Battery Maintenance Procedure
1.Top of the Battery must be kept clean and dry
2.Vents should be clear and free off deposits
3.Terminal connections should be tight, free of corrosion and coated with petroleum jelly to prevent corrosion
4.Electrolyte levels should be checked regulars and topped up with distilled water to cover the plates (electrodes)
5.The ‘charger’ equipment should be inspected for cleanliness, tight connections etc
6.Battery log must be maintained correctly to show that maintenance has been carried out correctly & regularly
- Acid Battery- Charging
(i) Should be charged until gassing freely
(ii)Charging should continue for a further period until the charging voltage per cell levels out at 2.6 V
(iii)Overcharging causes overheating, distortion of cell plates and dislodging of plate active materials
(iv) Fully charged battery, if left idle, gets discharged on its own
(v) Fully charged battery should be maintained on “Trickle charge” (Standby Power Supply System),
Battery is connected to a low rate charge, to make up the loss due to self discharge
- Alkaline Battery- Charging
(i) Should be charged until gassing freely and the charging voltage per cell rises to 1.7 V
(ii) Charging should continue for a further period of 2 or 3 hrs
(iii) Fully charged battery does not suffer self discharge.
(iv) Fully charged battery should be maintained on “Float Charge” (Uninterruptible Power Supply [UPS] System)
Battery is connected across the load and supply and is charged up to the supply voltage, after which the battery merely floats on the supply, neither supplying nor taking electrical energy