Batteries, week acid

[Anorak_ian]

I'm having some problems with batteries; my lead acid bat is not doing its job as the acid is very diluted. I do have other older bats (that I was saving for the acid), that I could take the acid out of but they are in the same state.
So how do I get the water out, making the acid more pokey?

I did try to get the acid out of my brand new car battery, but it turns out it only has water in it!! Ripped off or what?

Ian

[richard coles]

Hi this might help :
in a discharged battery the acid is weak, this is because sulphate leaves the acid(sulphuric acid ) to combine with the lead (in the plates)both negative (-) and positive (+) to form lead sulphate .Oxygen also leaves the positive plates to leave water.This water is what dilutes the acid and lowers the specific gravity .
To regain the strength and higher specific gravity the battery should be charged . Quick charging will destroy a bike battery , its recommended that a charge rate of 1/10 of the battery capacity ( Ah ) is used .
e.g.
Charging current = 1/10 x 14 Ah
= 1.4 amperes

The acceptable specific gravity is 1.20 below that the battery should be charged .
A new battery should either of been filled at the shop from a container
of sulphuric acid or supplied to the shop already filled .

[Anorak_ian]

Thanks for the info, what happened was my bat puked its acid out of the back of my old Harley and I topped it up with water. Too much it seems.

The car bat was bought from a local cretin who probably used tap water instead of acid. An old bat I had knocking around my shed for five years had more acid content than all the others put together (but still not enough).

I think I'll put it on the cooker and boil off some of the water now where did I put those cigs.

[oldbmw]

charge you battery for a day with atrickle charger, then get some battery shop to change your acid for correct concentration.

[Anorak_ian]

Naaaarrrrr, can't do that, they'll want me to buy a new battery

I was just wondering if there was a tried and tested way of reducing the water content.
I think I'll charge the old nailed battery and charge the hell out of it for a few days topping it up with week acid from the other battery until I have reasonable strength acid, then swap the acid to my good battery

Cheers

[andrewaust]

Yeah - using some acid from a good source would be an idea if you cannot get the electrolyte to the right gravity by a good 24hr slow charge and tested using a hydrometer.

Most new batteries are also sold wet now (acid already added). I always liked to buy a dry battery, leaving it on the shelf until I needed it, adding the acid and charging then.

There are inherit problems with new wet batteries = if new batteries are filled with acid and never charged, being left on a shelf for months before someone purchases it, the sulphate goes into the plates (as stated in a previous post) and when tested will seem to have little if any acid.

If this is the case - the life of the battery has more than halved "great if you have just purchased it", so expect only a few years from it, if you can get a decent charge into it.

Whatever you do - don't get acid and try to boil off the water trying to make a more concentrated mix, you'll have the law enforcement breaking down your door thinking your got a meth lab going

It's all fun!





Cheers


Andrew

[Anorak_ian]

Sorted, I charged away my old car battery until the level went down (evaporation) and topped it up with the bike battery acid, bubbled it away again, and what I was left with was good strong acid. Transferred that to my bike battery and it now works well.
Saves buying a new battery

[oldbmw]

Sorted, I charged away my old car battery until the level went down (evaporation) and topped it up with the bike battery acid, bubbled it away again, and what I was left with was good strong acid. Transferred that to my bike battery and it now works well.
Saves buying a new battery

When I discovered my new to me enfield battery was dry I took it to my local one man band BMW mechanic, he filled it with new acid and it has been fine since then (June). he would not take any money

[Anorak_ian]

Turns out my bat was a duffer, one day it just stopped working. I've been using a Harley high amps gel bat, well recommended no acid to run dry etc, bloody expensive but worth it.