Maintenance and storage of lead batteries

MAINTENANCE CURRENT:

Maintains it a sealed lead acid battery or liquid is quite similar, however there are a few rules to keep them as long as possible.

Insofar as loading it and unloading at reasonable temperatures and according to its capacity, the lead-acid battery is sufficiently strong.

The terminals must be clean without oxidation. For terminals types car it must be the cleaned before making connections and once they made coat everything with a neutral vaseline.

Check about all 6 months connectivity, good binding of the lugs and proper tightening. A bad connection may cause malfunction of the equipment downstream and create a hot spot that may cause a fire.

When charging a lead-acid battery, do it always in an open room and without any sparks in the vicinity. Where notation on lead yuasa batteries "do not charge in a gas tight container.

If you keep a battery in floating (dead load), consider to work from time to time so that it does not use to do nothing. Ten minutes per month to 1/5 of the capacity is sufficient. Otherwise, your battery will tell you not all its capacity at the time where you will solicit and will need to make him perform a few cycles charge/discharge to reinstate all its original power.

VRLA batteries must absolutely avoid degassing because the water in the electrolyte is then electrolysed: as we cannot add water (VRLA battery is sealed), the battery is dried gradually and the life expectancy is very low.

Specifically for lead batteries opened:

Ensure that the electrolyte still covers the plates. If they are not visible, there is usually a (more or less obvious) mark indicating the maximum level should not exceed.

Perform the add-in (if necessary) when the battery is charged completely don't add that water distilled or demineralized water and especially not of the electrolyte.

Only water is consumed during the reaction, not the acid!

A tip: when charging, if your charger is good quality, it is not necessary to open the caps; normally they are drilled. If you have any doubt, you can unscrew but without removing them from their homes, it will avoid splashes of electrolyte.

Open batteries degassing is necessary and beneficial because it fights the stratification, but it must not exceed a few minutes because:

outgassing causes a rise in temperature
bubbles posterior active materials of grids
the offgas consume water, which has the effect to increase the concentration of the sulfuric acid electrolyte (+ corrosion) and to increase maintenance requirements.
The production of hydrogen induced explosion hazards: the places where open batteries are placed must be broken down because there is a risk of explosion when the concentration of hydrogen air reaches 4%.

STORAGE:

For batteries lead bottoms:

It must store them loads and give back them a shot of charger every 6 months. Because the auto discharge depending on the battery temperature will gradually lose its power even without use.

More storage temperature is low over the self-discharge is low

A 25% at 20 ° C self-discharge occurs in 6 months

A 25% at 15 ° C self-discharge occurs in 15 months

A 25% at 30 ° C self-discharge occurs in 3 months

For the storage of batteries electrolyte liquid:

If it comes to buy it and it is dry with the electrolyte in a separate bottle, keep it such - what otherwise, load and store it loaded in a room temperate and dry and it put a charger kick quarterly.