Storing Batteries

Myth and I think I read the proof on here some time back, try a search.......

I better ask for my money back, my dozen odd deep cycles were in a concrete factory before I got them.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

Well there you go I didn't think it was really true, better go move my spare battery from the garage floor