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Summer Battery Maintenance Tips

·         Routine maintenance and recharging a discharged battery as soon as possible will extend the life of the battery.

 

·         Never let a battery discharge below 12.0 volts of open circuit voltage. You can measure the voltage with a digital voltmeter. Measuring the voltage gives you a quick picture of the batteries depth of discharge so you know when they need to be recharged. Set the voltmeter on DC voltage and put the red lead on the positive terminal and the black lead on the negative terminal.

 

·         Sulfation will occur when a battery is left in low state of charge. Recharging a battery at an 80% state of charge (12.4 volts or above) will prevent battery sulfation.

 

·         Reducing the battery’s depth of discharge will increase the life of the battery. A battery discharged to 50% everyday will last twice as long as it would if it’s cycled to 80%.

 

·         When you add water to a battery, use mineral free water. Distilled water is best. Regular tap water can lead to contamination of the electrolyte.

 

·         Heavy equipment has parasitic loads that will discharge the battery over time. Some but not all of these loads are LP gas leak detectors, the TV antenna power booster, clocks, stereos, and appliance circuit boards. If your equipment comes with a battery disconnect switch, make sure it is in the OFF position when you are not using your equipment or when it is in storage. If your equipment is not equipped with a battery disconnect switch, you can purchase a battery disconnect that installs directly to the battery.

 

·         Batteries should only be watered after charging unless the plates are exposed prior to charging. This is due to generated gassing artificially raising the acid levels.

 

·         Hot temperatures and overcharging kill batteries. During hot weather or during high usage check the batteries frequently. Checking the electrolyte levels and adding distilled water as required can save your lead acid batteries. Storing vehicle and batteries in a cooler environment helps to preserve battery life.

 

·         Properly charging your batteries is crucial to preserving the useful life of a battery, maintaining the battery charged at all possible times by using the proper battery charger. Automatic chargers are recommended.

 

·         To prevent water loss from bubbling, gassing and spraying, leave the vent caps on batteries while charging.

 

Last modified 11Jul16