Storing Batteries
Submitted: Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 21:46
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Lorne
Is it a myth or has it been proven, have been told that storing a battery on a concrete floor can flatten the battery quicker.
Sounds like a lot of crap to me.
over to the 4B mythbusters
Lorne..........
Reply By: Member - John - Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 21:50
Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 21:50
Myth and I think I read the proof on here some time back, try a search.......
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Follow Up By: V8 Troopie - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 00:53
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 00:53
Yeah but it was strange to hear that myth propagated by a salesperson at the 12V
shop some years back. This instantly lowered his credentials to me by a very large margin. It was a few years back though, perhaps he did get enlightened a bit more since - he's still there.
Klaus
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Follow Up By: techie - Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 17:34
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 17:34
and using a mobile phone at a servo will start a fire.
I cannot remember all the other myths.
Techie.
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Reply By: F4Phantom - Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 21:57
Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 21:57
I better ask for my money back, my dozen odd deep cycles were in a concrete factory before I got them.
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Reply By: ro-dah-o (WA) - Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 23:22
Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 23:22
Remember being told something like that a while back by a mechanic friend. Somehting about 10% quicker if stored on concrete because of the constant cold or there abouts. (cant quite remember) He told me to have it sit on a piece of cardboard or similair and that would stop it.
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Follow Up By: Muzzgit (WA) - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 00:00
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 00:00
I doubt cardboard, carpet or anything else will make much difference.
I imagine the cardboard would be the same temp as the concrete floor after not very long.
As for going flat because of cold,
well, what do the English, Europeans,
heaven forbid, even Victorians do if its snowing and cold and horrible? Do your batteries go flat quickly?
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Follow Up By: ro-dah-o (WA) - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 08:55
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 08:55
I dont know, dont live in the snow, perhaps you could expand????
As for the the cardboard, I would have thought it would have acted as an insulator?
From my experience, if a battery was going to die, it will so at the start of winter when its cold. No idea why, just one of those 'urban myths' that is flung around a bit.
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Follow Up By: Member - Davoe (Widgiemooltha) - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:14
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:14
Muzzgit (WA) There is some truth to that. Just ask the RAC when they do most battery callouts and it will be in winter. Some Euro spec vehicles ahve 2 batterys. Batterys are just a chemical reaction and like most reactions they can be speeded up with heat or slowed by cool. A bush Mechanic book I was reading advocated pouring boiling water on a battery if it wont quite start the vehicle
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Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:33
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:33
Although in winter the ground is often warmer than the air - e.g. go into a
cave.
Mike
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Reply By: The Boy - Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 23:27
Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 23:27
it is a myth, this goes back to the days when batteries were made out of wood.
Storing a battery of any sort will go flat, the rate in which it goes flat will depend on its self discahrge rate.
The Boy
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Follow Up By: Mainey (WA) - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 21:27
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 21:27
Yes, the Boy has said it correctly :-)
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Reply By: geocacher (djcache) - Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 23:39
Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 23:39
Gee where's Derek the expert when you need him.
If you want to store lead acid batteries get a charger that drops to a float/storage voltage when the battery is charged and leave that hooked up to it. Your batteries will last much longer. I wouldn't worry what surface they are stored on, but if you store them without a voltage on the terminals for a lengthy period of time their lifespan will decrease.
Dave
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Follow Up By: Member - Gaz@Gove (NT) - Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 23:44
Monday, Apr 10, 2006 at 23:44
Now there's a job for Mythbusters.
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Reply By: Member - Mike DID - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 05:19
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 05:19
It's Myth No.1 here already -
14. WHAT ARE THE MYTHS ABOUT BATTERIES?
14.1. Storing a battery on a concrete floor will discharge them.
www.uuhome.de/william.darden//carfaq14.htm
Mike
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Follow Up By: timber - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:47
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:47
Also have a look hear on storage techniques
www.batteryuniversity.com/partone-21.htm
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Reply By: TerraFirma - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:36
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 09:36
Most batteries don't die..! They are bleep in murdered..!
The Most Wanted Murderers include:
Orry Overcharging
Uncle Undercharging
Big Bad Battery Charger
Zero Maintenance Michael
Temperature does play a role , hence the concrete question, there are plenty of qualified people who'll tell you not to leave a battery on the concrete.
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Reply By: BenSpoon - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:06
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 10:06
I've found they do discharge quicker- I had a bunch of 4x 150Ah SLA's- I stored them for 2 months, 2 batteries each on
a) A pallette
b) Concrete Floor
I plugged them into a UPS and found the 2 on the concrete floor didnt have enough juice to run the stuff I needed, where as the 2 on the pallette ran it for 2 hours each. The 2 on the concrete floor had a low volts alarm. Also had a Cruiser starting battery that I used to occasionally
test 12V stuff with and I kept it on a work bench. I then stored it on a concrete floor for 3 months and now it wont even run my bluetongue.
Others can say it doesnt make any difference, I have found it does.
I've also found another odd situation- Working at a panel beaters, storing a small car overnight in the workshop, the battery was sometimes dead flat the next day- no lights, radio etc was left on. Never saw it happen to a car larger than a corolla, and the problem wouldnt come back all day- After starting it and running for 30 mins it will start on its own fine. Still dont know what the hell caused it on so many small cars- Commodores, magnas, falcoons all fine.
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Follow Up By: Mad Dog (Australia) - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 21:55
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 21:55
Thanks Ben, someone with first hand experience, looks like the only one. good answer.
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Follow Up By: Member -Dodger - Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 17:39
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 17:39
I believe you are correct as most of the battery
places I have seen store their batteries on wooden pallets and not the concrete floor.
Also the cold contact has a valid point.
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Reply By: Derek from Affordable Batteries & Radiators - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 16:43
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 16:43
I read about this a while back.
Old batteries were made out of materials that would weep. This causes the acid to short the plates out to ground and flattten the battery.
This is not a problem with new batteries. The only thing that could happen is the cold floor will lower the cranking amps.
I will see if I can find the article and post it up.
Regards Derek.
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Reply By: Jimbo - Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 21:34
Tuesday, Apr 11, 2006 at 21:34
As The Boy and Derek said,
It's urban myth, foul gossip and rumour.
It dates back to the time that the lead/acid combo was held in a wooden box sealed with pitch (tar). If the box leaked, as it often did, sitting on concrete the stored power would be absorbed by the cocrete back to earth.
Hasn't happened for 80 years. Funny how some mechanics still trot this out. Scary isn't it?
Jim.
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Reply By: traveloz005 - Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 03:47
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 03:47
A nearby battery retailer, who, on the basis of several lots of good advice, I regard as very knowledgeable says NEVER store a battery on a concrete floor ... it does irreparable damage. Myth or not, I accept what he says .... I have discharged several batteries by storing on concrete floor (before I got this advice).
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Follow Up By: Member - Mike DID - Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 06:29
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 06:29
How do you know that it was sitting on the concrete floor that caused it to discharge ?
How did sitting on a concrete floor cause it to discharge ?
Mike
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Reply By: Lorne - Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 05:15
Wednesday, Apr 12, 2006 at 05:15
Well there you go I didn't think it was really true, better go move my spare battery from the garage floor
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