storing old lead acid batteries

[Top cat]

I want to store some well used lead acid batteries till next summer, preferably without having to do anything to them in the meantime. Is that possible without destroying them ? If so how ?

 

Thanks TC

 

TC

 

[Guest]

I want to store some well used lead acid batteries till next summer, preferably without having to do anything to them in the meantime. Is that possible without destroying them ? If so how ?

 

Thanks TC

 

TC

 

 

Well used implies 'old' and therefore increased sulphation and associated self discharge. You would I would have though at least give them a regular charge or leave them on a trickle charge other wise I suspect they will be gonners by next summer.

 

A solar panel with a cheap controller may do it.

[Top cat]

Thanks

 

Yes they are old (8 years) and I suspect suphation as they self discharge fairly rapidly. I have a charger intended for car batteries would that keep them on trickle charge.

 

TC

[Guest]

Thanks

 

Yes they are old (8 years) and I suspect suphation as they self discharge fairly rapidly. I have a charger intended for car batteries would that keep them on trickle charge.

 

TC

 

The correct type of car charger would be fine for 'healthy' batteries in good condition. I used to keep my caravan leisure batteries on trickle charge with one of theses over the winter with no problem. I could however keep a close eye on them at home.

 

The problem is your batteries sound well past their sell by date and hardly worth preserving. You will need to keep a very close eye on them to avoid one or more of them going 'pop' whilst under charge due to a possible internal short.

 

Personally I wouldn't risk it and would just weigh them in.

 

Out of interest why do you need to preserve such old batteries till then?

[jelunga]

 

The correct type of car charger would be fine for 'healthy' batteries in good condition. I used to keep my caravan leisure batteries on trickle charge with one of theses over the winter with no problem. I could however keep a close eye on them at home.

 

The problem is your batteries sound well past their sell by date and hardly worth preserving. You will need to keep a very close eye on them to avoid one or more of them going 'pop' whilst under charge due to a possible internal short.

 

Personally I wouldn't risk it and would just weigh them in.

 

Out of interest why do you need to preserve such old batteries till then?

I agree. Why waste money charging knackered batts. Also risk of overheating and poss more

[Arthur Brown]

A solar panel rated at 10 watts is reputed to keep a 100Ah battery charged without controller -so you could get a 10W panel for each battery. BUT if they are antiques already it's probably not worth it.

[larkshall]

The cost of either a true trickle charger (not your normal battery charger), or solar panel, with antique sulphating batteries?, Can't see the return on investment. I'd get shot of them, and start afresh.

[Top cat]

Yes the batteries are past it thats why they are coming out of the boat. I was going to pass them onto my son who has a static caravan . The idea was to charge the batteries with a solar charger and just use the batteries to get the fridge through the night. But he wont be going there till next summer.

 

I was just hoping that he could get a bit more use from them in a much less demanding situation before they get junked.

 

But if preserving them is going to cost or has safety implications then I'll scrap them

 

TC

[jonathanA]

firstly I don't see any serious safety implications in what your proposing unless you are going to connect them to a high power charger (>20a say) and leave them unattended. to suggest they'll blow up or burst into flames or something if left on tickle charge is frankly errant nonsense.

 

yes you need to observer sensible preautions to avoid acid leaking, gas build up etc...

 

I've got 3 batteries which I've just taken off the boat, they're definitley less than 50% capacity but not competely buggered and so I'm going to keep them for the time being as I can see a few uses for them. All I've done is cleaned the terminals and covered them in grease, wiped the top of the batterry with WD40 to clean and keep moistrue at bay. and every month or so give them a 24hr charge on my cheapo standard car battery charger.

 

They are not conencted together so that reduces the chance of one battery discharging the others etc. I would certainly consider a small solar panel as a viable trickle charger you can buy them for exactly that purpose but think you'd have to have one for each battery so might not be worth the cost.

[cheshire~rose]

I would weigh them in and give your son the cash from them towards a new battery

[alan_fincher]

Personally I wouldn't risk it and would just weigh them in.

 

 

I would weigh them in and give your son the cash from them towards a new battery

 

I hope you have luck finding a local "buyer" prepared to give you enough for them that actually makes it worth taking them there......

 

I didn't recently, when I tried.

[Ally]

we weighed our old wets in when we changed batteries, it was worth while!

[jonathanA]

 

 

 

I hope you have luck finding a local "buyer" prepared to give you enough for them that actually makes it worth taking them there......

 

I didn't recently, when I tried.

 

thats not my experience - although to be fair I have not tried since the law changed so that scrappies can't pay you in cash (unless your a thieving gypsy bastrard charming romany whose human rights would be infringed by having to prove where I live)

[Mike Tee]

Can't remember where I read it (or even if it is an old wifes tale) but I was led to believe that storing batteries on a concrete floor (even when trickle charging) throughout winter will ruin them. Anybody else know anything about this, or did I dream it?

[alan_fincher]

Can't remember where I read it (or even if it is an old wifes tale) but I was led to believe that storing batteries on a concrete floor (even when trickle charging) throughout winter will ruin them. Anybody else know anything about this, or did I dream it?

It's hard to imagine why they should fare any less well on a concrete garage floor than say on the uxter plate of a narrow boat?

 

I can't imagine the temperature extremes being any worse, and a thick layer of "plastic" in the base must ensure there can be no chemical effect from the concrete!

 

My vote is "myth".

[cheshire~rose]

It's hard to imagine why they should fare any less well on a concrete garage floor than say on the uxter plate of a narrow boat?

 

I can't imagine the temperature extremes being any worse, and a thick layer of "plastic" in the base must ensure there can be no chemical effect from the concrete!

 

My vote is "myth".

 

It is not entirely a myth, although with modern batteries it may be treated as one. This goes back to the days when batteries were contructed with heavy rubber cases and standing them on cold concrete floors did indeed cause them to discharge

[GUMPY]

I hope you have luck finding a local "buyer" prepared to give you enough for them that actually makes it worth taking them there......

I didn't recently, when I tried.

Did you try Simply Recycling in Hemel?

Their price is usually OK

If you still have them my offer to dispose of them for you still stands

[Guest]

firstly I don't see any serious safety implications in what your proposing unless you are going to connect them to a high power charger (>20a say) and leave them unattended. to suggest they'll blow up or burst into flames or something if left on tickle charge is frankly errant nonsense.

 

yes you need to observer sensible preautions to avoid acid leaking, gas build up etc...

 

I've got 3 batteries which I've just taken off the boat, they're definitley less than 50% capacity but not competely buggered and so I'm going to keep them for the time being as I can see a few uses for them. All I've done is cleaned the terminals and covered them in grease, wiped the top of the batterry with WD40 to clean and keep moistrue at bay. and every month or so give them a 24hr charge on my cheapo standard car battery charger.

 

They are not conencted together so that reduces the chance of one battery discharging the others etc. I would certainly consider a small solar panel as a viable trickle charger you can buy them for exactly that purpose but think you'd have to have one for each battery so might not be worth the cost.

Errant nonsense?

 

Before a decent car charger goes on to a 'trickle' it will input a much higher charge rate.

 

Too risky in my opinion and just not worth it to save eight year old batteries.

we weighed our old wets in when we changed batteries, it was worth while!

I have done the same with old car batteries and been happy with what I got.

[nigely]

Bin them and get new will be worth it in the long term

[Mrs Tawny Owl]

I recycled 6 leisure batteries, and a couple of car ones. Got 50p / Kg which doesn't sound a lot, but they weighed 225 Kg so over £50.

 

I used our local non ferrous metal recycling yard in Leamington. Hadn't got my passport with me, and I don't have a photo driving licence so he wouldn't pay me. Had to back with my ID to get my cheque.

 

I don't mind that because I have nothing to hide, so if it stops the nicking, which I've been a minor victim of, I'm happy.

 

He has my id on file now so next time I go no probs.

 

Sue

[Top cat]

Looks like my 4 would almost buy one new one

 

TC

[jonathanA]

yes i would say so, especailly if you only needed an 85Ah leisure battery - often used in caravans.

[smileypete]

I want to store some well used lead acid batteries till next summer, preferably without having to do anything to them in the meantime. Is that possible without destroying them ? If so how ?

 

If you are gonna do this, what worked best for me for unsealed batts was a constant small trickle charge 24/7 plus a simple car charger on a timer say a few hours a week or half an hour to an hour a day.

 

Keep a close eye on topping up levels, check the SGs or resting voltage now and then, and do follow the handling precautions on The Battery FAQ (google).

 

cheers, Pete.

~smpt~

[Top cat]

Once I got the batteries out 2 were very dead being at 6 and 9v after being disconnected for a week. But the oldest pair (8 years old) are still at 12.8+V so they may have some life in them yet.

The 4 were not a matched set with 3 different types.

I just hope that the replacement batteries will last as well, they are being kept topped up with a solar panel and advanced charger.

 

Regards

 

Top Cat