Just a half hour to repair a lead acid battery

Invented in 1859 by French physician Gaston Plante, lead acid battery has undergone many great improvements, from the general lead acid batteries to maintenance-free sealed lead acid batteries. But the same basic design is that it uses a reversible chemical reaction to store electrical energy. When lead-acid batteries discharge, there is a chemical change in the positive plates. They change from lead oxide when charged to lead sulfate when discharged. If the battery remains discharged longer, however, a greater amount of the positive plate will remain lead sulfate. The part of the plate that becomes “sulfated” no longer stores energy. Repairing these defective cells can be done by the average backyard technician in about a half-hour.

Firstly, check the acid level and ratio. Most lead acid batteries will have a cap for each cell, and commonly there are six cells. Prying off the plates or caps over these cells with a screwdriver will give you access to the cell compartment. A common battery acid tester is a dropper with small colored balls inside of it. When a sample of battery fluid is pulled into the dropper, the number and color of floating balls indicates the acid composition.

Then, replenish the acid to the proper level and ratio. The physical level of how much fluid is in the battery can be seen through the top holes, one per cell. If a cell is low, it may indicate in issue with the battery. The battery can be "topped off" with fresh acid mix--but never plain water, as this may damage the cells.

Thirdly, replace the battery plates as an assembly or individually. The metal plates inside the lead acid battery are prone to corrosion and other factors that prevent them from charging correctly. Transmutation of the zinc plates, in particular, can lead to failure. By taking the top of the dry battery completely off (it may be sealed with a locking mechanism or heat-shrink plastic), the plates can be accessed. Some models will have the plates connected to the top panel, and they slide out when the panel is removed. Others may have static plates, accessed from the side of the battery casing. These plates can be disassembled to repair, but it is easier to replace the entire bank of plates because without scientific equipment, it would be difficult to determine which plate was at fault, if any.

Finally, charge the refurbished battery on a 1-amp trickle charger. The battery will be "full" or fully charged, in about 30 hours. Test the acid level often, and replenish the fluid when low.

After fixed, the lead acid battery can be used for a long time. I think you will have a professional achievement if you do it just by yourself. But be careful when doing so. Acid is corrosive which may hurt you and damage your skin if it touches you. Moreover, lead is an acutely and chronically toxic compound, and is also highly toxic to fish, other animals and plants. It is very important to do good protection before you start repairing the lead acid battery.

Source: www.leoch.com

Something You need to know about Lead Acid Battery Care and Maintenance

As it has been used for over 140 years, lead acid battery is reliable, mature secondary batteries, globally manufactured and therefore a widely understood technology. The person who owns a lead acid battery always notices that it needs care and maintenance or it may be dead after a short while.

Top-charge and Precautions

Any lead acid battery will be damaged by continual undercharging or overcharging (Capacity is reduced and life is shorted.), although batteries accept a charge very well due to their low internal resistance. Overcharging is extremely harmful to any sealed lead acid battery because of the sealed design. Overcharging dries out the electrolyte by driving the oxygen and hydrogen out of the battery through the pressure relief valves which will lead to less capacity and shorter lifetime. If a battery is continually undercharged, a barrier layer of sulfate will build up on the positive plate which will impact recharging acceptability. Premature plate shedding can also happen. Performance is reduced and life is shortened.

It is critical that a charger be used that limits voltage. The charger must be temperature-compensated to prevent under or overcharging due to ambient temperature changes. The warranty is void if improperly charged. Use a good constant potential, temperature-compensated, voltage-regulated charger. Constant current chargers should never be used on VRLA and VRLA-GEL batteries.

Battery storage

If the battery has high temperature or poor ventilation during storage and delivery, the self-discharge will increase. So, keep good ventilation and keep away from fire, flame, heat supply etc. When storing the battery, take it off from the charger and load and keep it in the dry and cool place. Please supplement charge before use when the battery has been kept for a long time.

Cautions:

1.      Keep batteries in place, where children can not reach.

2.      Do not attempt to disassemble, revise, damage, impact, dispose batteries, otherwise the battery can leak, be overheated, or explore.

3.      Do not dispose of the batteries in water, fire, and do not heating the batteries.

4.      Do not short batteries.

5.      Do not put your face near the top of batteries. Please wear gloves, eye protection when you measure or repair batteries.

6.      There is sulfuric acid in the battery. Do not make contact with sulfuric acid in skin, clothes, or especially in eyes. If eyes make contact with sulfuric acid, please wash with a lot of clean water, and consult a physician immediately.

7.      The suitable temperature is -15℃-+50℃, but it will have longer life in the temperature from +20℃-+30℃. The operation circumstances and defined as: discharging temperature range -15℃-+50℃; charging temperature range 0℃-+40℃.

Source: http://www.leoch.com