Battery repairs

[wpowokal]

My aging battery bank has lived on a two level frame since installation,

Ok the pic is somewhat blurred I know I could refer you to the IRC gallery but that would be against the rules so squint and believe.

But because of aging plastic casings and leaking acid the metal frames are now decaying such that the upper level batteries are somewhat on the piss.

So.... I have now laid a concrete pad to double the battery shed size so all can be at ground level. Also each battery weighs 60kg dry plus 6.5 litres of acid, so lifting each battery for repair is fast becoming beyond my ability to lift (OK a wimp I know).

My question, as the casings age they frett on the bottom and leak, normally I decant the acid and plaster the base with auto bog... as I move each bank to a new ground level home I want to reinforce the base by lifting each battery cleaning and bogging the base. Opinions please on wether I should stick with auto bog or use fiberglass. I will need a mould for either, the advantage of auto bog as I see it is it dries in about 30 min so on to the next battery.

Allan down under

[TomW]

Allan;

Here is a link to your Gallery:

http://www.anotherpower.com/gallery/allans-place

What rules were you worried about breaking? I think it is more "prefer" than "rule" about remote hosted photos.

We do make allowances for age and where you live so no worries for you, ole buddy.

Tom

[frackers]

Would it help having a wrapper round the cells - something like the thick plastic that is used for swimming pool liners - or would that not keep the acid inside the cells. I guess it would if its in close contact with the original cell wall/base - perhaps held there with autobog.

If its just the base the fails, how about oblongs of perpex or similar cut to size and stuck with hot melt glue (although you'd need a serious gun to apply it on cells that big) or again back to the quickset autobog.

Interesting problem - I'd like to know how the decision process goes...

[wpowokal]

Hi Ribin there are two problems, principally the fretting of the casing and subsequent leakage of acid, resulting in a total change of acid after repair.

The other problem is mechanical breakdown by expansion of the positive plates resulting in spliting of the casing on the corners, but one gets that on the big jobs.

I'm realy trying to pre-empt the loss of acid, usually by the time I recognise a leaky battery and add water I have diluted the acid such that the acid must be replaced.

allan down under

[vawtman]

Hi Allan

 I had a strong drain opener that was so strong each quart was wrapped in its own plastic baggy.After sitting on steel shelf for a year it started corroding the steel.Also happens on concrete.It's like it's so hungry it will eventually get to where it needs to eat.

 Maybe insulate the steel from the acid by installing wood on top.

 Mark

[wdyasq]

Allan,

I would 'think' about making a slip-over case of 'Glass cloth' and a resin that is resistant to the battery acid. You would have to make a mold for that 'part'. You could then clean the sides of the battery, pick it up, clean the bottom and place it in its' new little prophylactic. I'd make a bunch ... slip one one any or all ... safe sex in the battery house. No '30 minute' setting time needed.

They could be spot bonded on with the proper adhesive.

I tried to email this but your address is dead ... or at least the one I have is dead ...

Ron

[wpowokal]

Hi Ron yes that was one of my ideas but I have little experience with fiberglass beyond stators and the odd tank repair so I was having trouble getting my head around how I was going to make said mould.

I tried fiberglass resin and matting on the base of one and ended up with such a mess I had to sand it all off, only had the battery on its side not upsidedown.

'e' mail is awh35544 at bigpond (dot) net (dot) au

[wpowokal]

Gee Tom you are so good to me, anybody would think you were looking for a job picking oranges or something.

allan

[MattM]

I've always been under the impression you want to store batteries on wood.  Battery acid vapors really tear up a shelf, let alone all the tools in the surrounding area.  But at least when they sit on wood the acid (both liquid and vapor) is fairly contained in the wood.

[Flux]

My feeling is that the only effective way will be to produce fibreglass tanks and sit the cells in them. A lot of work, in fact a major project.

I have never managed to patch up a leaking battery totally effectively. The things seem to be made of a plastic that nothing sticks to ( at least once it has been contaminated with acid). I have tried car bodge, araldite ( brand of epoxy) , fibreglass resin and glass tape etc and none have worked satisfactorily. The best luck I had was with flash banding for roofs. Not sure whether it exists outside the UK but it seems to be a plastic film backed with a bitumen based sticky layer. If you can clean off ALL the acid and press it on well and heat it slightly it will stick.

The old glass cells used to burst their jars when the positive bars expanded. That was pretty final unless you caught it within hours and re-housed it. At least you didn't have a conscience about trying to rescue it. Not sure how long you can prolong their life. As long as the positive link bars hold you may keep them going, others break the link bars and become useless before the capacity becomes too low to be useful.

Flux

[jmk]

 When I first bought my batteries one of them tipped over on me while transporting it home. I got a small blemish that had a tiny tear. I put silicone on it and it seems to have held up for two years now. I'm not sure how well it would have worked if the hole was bigger?

[walsdos]

Hi Flux,

 Wonder if Denso tape would work since it sticks like s`:.t to a blanket and is easy to work with. UK gas boards used to use it for weather and water-proofing joints on gas pipes. Used to obtain it from plumbers merchants but have no idea who sells it here in North America.

Walsdos

[MattM]

Flash band does exist here in the states.  It comes in various widths usually in 25' rolls for $8-10 a roll.

You can buy 3' x 33' rolls of similar material called water & ice shield for about $40 a roll.  There is more than one kind of water & ice shield, some versions with a polymer skin and others with an aluminum skin.  I assume you'd want to avoid the aluminum skin version?

[dbcollen]

I have had good luck using a soldering iron and some filler material of the same plastic. I usually start the repair by heating and plunging the tip through the plastic and working in a sawing fashion with the soldering iron while heating the filler stick on the trailing edge of the soldering iron.

Dustin