'DRY' leisure battery!

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M 80NGD
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'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by M 80NGD » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:21 pm

My dad let me have an 85 amp leisure battery,that had not been used for over a year! :shock: I charged it for 24 hrs

but it didn't charge! :? I checked the water level inside the battery,and it was dry!! :shock: I've filled it up with nearly 3

litres of de-iodnised water and now my question is;have I damaged it by charging it dry? Or can I charge it again,now it's

'watered'!? Ta very much,Lee. :D :D
My Names Bond......Lee Bond!!
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by scanner » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:42 pm

You need more than water - you need to fill it with battery acid.

Water alone won't work, drain it again, take it to a battery specialist and ask them to fill it with acid - it shouldn't cost much.

Or send me a plastic bag with your address on and I'll send you some through the post as I got a drum of it in the garage.
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You've Been Bongod
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by You've Been Bongod » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:43 pm

i am no expert but i would say its cooked
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by scanner » Wed Mar 24, 2010 10:59 pm

If it was dry, nothing should have happened as there was no completed circuit, so it's worth trying topping up with acid and trying another charge.
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by g8dhe » Wed Mar 24, 2010 11:57 pm

I think you will find that as the water evaporated the concentration of sulphuric acid will go up to the point where you get corrosion of the lead plates from simply chemistry!
I wouldn't spend to much money or time trying to get it going again, as its very unlikely to accept a full charge or last any length of time. The normal procedure for storage is fully charge them and then store for 6 months , repeat charge and store as required.
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M 80NGD
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by M 80NGD » Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:15 am

g8dhe wrote:I think you will find that as the water evaporated the concentration of sulphuric acid will go up to the point where you get corrosion of the lead plates from simply chemistry!
I wouldn't spend to much money or time trying to get it going again, as its very unlikely to accept a full charge or last any length of time. The normal procedure for storage is fully charge them and then store for 6 months , repeat charge and store as required.
Chees Geoff,that's all I need to know..........Job done.
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by missfixit70 » Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:18 am

drain em & flog the lead :wink:
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by scanner » Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:20 am

g8dhe wrote:I think you will find that as the water evaporated the concentration of sulphuric acid will go up to the point where you get corrosion of the lead plates from simply chemistry!
I wouldn't spend to much money or time trying to get it going again, as its very unlikely to accept a full charge or last any length of time. The normal procedure for storage is fully charge them and then store for 6 months , repeat charge and store as required.
Did it dry out? or was it drained for some reason?
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by Colin H F » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:12 am

I had a spare one on my motor home and took it off before I sold the motor home ,left it in the garage and forgot about it for about a year when I tried to charge it up again it only read about 6volts and it wasnt dry. Kaput,
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by mikeonb4c » Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:29 am

scanner wrote:
g8dhe wrote:I think you will find that as the water evaporated the concentration of sulphuric acid will go up to the point where you get corrosion of the lead plates from simply chemistry!
I wouldn't spend to much money or time trying to get it going again, as its very unlikely to accept a full charge or last any length of time. The normal procedure for storage is fully charge them and then store for 6 months , repeat charge and store as required.
Did it dry out? or was it drained for some reason?
Valid point - it seems unusual for one to dry out like that :? :roll:
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by g8dhe » Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:46 am

scanner wrote:Did it dry out? or was it drained for some reason?
Yes that is true if it was drained then it could be simply refilled with water and battery acid and it would come back close to normal.
Its simple to check, ask your Dad did he replaced his trousers or shoes a year or so ago because they had holes in them ;-)
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M 80NGD
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by M 80NGD » Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:55 am

g8dhe wrote:
scanner wrote:Did it dry out? or was it drained for some reason?
Yes that is true if it was drained then it could be simply refilled with water and battery acid and it would come back close to normal.
Its simple to check, ask your Dad did he replaced his trousers or shoes a year or so ago because they had holes in them ;-)
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Cheers Geoff!! My dad lives in a caravan,on our paddock,and this battery came from his van. It

hasn't been drained,just dried out :) I'll take it to the recycling centre later!...Cheers. :D
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by scanner » Thu Mar 25, 2010 10:52 am

Question answered.
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by Diplomat » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:02 am

It's taken me a long time to learn, and I still ocasionally live in hope, that when a battery is ****ed you get rid of it.

I've tried all the tricks but all that happens is that you end up giving house room to something which will never be reliable again.

Same goes for NiCads that have been zapped back into life. Just get some new ones. Lifes too short for unreliable batteries.

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M 80NGD
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Re: 'DRY' leisure battery!

Post by M 80NGD » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:26 am

Diplomat wrote:It's taken me a long time to learn, and I still ocasionally live in hope, that when a battery is ****ed you get rid of it.

I've tried all the tricks but all that happens is that you end up giving house room to something which will never be reliable again.

Same goes for NiCads that have been zapped back into life. Just get some new ones. Lifes too short for unreliable batteries.

Frank
Too right! :shock: Life is too damn short! :wink: Cheers Frank.........And everybody else :D
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