The level of the electrolyte.

Started by kingstingtin · 23 April 2013 · 9 posts · last reply 2 May 2013

1. kingstingtin

   #1 · 23 Apr 2013

   Hi all.
   It has been about 30 charge / discharge cycles the battery.
   I noticed that the electrolyte level has declined markedly.
   Can or should I add water?
   In one of the cells, the level will soon reach the minimum level.
   Should it be at all?

2. John_Koorn

   #2 · 23 Apr 2013

   Hi Konstantin,
   
   yes, this is normal for a flooded lead acid battery. The electrolyte should always be above the level of the plates. You can safely add distilled water to top it up if needed. Don't use tap water or de-mineralised water, distilled water only.
   
   John K.

3. Faraday88

   #3 · 23 Apr 2013

   Hi John,
   What is the Acid to Distilled Water ratio for a Lead acid Battery..?
   Rgds,
   Faraday88.

4. kingstingtin

   #4 · 23 Apr 2013

   Thank you John. I'll add the water, hoping that it will not affect the results.

5. kingstingtin

   #5 · 23 Apr 2013

   Faraday88 wrote:

   What is the Acid to Distilled Water ratio for a Lead acid Battery..?

   Maybe I can answer you.
   Usually it is sold ready-made.
   I can only give the final density of the electrolyte: it should be 1,27-1,28 gram / ​​milliliter.
   The acid does not evaporate. Only the water evaporates. Therefore, it is and add to the previous volume.

6. Tom C

   #6 · 23 Apr 2013

   kingstingtin wrote:

   Thank you John. I'll add the water, hoping that it will not affect the results.

   adding water to a lead acid battery is the NORMAL thing to do. I have 80 trojan T105's that are charged Daily, and topped off with distilled water DAILY. if you expose the plates to air, that part of the plate dries out when charged then it is no longer considered active plate material, and your capacity goes down. so keep your battery topped off, the charge cycle is breaking down the water into oxy and hydrogen, its a byproduct of the process.
   
   Tom

7. kingstingtin

   #7 · 23 Apr 2013

   Thank you Tom. I was worried that it might adversely affect the course of experimentation. Now I realized that I was worried for nothing.
   Your answer led me to thinking. I have long noticed that when charging my battery, hydrogen he is going to quite large bubbles in the electrolyte. The bubbles are clamped between the plates and the frame or under the plates and can not go upstairs alone.
   I looked around at them in red on the photo. Me to have to tilt or shake the battery so that they lifted up. But some of them do not give in to it.
   Maybe this is the cause of my failed experiments? Because the area under the bubbles can not participate in the reaction properly?

8. kingstingtin

   #8 · 25 Apr 2013

   Faraday88 wrote:

   What is the Acid to Distilled Water ratio for a Lead acid Battery..?

   Sulphuric acid 38%.

9. kingstingtin

   #9 · 2 May 2013

   Apparently, distilled water that I poured into the battery, was of poor quality because the self-discharge rate has grown.
   Is it possible to replace the electrolyte is entirely a new one?