|
Yes, you will shorten the battery life, by how much? I am not sure if anyone has quantified that, in an ideal world you'd only use the top 20% and your batteries would last for 20 years, but you are coming close... but then letting them sit, so that is allowing the sulphation to harden a little, a battery desulphator will help keep the batteries from aging as quickly, same with keeping an eye on the water level and keeping them warm... cold batteries don't hold as much energy so that 40% is more like 90% if it's really cold out.
Other thing that will keep the batteries from aging is a good absorption charge, 12 to 16 hours of charging to "top them off" will help a great deal in extending their life.
I would also say that a good equalizing is going to help a great deal in helping them living longer, so either over charge them a bit, adding water as needed, or toss a 12v charger on each battery from time to time to make sure that each battery is full and happy, I do this with a dumb charger, so it over charges that battery just a little, on my car I do this every month or two, at work on my electric fork lift I do this twice a year when work is slow.
|