A big thank you to all of you for your excellent comments and advice. I really appreciate it. I didn't receive email notifications of your responses so not sure whats happening there.
I ended up missing out on that battery. Its probably just as well as the freight was way too expensive. I have however located a local battery that the dealer says will be replaced in a week or so. I will have the first offer so Ill report back what I find.
Here is another question. Two of my 220ah so called deep cycles have now failed inside two years. They are 12v batteries and in both cases, one cell has given up. Im told by the local supplier this is a cell short and the entire battery is now stuffed. My reckoning says if a cell is shorted, then I should always get around 10v from the 5 remaining cells. However, when I charge one of these dud batteries, it will retain 12.5 - 13v for quite some time and with self discharge will eventually drain. One of these is currently reading 12.1v and has been sitting outside unconnected for over one month. So, my question is.....does this sound like a shorted out cell? if so, why the 12+v voltage? If not, then what do you think is wrong and can it be brought back to serviceable life. My local battery dealer says take it to the scrap metal man.
Appreciate your valuable comments.
Thanks