Re: (ET) Update my my old "cooked" Trojan batteries

["David Barden" <daveb drizzle com>]

to get a "rise and answer"  :^)   thanks for detailed
answer!

I knew that about VR/SLA batteries but for flooded I have
repeatedly heard, mainly by the EV racing crowd more interested in power and
performance rather than longevity, that if I wasn't having to water my batteries
more than a coupla times a year I was undercharging.  If I knew enough to
press the matter I probably wouldn't gotten the caveat from at least some of the
speed crowd....

but what is overcharging?  charging to too high a
voltage?  charging for too long at the correct voltage? charging at too high
an amperage?  Rather is the result the same in all the above?  

thanks again...


ciao,
dave b

On Wed, August 26,
2009 6:42 pm, David Roden wrote:
> On 26 Aug 2009 at 18:17, David Barden
wrote:
> 
>> other than having to add water a little more
frequently, what's the harm of
>> "overcharging" anFLA
battery?
> 
> I'm puzzled as to why you put overcharging in
quotation marks.  It's not a
> theoretical or imaginary matter;
overcharging accelerates depreciation of a
> battery, period.  In any
battery, overcharging causes more rapid corrosion
> of the positive grids,
shortening the battery's life.
> 
> In valve regulated (closed AGM
or gel) if the overcharging causes gassing
> beyond what the recombinant
reaction can handle, it also contributes to loss
> of water, which can't be
replaced (at least not without voiding the
> warranty).
> 
> This is the reason that UPS batteries have to be replaced every few years
> whether the computer (or whatever) uses the UPS or not.
> 
>
On the other hand, chronic undercharging can cause hard crystalline
>
sulfation. Shed sulfate crystals are gone forever.  This kind of sulfation
> is irreversible, no matter what the blinky gadget and snake oil
>
manufacturers claim.
> 
> Now, the question is, which does more
harm, overcharing or undercharging?
> That's not easy to answer.  But it
appears to me (from very unscientifc
> observations) that overcharging is
probably more common than undercharging.
> It's also my opinion that in
cyclic use, where the battery is cycled
> regularly, slight undercharging
is preferable to overcharging.  But you can
> easily find some very
knowledgable folks who will say the opposite, so take
> your pick. ;-)
> 
> 
> David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA
> 
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