trojan battery question

System
System Posts: 2,511 admin
in Solar Beginners Corner #1
looking at a picture of a trojan 2v battery at : http://www.trojanbattery.com/Products/L16RE-2V.aspx
i notice there's yellow caps.. are those meant to be openned to be topped off with distilled water or are they just vents like the ones found in maintenance free battereies from east penn?
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #2
    Re: trojan battery question

    i believe those would open to refill the water levels unless that model would be a vrla and i saw no such designation.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #3
    Re: trojan battery question

    when you add distilled water to a flooded wet cell battery does the water mix with the lead acid itself in the battery?? how does that work?
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #4
    Re: trojan battery question

    part of the makeup of electrolyte is water. when a battery goes through its chemical changes between charging and discharging that water ratio changes, but it also produces a boiling effect and a small amount of heat so a portion is lost to the air in the process. that's where you come in with the distilled water replacing only what was lost. this does take a small degree of acid airborne too, but they usually have an excess of the acid in the battery to cover that for its entire lifetime. keep battery tops as well as wire connections clean. do not use chemicals to clean it as it is too risky that those chemicals could eventually get into the battery and take away capacity and cycle life. a damp cloth wiped several times usually suffices, but if severe corrosion is present then a small amount of baking soda added to the damp cloth can be used and be sure to wipe it off of the battery afterwards using just the damp cloth being careful not to push it into the battery cap wells.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #5
    Re: trojan battery question

    i read that u need a hydrometer to accurately know how much water to add, is this process hard to do on a weekly basis for someone who has not done it yet?
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #6
    Re: trojan battery question

    the hydrometer is an indicator for the state of charge. you will need to replace the water to the level that the manufacturer states. usually this is a circular extension into the cell that often has a cut through it for better visibility.
    it may be like this, but more circular. ( )
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  • mike95490
    mike95490 Solar Expert Posts: 9,583 ✭✭✭✭✭
    #7
    Re: trojan battery question

    The battery is filled with a sulphuric acid solution. something like 20%, but don't quote me. When you charge the battrey, it "bubbles" and you convert some of the
    water to Oxygen and Hydrogen. So you just replenish the WATER part, with distilled water. The acid never "goes away". You never add more acid, only distilled water. And it just mixes in with the stuff thats there already.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #8
    Re: trojan battery question

    is it possible to over water the batteries? and how can a spill happen? by tipping over the battery while the top is open?
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  • Kamala
    Kamala Solar Expert Posts: 452 ✭✭
    #9
    Re: trojan battery question

    Don't tip the battery while the caps are off! Don't bump it either.

    Make sure it is on a stable and level surface while performing this procedure. It is easy to do. Just be deliberate.

    If the battery is in need of water, it is likely that the acid is weak. Meaning that the hydrogen (which makes solutions acidic) has bubbled off and vented and that the sulfate anion has bonded to the lead plates. That's why you have to add the water to get more hydrogen ions in the mix.

    Often I have wetted my hands with battery acid while removing caps from flooded batteries (I don't use them much anymore) and have never been burned. I am very careful not to touch my eyes or other highly sensitive parts of my body until washing my hands thouroughly and immediately.
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  • niel
    niel Solar Expert Posts: 10,300 ✭✭✭✭
    #10
    Re: trojan battery question
    solarguy wrote: »
    is it possible to over water the batteries?

    yes.

    and how can a spill happen?

    by being careless or overfilling with water, but accidents do happen too.

    by tipping over the battery while the top is open?

    obviously, yes.

    although i oversimplified the answers, you may want to better familiarize yourself by reading more on battery care.
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  • System2
    System2 Posts: 6,290 admin
    #11
    Re: trojan battery question

    dry cell batteries are much safer but almost twice the cost??
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  • Ralph Day
    Ralph Day Solar Expert Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭✭
    #12
    Re: trojan battery question

    Kamala,

    Actually your acid will be more concentrated when water is needed. The water component has been driven off by hydrolyzation and must be replaced. Don't take critical sg readings after adding water, it takes a little time to mix throughout the cells.

    (Have found this out by experimentation...high sg reading, add water...lower sg reading).

    Ralph
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  • Windsun
    Windsun Solar Expert Posts: 1,164 ✭✭
    #13
    Re: trojan battery question
    solarguy wrote: »
    is it possible to over water the batteries? and how can a spill happen? by tipping over the battery while the top is open?

    Yes it is possible to overwater. Batteries should be charged up first, as the acid in the batteries will expand slightly when charged. If you top them off when discharged, then they may overflow when charged.
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