what to do with new battery

[kylev]

When I got my cub from my dad I was excited and went out and bought a new battery for it. It is taking a lot longer than expected to restore it. What should I do with this new battery to make sure it doesnt die on me while waiting on the restore? I have a battery charger with a 6 volt charge on it. It is manual and not automatic shut off. The charger is one that you get from Auto Zone.

Should I connect it ever couple of weeks and charge it?
It has been sitting for about 6 months.

[Dale51]

Charge it up then place it in a cool not cold place.
DO NOT SET ON THE FLOOR.
If you do need to place it on the floor put a peice of wood under it.

[George Willer]

Charge it up then place it in a cool not cold place.
DO NOT SET ON THE FLOOR.
If you do need to place it on the floor put a peice of wood under it.

The wood has nothing at all to do with the battery, but can help prevent acid damage to the concrete floor if you should happen to overcharge your new battery.

[Dale51]

Charge it up then place it in a cool not cold place.
DO NOT SET ON THE FLOOR.
If you do need to place it on the floor put a piece of wood under it.

The wood has nothing at all to do with the battery, but can help prevent acid damage to the concrete floor if you should happen to overcharge your new battery.

The wood has nothing to do with the batt. itself really.
it protects the floor & protects the batt from the cold floor & moister.

[Painless]

George,

I'm sure you wouldn't say it if it wasn't so. I had always been told that if you put a battery on a concrete floor it would kill the battery, and that if you tried to charge it on a concrete floor that it wouldn't take a charge. Nobody ever seemed to be able to say why.

[Jim Becker]

George,

I'm sure you wouldn't say it if it wasn't so. I had always been told that if you put a battery on a concrete floor it would kill the battery, and that if you tried to charge it on a concrete floor that it wouldn't take a charge. Nobody ever seemed to be able to say why.

That concern MAY have had some validity back when battery cases were made of hard rubber that allowed some degree of leakage. Now they are all made out of space-age plastic and don't really care what they are resting on.

[George Willer]

George,

I'm sure you wouldn't say it if it wasn't so. I had always been told that if you put a battery on a concrete floor it would kill the battery, and that if you tried to charge it on a concrete floor that it wouldn't take a charge. Nobody ever seemed to be able to say why.

I can tell you why. It isn't true. It's an old wives tale, held over from the days before batteries had plastic cases. If there were any truth to the myth we couldn't use metal battery boxes.

It is true that if the battery is seriously overcharged a little acid will escape (out the caps) and possibly mar the concrete. A battery resting on concrete will eventually go dead, but no sooner than if it were sitting on something else.

Remember, the Earth was flat until we found otherwise.

[Bigdog]

The earth isn't flat?????????????????????

[Jack fowler]

Text book maintenance tips for an automotive battery;

• Charge the battery until it is completely charged
• Store it in a cold place but not where it will consistently go below 32°F
• Check the battery every two months and recharge if necessary
• Remove all electrical connections from the battery including series/parallel connectors

A fully charged specific gravity of 1.265 corrected to 80°F is assumed.

Maintenance tips for extended battery life
• Regularly clean the battery container and terminals
• Make sure vent caps are tight to prevent water or baking soda from entering cells
• Apply baking soda to any corrosion and rinse cover with water
• Check your battery's electrolyte level before charging, it should be at the bottom of the vent splash band:
- Electrolyte level low? Add distilled water to bring level to the bottom of the vent walls.
- Distilled water not available? Use a good drinking water. It's better than adding nothing; otherwise the battery plate will dry out and the battery could lose its capacity.


Recharging guidelines for maximum life

1. Recharge immediately after each use
2. Use battery charger matched to the battery's size
3. Do not overcharge; an automatic charger that turns off or on with a timer is your best bet
4. Always slow charge a deep cycle battery; never fast charge or boost charge it
5. A 10-12 hour charge with the appropriate charger at the correct amp rate will usually bring your battery to a full state of charge from a deep discharge

George is correct,

This is the explanation out of the book;
There is not currently a strong reason for avoiding contact of a battery with a concrete floor. The battery's contact with the concrete should not create a problem with the material in today’s batteries. If the battery is not clean, but has a surface layer of acid or grime which is conductive, the battery can be expected to self-discharge more rapidly than if it was clean and dry. Many years ago, the batteries were constructed with a wooden case around a glass jar with the battery in it. Any moisture on the floor could cause the wood to swell and possibly fracture the glass, causing it to leak. Shortly after the introduction of "Hard Rubber" containers, which were somewhat porous and of a less than ideal design, there was a chance of current to be conducted through the container of a high carbon content if the moist concrete floor permitted the current to find an electrical ground.

Jack Fowler

[400lbsonacubseatspring]

My thoughts are...never set anything too heavy directly on the floor, because it's too damn hard to lift them back up again.

Instead of a board on the floor....howsabout the back of a nice old table or workbench??

[George Willer]

My thoughts are...never set anything too heavy directly on the floor, because it's too damn hard to lift them back up again.

Instead of a board on the floor....howsabout the back of a nice old table or workbench??

And here's another thought, Tom... never store anything on a shelf more than waist high that you are unwilling to be hit on the head with?

[Jim Hudson]

http://www.interstatebatteries.com/www_2001/content/about_us/current/december_1999/1199_techtalk.htm

[jim turner]

Good article Jim , should put it too rest.

[Dale51]

Well done good night!!!!!!!!!