Battery Basics: A Layman's Guide to Batteries If you have done any research on how batteries work or what you should look for when selecting a battery, you are probably buried in information, some of which is conflicting. At BatteryStuff, we aim to clear that up a have most likely heard the term . (Keep It Simple, Stupid). I am going to attempt to explain how lead acid batteries work and what they need without burying you with a bunch of needless technical data. I have found that battery data will vary somewhat from manufacturer to manufacturer, So where did the sulfur go? It is resting on the battery plates and when you recharge the battery, the sulfur returns to the electrolyte. 1. Safety 2. Battery types, Deep Cycle and Starting 3. Wet Cell, Gel-Cell and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) 4. CCA, CA, AH and RC; what's that all about? 5. Battery Maintenance 6. Battery Testing 7. Selecting and Buying a New Battery 8. Battery Life and Performance 9. Battery Charging 10. Battery Do's 11. Battery Don'ts 1. We must think safety when we are working around and with batteries. Remove all jewelry. After all you don't want to melt your watchband while you are wearing the watch. The hydrogen gas that batteries make when charging is very explosive. We have seen several instances of batteries blowing up and drenching everything in sulfuric acid. That is no fun, and would have been a good time to use those safety goggles that are hanging on the wall. Heck, just break out your disco outfit. Polyester is not affected by Sulfuric Acid, but anything with cotton will be eaten up. If you do not feel the need to make a fashion statement just wear junk clothes, after all Polyester is still out of style. When doing electrical work on vehicles it is best to disconnect the ground cable. Just remember you are messing with corrosive acid, explosive gases and 100's amps of electrical current. 2. Basically there are two types of lead acid batteries (along with 3 sub categories); The two main types are Starting (cranking), and Deep Cycle (marine/golf cart). The starting battery (SLI starting lights ignition) is designed to deliver quick bursts of energy (such as starting engines) and therefore has a greater plate count. The plates are thinner and have somewhat different material composition. The deep cycle battery has less instant energy, but greater long-term energy delivery. Deep cycle batteries have thicker plates and can survive a number of discharge cycles. Starting batteries should not be used for deep cycle applications because the thinner plates are more prone to warping and pitting when discharged. The so-called Dual Purpose Battery is a compromise between the two types of batteries, though it is better to be more specific if possible. 3. Wet Cell (flooded), Gel Cell, and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) are various versions of the lead acid battery. The Wet cell comes in two styles; Serviceable and Maintenance free. Both are filled with electrolyte and are basically the same. I prefer one that I can add water to and check the specific gravity of the electrolyte with a hydrometer. The Gel Cell and the AGM batteries are specialty batteries that typically cost twice as much as a premium wet cell. However they store very well and do not tend to sulfate or degrade as easily as wet cell. There is little chance of a hydrogen gas explosion or corrosion when using these batteries; these are the safest lead acid batteries you can use. Gel Cell and some AGM batteries may require a special charging rate. If you want the best,most versatile type, consideration should be given to the AGM battery for applications such as Marine, RV, Solar, Audio, Power Sports and Stand-By Power just to name a few. If you don't use or operate your equipment daily, AGM batteries will hold their charge better that other types. If you must depend on top-notch battery performance, spend the extra money. Gel Cell batteries still are being sold but AGM batteries are replacing them in most applications. There is a some common confusion regarding AGM batteries because different manufactures call them by different names; some of the more common names are "sealed regulated valve", "dry cell", "non spillable", and "Valve Regulated Lead Acid" batteries. In most cases AGM batteries will give greater life span and greater cycle life than a wet cell battery. SPECIAL NOTE about Gel Batteries: It is very common for individuals to use the term GEL CELL when referring to sealed maxisys pro, maintenance free batteries, much like one would use Kleenex when referring to facial tissue or "Xerox machine" when referring to a copy machine. Be very careful when specifying a gel cell battery charger, many times we are told by customer they are requiring a charger for a Gel Cell battery and in fact the battery is not a Gel Cell. AGM: The Absorbed Glass Matt construction allows the electrolyte to be suspended in close proximity with the plates active material. In theory, this enhances both the discharge and recharge efficiency. Common manufacturer applications include high performance engine starting, power sports, deep cycle, solar and storage battery. The larger AGM batteries we sell are typically good deep cycle batteries and they deliver their best life performance if recharged before allowed to drop below the 50% discharge rate. The Scorpion motorcycle batteries we carry are a nice upgrade from your stock flooded battery, and the Odyssey branded batteries are fantastic for holding their static charge over long periods of non use. When Deep Cycle AGM batteries are discharged to a rate of no less than 60% the cycle life will be 300 plus cycles. GEL: The Gel Cell is similar to the AGM style because the electrolyte is suspended, but different because technically the AGM battery is still considered to be a wet cell. The electrolyte in a Gel Cell has a silica additive that causes it to set up or stiffen. The recharge voltage on this type of cell is lower than the other styles of lead acid battery. This is probably the most sensitive cell in terms of adverse reactions to over-voltage charging. Gel Batteries are best used in VERY DEEP cycle application and may last a bit longer in hot weather applications. If the incorrect battery charger is used on a Gel Cell battery poor performance and premature failure is certain autel ms908p. So a high CCA battery rating is especially important in starting battery applications, and in cold measurement is not particularly important in Deep cycle batteries, though it is the most commonly 'known' battery measurement. CA is cranking amps measured at 32 degrees F.  As your load increases, your realized capacity decreases. This means if you discharged that same 100 AH battery by a 100 amp load, it will not give you one hour of runtime. On the contrary, the perceived capacity of the battery will be that of 64 Amp Hours. Maintenance is an important issue. The battery should be cleaned using a baking soda and water solution; a couple of table spoons to a pint of water. Cable connections need to be cleaned and tightened as battery problems are often caused by dirty and loose connections. A serviceable battery needs to have the fluid level checked. Use only mineral free water, Distilled is best as all impurities have been removed, and there is nothing left that could contaminate your cells. Don't overfill battery cells especially in warmer weather because the natural fluid expansion in hot weather can push excess electrolytes from the battery. To prevent corrosion of cables on top post batteries use a small bead of silicone sealer at the base of the post and place a felt battery washer over it. Coat the washer with high temperature grease or petroleum jelly (Vaseline), then place cable on the post and tighten. Coat the exposed cable end with the grease. Most folks don't know that just the gases from the battery condensing on metal parts cause most corrosion. 6. Battery Testing can be done in more than one way. The most accurate method is measurement of specific gravity and battery voltage. To measure specific gravity buy a temperature compensating hydrometer, to measure voltage use a digital . Voltmeter. A quality load tester may be a good purchase if you need to test sealed batteries. For any of these methods, you must first fully charge the battery and then remove the surface charge. If the battery has been sitting at least several hours (I prefer at least 12 hours) you may begin testing. To remove surface charge the battery must be discharged for several minutes. Using a headlight (high beam) will do the trick. After turning off the light you are ready to test the battery. State of Charge Specific Gravity Voltage 12V 6V 100% 75% 50% 25% Discharged Load testing is yet another way of testing a battery. Load test removes amps from a battery much like starting an engine would. A load tester can be purchased at most auto parts stores. Some battery companies label their battery with the amp load for testing. This number is usually 1/2 of the CCA rating. For instance, a 500CCA battery would load test at 250 amps for 15 seconds. A load test can only be performed if the battery is near or at full charge. The results of your testing should be as follows: Hydrometer readings should not vary more than .05 differences between cells. Digital Voltmeters should read as the voltage is shown in this document. The sealed AGM and Gel-Cell battery voltage (full charged) will be slightly higher in the to ranges. If you have voltage readings in the volts range on a charged battery, that typically indicates a shorted cell. If you have a maintenance free wet cell, the only ways to test are voltmeter and load test. Some Gel Cell and AGM batteries may require special settings or chargers. 10. Battery Do's * Think Safety First. * Do read entire tutorial * Do regular inspection and maintenance especially in hot weather. * Do recharge batteries immediately after discharge. * Do buy the highest RC reserve capacity or AH amp hour battery that will fit your configuration. 11. Battery Don'ts * Don't forget safety first. * Don't add new electrolyte (acid). * Don't use unregulated high output battery chargers to charge batteries. * Don't place your equipment and toys into storage without some type of device to keep the battery charged. * Don't disconnect battery cables while the engine is running (your battery acts as a filter). * Don't put off recharging batteries. * Don't add tap water as it may contain minerals that will contaminate the electrolyte. * Don't discharge a battery any deeper than you possibly have to. * Don't let a battery get hot to the touch and boil violently when charging. * Don't mix size and types of batteries. There are many points and details I have not written about because I wanted to keep this as short and simple as possible. Further information can be found at the links below. If you are aware of sites with good battery maintenance information please let me know.
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