Do
lead acid batteries discharge when not in use?
Yes. All batteries, regardless of their chemistry, will
self-discharge even when no load is present. The rate of self-discharge for lead
acid batteries depends on the storage, operating temperature and condition of
the battery. At a temperature of 80 degrees F, a lead acid battery will self-discharge at a rate of
approximately 4% a week. A battery with a 125 amp-hour rating would
self-discharge at a rate of approximately five amps per week. Keeping this in
mind if a 125 AH battery is stored for four months (16 weeks) winter without
being charged, it will loose 80 amps of its 125-amp capacity. As a result of
being undercharged, the battery will also have
severe sulfation, which causes additional loss of
capacity.
A rule of thumb is to ALWAYS
keep your batteries fully charged while not in use!
Do
lead acid batteries develop a memory?
Lead acid batteries do not develop any type of memory.
Do I
need to completely discharge my lead acid battery before recharging it?
No. In fact you should never discharge your lead acid battery
below 80% of its rated capacity. Discharging a 12 volt battery below this point, or 10.5 volts,
can damage it.
Can
my batteries freeze?
Yes. If your battery is partially discharged, the electrolyte in a lead
acid battery may freeze. At a 40% state of charge, electrolyte will freeze if
the temperature drops to approximately -16 degrees F. When a battery is fully
charged the electrolyte will not freeze until the temperature drops to
approximately -92 degrees F. Always keep your battery fully charged! The
Battery Butlertm
Storage Charger makes this process simple and inexpensive.
When
should I add water to my batteries?
How often you use and recharge your batteries will determine the
frequency of watering. Also, using batteries in a hot climate will require more
frequent watering. It is best to check your battery water level frequently and
add distilled water when needed. Never add tap water to your battery. Tap water
contains minerals that will reduce battery capacity and increase their
self-discharge rate.
Warning
A brand new battery may have a low electrolyte level. Charge the
battery first and then add water if needed. Adding water to a battery before
charging may result in overflow of the electrolyte.
What
is the proper electrolyte level?
Battery electrolyte levels should be just below the bottom of the vent
well, about ½ - ¾ inch above the tops of the separators. Never let the
electrolyte level to drop below the top of the plates.
Do I
ever need to add acid to my battery?
Under normal operating conditions, you never need to add acid. Only
distilled or de-ionized water should be added to achieve the recommended
electrolyte levels.
What is battery sulfation and when
does it occur?
Sulfation (or Lead Sulfate) is the formation of hard
crystals on the plates of your battery. These unwanted crystals are formed
by the lead and sulfuric acid in your battery.
Initially, the lead sulfate coating is soft, thin
and easily reconverted into lead and sulfuric acid when battery is recharged. It
is important to remember, the longer your battery remains discharged, the more
it will begin to form hard crystals of lead sulfate…RECHARGE YOUR BATTERY AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE! Once these hard crystals form, they are impossible to
remove during a standard fixed voltage (13.6 volts) charging process, and will
lead to battery failure. This is why it is so important to keep your
battery fully charged at all times!!! The
Battery Butlertm
Storage Charger makes this process simple and inexpensive.
What
are the most common mistakes made by owners of lead acid batteries?
