Electrolyte level in forklift batts

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stephendv
stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
in Off Grid Solar & Battery Systems #1
Hi all,

I'm expecting my new batts to arrive sometime next month, and in the meantime I'd like to buy an SG sensor which will be semi-permanently mounted in the batts to measure SG. This is not a manual hydrometer. The sensor needs to be submerged in at least 1 inch of electrolyte to work, but I'm not sure if there's that much electrolyte above the plates in a forklift cell. Can anyone comment?
In case there isn't, the sensor's probe is about 6cm long and 4mm diameter, is there any space to stick it in between the plates? The probe is glass and can't bend.

(BTW, it's this sensor that blackswan55 mentioned a while back: http://www.jsaphotonics.com/page8.html)
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  • ihuntbear
    ihuntbear Registered Users Posts: 13 ✭
    #2
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    Re: Electrolyte level in forklift batts

    on mine the electrolite is only at the top of the plates.The plates have very small holes in them ,maybe 1/6 th of an inch
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  • mikeo
    mikeo Solar Expert Posts: 386 ✭✭✭
    #3
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    Re: Electrolyte level in forklift batts
    is there any space to stick it in between the plates? The probe is glass and can't bend.
    I have the DEKA batteries and they also have a metal separator just above the plates with small holes in them. If your probe can stick through the holes you should be home free. The fill level above the separator is about 1 inch to bottom of the fill tube. I usually fill about every 60 days when the water gets just above the separator plates to just below the bottom of the fill tube. This takes about 1 gallon of water for 12 cells.
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  • stephendv
    stephendv Solar Expert Posts: 1,571 ✭✭
    #4
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    Re: Electrolyte level in forklift batts

    Thanks guys, so there is at least 1 inch of electrolyte to work with above the plates, even if the probe doesn't fit through the separator holes?
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  • mikeo
    mikeo Solar Expert Posts: 386 ✭✭✭
    #5
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    Re: Electrolyte level in forklift batts
    Thanks guys, so there is at least 1 inch of electrolyte to work with above the plates, even if the probe doesn't fit through the separator holes?
    True when the battery is topped off. If the probe can lay on its side, or doesn't have to be totally immersed, it should work.
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