On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:11:22 -0700 (PDT), terryS
<tsanford@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>On Jun 30, 7:28 pm, John Fields <jfie...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> On Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:01:56 -0700 (PDT), rabiticide
>>
>> <rabitic...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>> >I was charging my battery over the weekend and checked it last night
>> >to find the battery dead as a doornail. Upon examination, the battery
>> >is completely dry. I'm guessing it was overcharged and the water
>> >boiled away but it shouldn't've 'cause it's an "automatic battery
>> >charger" that's designed to stop charging when it's done...
>>
>> >So, do I just add distilled H2O? Will that work? I have to walk to the
>> >store 1.5 miles (2.5 km) away and that's a long way to carry 1 gallon
>> >(4? L) of water...
>>
>> ---
>> I'd just use tap water...
>>
>> JF
>
>Depends on the tap (or well!) water.
>Wells and some mains water here can have some iron salts in it which
>can be deadly for lead acid batteries.
---
Oh well...
The choice is using what's on hand or walking a couple of miles to get
what might not matter anyway.
---
>Sounds like it 'boiled dry'! You may, by adding water, get some
>capacity back but I wouldn't guarantee it.
>Too many amps for too long a time, maybe?
>Someone more expert could comment on this; but isn'tan automatic
>charger supposed to stop when the battery potential has risen above a
>certain value, maybe for a certain period of time. If the battery is
>dry ............... ergo no potential!
>Therefore no automaticity?
---
Maybe. There may be a point where the pH of the electrolyte gets
acidic enough, from boiloff, that the battery voltage drops to the
point where it fools the charger into thinking that more current is
the trick and the charger responds by giving the battery what it says
it needs, and kills it.
I don't know, but maybe someone who does can post something about
lead-acid battery voltage VS electrolyte pH.
JF
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