Re: (ET) Golf cart batteries

[Charlie <medievalist gmail com>]

On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 4:52 PM, David Roden wrote:
>
>  There's no validity to the old myth that
> batteries left on a concrete floor will discharge, BTW.

David, have you performed any experiments to test this "old myth"?

I've never met anybody (other than myself) in 25 years of inquiry, who
actually did the experiment.

When I did it (20 years or more ago) I unfortunately did not control
for temperature, I didn't carefully clean the battery tops, and I
didn't use brand new batteries with a single batch of fresh
electrolyte, so my experiment wasn't really good enough to be
considered science.

With that caveat being made, a lead-acid car battery resting directly
on concrete self-discharged slightly faster than the one resting on a
nominal 1" greasy wooden plank right next to it when measured every
weekday with a cheap ball-type hydrometer over the course of two or
three months.  I didn't write anything down at the time, which I
greatly regret since I can no longer remember any of the numbers.

Because of this I always put a board between concrete and a battery.
I have never suffered any harm from doing so, and it's really not any
extra work, and "old myths" in my experience often contain more than a
grain of truth.  For example, if you don't walk under ladders, you're
less likely to have a gallon paint can fall on your head.

I will happily change my behavior as soon as I see a properly
documented and controlled experiment that proves the batteries I use
will not discharge faster on concrete, but so far nobody's been able
to point me to any experimental data better than my own.  There's been
no shortage of people telling me I'm a liar or a superstitious fool,
though. ;)

--Charlie