want to kill your truck and be unable to startup. The battery for my water is a separate battery from the trucks electrical system. just mounted in the bed and wired to the flojet pump

this is all pushes water through a 75ft hose on a rapid reel

 

[Mobile detail]

I use a generator set up and I agree with the noise factor but when I looked into invertor set ups to run a Master Blaster, Steamer, Mytee Spyder, ect... it cost more than a freekin generator. I do wash/detail for a local fish company and in their van they have a invertor set up. Its pretty slick. Runs off a seperate Optim Yellow? batter and is hooked up to the vehicle alt and can be switched on to charge and off so it doesn't touch the van starting battery. I think its around 2000 watts? I know he can run multiple pumps and extension cords and vacs off of it. If I had the money, I would go to invertor in a heart beat. He spent around $1000 for the whole set up including install. Its nice because you don't see all the wiring and the electrical outlet is right by the door. I love the fact that you don't have to worry about draining the van battery but can still force a charge on it. It sounds like its set up like a motorhome system. I can take pics of it if you wanna see the set up and get some ideas.

 

[ShineTimeDetail]

I have a huge deep cell battery for my pump for water....I haven't charged it in over a month....I bet I could get another month...I use it a couple times a week though so not every day.

 

[glen e]

Be very careful with new optima blue tops, they are not made the same as the old ones, they fail early. Most marine mfrs have moved from the optima to the sears AGM or the odyssey, both the same batt.

 

[I-car]

I can take pics of it if you wanna see the set up and get some ideas.

that would be much appreciated!!

 

[Gurge]

when I researched an inverter, I ran into a number of issues I wasn't happy with. The number of batteries you'd need to buy (lot of money) and carry around at all times (lot of weight) in addition to an upgraded alternator to power everything, wiring / isolator switch, $$ for install (I'm not comfortable doing all that), additional strain on the truck from the heavy duty alternator. The inverter itself wasn't too expensive but everything else surrounding the plan just added up.

In the end it just seemed easier to spend a good chunk of change for a honda that I can be using 5 mins after its out of the box. And in case of emergency (hurricane) I have something I could use for the house.

My biggest power hog is a vx5000 steamer. I've blown fuses at clients homes. the 2000w honda gen can power this individually without a problem (although I pre-heat at home first or it takes awhile to get to temp). so that's good enough for me

 

[GoldClassMobile]

To answer the op question about the type of battery he should or should not use. I run my mobile van set up off of a bank of 6 6 volt golf cart batterys. I chose the golf cart batterys over all the rest becouse of the duty cycles you get out of them. golf cart batterys also have a pretty large amount of stored energy. meaning that they have lots of usable power. most other batterys will fail before the golf cart battery will. I would stay away from marine deep cycle or any of the color tops. I say this not becouse they are bad batterys but becouse they are not meant to be used in this type of install. you need to look for batterys that are meant to be drained and recharged over and over, golf cart batterys are very very durable they can take a crap ton of abuse and still provide hours of operation. one other option you can look at are the floor scrubbers you see in your walmart at night. these batterys have even more stored power but be prepaired to spend alot of money as they are expensive. you could actualy use less of them and get the same amount of run time out of your inverter but like i said they cost alot more. they do on average store about 35% more power than the golf cart batterys. If you are looking to run your inverter off of one battery you need to do more research on what inverters do. you would drain that battery in no more than 20 minutes. you need a decent sized battery bank and you better not skimp on wire size or you will burn your equipment up. I am talking fire not just ruin your equipment. I am using 00 welding cable to transfer the 12 volt into my inverter. you need to use the same battery in your battery bank do not mix size and type that also is a mistake good luck with your setup and buy a good battery charger

 

[Gurge]

To answer the op question about the type of battery he should or should not use. I run my mobile van set up off of a bank of 6 6 volt golf cart batterys. I chose the golf cart batterys over all the rest becouse of the duty cycles you get out of them. golf cart batterys also have a pretty large amount of stored energy. meaning that they have lots of usable power. most other batterys will fail before the golf cart battery will. I would stay away from marine deep cycle or any of the color tops. I say this not becouse they are bad batterys but becouse they are not meant to be used in this type of install. you need to look for batterys that are meant to be drained and recharged over and over, golf cart batterys are very very durable they can take a crap ton of abuse and still provide hours of operation. one other option you can look at are the floor scrubbers you see in your walmart at night. these batterys have even more stored power but be prepaired to spend alot of money as they are expensive. you could actualy use less of them and get the same amount of run time out of your inverter but like i said they cost alot more. they do on average store about 35% more power than the golf cart batterys. If you are looking to run your inverter off of one battery you need to do more research on what inverters do. you would drain that battery in no more than 20 minutes. you need a decent sized battery bank and you better not skimp on wire size or you will burn your equipment up. I am talking fire not just ruin your equipment. I am using 00 welding cable to transfer the 12 volt into my inverter. you need to use the same battery in your battery bank do not mix size and type that also is a mistake good luck with your setup and buy a good battery charger

Great info there. you definitely have done your homework. its not a simple thing to pull off but totally doable if you take the time and make the investment.

I failed to mention that my entire setup is in a tacoma with a cap. If I had a van or something with more space I may have ultimately chosen an inverter because it definitely has its benefits.

care to mention how much 6 golf cart batteries weigh and how much space that takes up?

 

[GoldClassMobile]

I am not certain but I think they are about 40 or 50 pounds a piece. The size doesnt realy affect me any becouse they are all mounted under the van on a custom battery rack. I do plan on adding a few more for added run time.

 

[ALLN1WASH]

The van I picked up last month actually has a yellow top and inverter set-up. Ive only used it once and the one time I did, my battery died. Since then I really haven't fooled around with.

Am I supposed to run my van at the same time or is there some type of way to charge the inverter? I'll post a few pics when I get home and maybe y'all can set me straight.

 

[GoldClassMobile]

I bet it didnt take long to kill the battery eather. sounds to me you only have one battery running your inverter. my setup uses 7 batterys total, one for strictly the van and all its electronics and six for my inverter. I have them wired into the vans alternator but I also have a battery isolator installed as well. I dont realy get much of a charge off the alternator on my battery bank but it helps. I plug in when I get home or when I have acces to electric. I always have the battery bank either on a full charge or on a maintenance charge for the days I am not working. To answer your question it realy depends on the size of your alternator. If your inverter pulls more amps than your alternator delivers than running your van will not charge the battery. It will however stay running but it is very hard on the alternator to operate on such overwhelming conditions. it will also ruin your yellow top rather quickly. they are not meant to be depleated and recharged over and over. I used deep cycle marine batterys my first go round and my 500 dollar investment provided reliable power for maybe 2 months. I did alot of researching before I landed on the golf cart batterys. there are other batterys that will work but imo the golf cart batterys are more cost effective becouse they are more readily available and used more than any other battery of its class.I have just under 600 dollars in batterys alone not to meantion wire and all the other materials involved in using an inverter for every day reliability. One more bit of advice dont buy the high dollar inverters they will only replace them one time for you then it costs money for repairs. I buy the harbor freight inverter and just purchase the extended warranty for less than 400 bucks you assentialy get two inverters that will provide you with reliable power for a good few years. every inverter is going to were itself out eventualy and what happens to electronics when they get wet well they quit working. you could buy a marine grade inverter but they to are super expensive and in due time will quit working. I will try to upload some pictures of my setup I do not claim to be an expert in the inverter field I am simply sharing what I have learned from my own experiences over the years of using and installing them .

 

[JLC]

GoldClassMobile, are you using 6V or 12V golf cart batteries? What size inverter are you running? Which battery charger?

I am considering going with an inverter to avoid gasoline power to run a steam cleaner, vacuum, polisher, extractor, etc. Thanks.

 

[GoldClassMobile]

I am using six volt battery's wired together at 12 volts. I have a cheap harbor freight inverter at 2000 amps. I use a craftsman battery charger to charge them over night. I also have them on a battery isolator in the van for a 10 amp charge from the alternator as I am driving.

 

[JLC]

I am using six volt battery's wired together at 12 volts. I have a cheap harbor freight inverter at 2000 amps. I use a craftsman battery charger to charge them over night. I also have them on a battery isolator in the van for a 10 amp charge from the alternator as I am driving.

Thanks. Im assuming you meant 2000 Watts. I have a 3000W Generator with a Tri-fuel conversion that I used for hurricane outages (running Natural Gas now) but I havent taken it on the road with me yet. I would feel safer with an inverter set-up (and avoid fumes/exhaust).

 

[215Detailing]

I carry a 2000w Honda gen just like mentioned above. After researching everything it just seemed like a much better idea than doing an inverter setup (which is what you're suggesting as far as running off strictly battery power)

However, my water pump / 45gal tank relies on an optima blue top. marine deep cycle. biggest one they make. D31M I think is the size. This is strictly for the flojet pump to my hose reel. I have it mounted in the bed along with everything else. it's not wired to the alternator so it needs to be periodically charged (either in the bed or removed which actually isn't so bad considering it weighs 60+ pounds)

Just got this up and running recently. been meaning to post pics in the forum

Hello GURGE quick question your hose (type) setup from flojet how and any photos ?