Re: (ET) Battery question

["David Roden" <etpost drmm net>]

On 16 Apr 2010 at 12:31, harry landis wrote:

> So what would happen if I were to add maybe 1/2 inch of extra battery
>  acid or water or a mixture so as to have a reserve to prevent drying 
> out?

If AGM batteries are charged properly and carefully equalized 
periodically, 
they should begin to dry out as they reach the end of their service life.  
In that case there's no point in adding water, though it can't hurt to 
try.  


Batteries that have been overcharged and have vented may benefit from 
having 
water added.

How do you know how much to add?  It requires a little foresight.  Weigh 
the 
battery when new and record the weight.  If the battery seems to be having 
capacity problems later, weight it again and add just enough distilled 
water 
(evenly divided among the cells is about all you can do) to bring it back 
up 
to original weight.

I don't recommend adding electrolyte in any circumstance.  That can change 
the concentration, leading to grid corrosion.  

I definitely wouldn't add water (or anything) to a new AGM battery.  That 
space you see above the plates is for managing the hydrogen that's evolved 
as the battery is in absorption phase, not for extra free liquid.


David Roden - Akron, Ohio, USA

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
Note: mail sent to the "etpost" address will not reach me.  To send 
me a private message, please use the address shown at the bottom
of this page : http://www.evdl.org/help/
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =