Right friends, I thought I'd explain about batteries.
First of all it doesn't matter if you store a battery on a concrete floor, it's almost 100% non conductive and the battery is made of very thick non conductive plastic. Also it doesn't discharge it through coldness, the battery normally sits on a cold metal plate in the car anyway.
In cold weather a battery that has a low state of charge can freeze and be damaged. Cold weather makes the power required to start the engine increase dramatically so a battery in a low state of charge cannot deliver the amps required to start the unit.
However it's not the cold that kills batteries, it's the heat if a battery gets really hot like in the summer or due to a malfunctioning Alternator, it's then when it becomes cold outside that you notice a drop in power or it'll go flat. Then if you leave it flat for a period of time, Say over night the Sulfur can attach itself to the plates inside the battery and then when you charge it again it might not hold its charge. Or it won't charge at all.
No matter how much you charge it once the Sulfur has attached itself that's it.
So you may jump start your car, then it'll be fine all day while you go in and out of shops, but the next morning it'll be flat again... Then it's time for a new one
I don't think I've missed anything out, just thought I'd explain as a few people are confused as to why their batteries are flat each morning lol.
More explanation and ways to stop Sulfation.
Due to chemical interactions inside a lead battery it must be used on a regular basis or sulfation will occur. Sulfation interferes with the ability of the battery to accept, hold and deliver a charge, and left unchecked will render the battery useless far short of its designed life. In understanding how, and under what circumstances sulfation takes place, one can take measures to avoid it and prolong battery life by years. This is not only good for the pocketbook, but for the environment.
In basic terms, a common acid battery consists of a series of oppositely charged lead and lead oxide plates which divide cells. Battery cells are filled with a mixture of 65% distilled water and 35% sulfuric acid, or electrolyte solution. Electrolyte produces electrons. While under charge electrons move between the plates discharging energy in the form of volts. The lead plates convert this energy into electricity. Each cell can produce about 2.1 volts of charge, therefore a 12.6-volt battery, for example, requires six cells.
Sulfation occurs when the battery sits for long periods of time and the electrolyte solution begins to break down. Sulfur in the solution leaches from the electrolyte, sticking to the lead plates as converted lead sulfuric crystals. These crystals coat the plates preventing them from doing their job at the next crank. Compounding the problem, the electrolyte solution becomes weaker because it is lacking the sulfuric acid that has converted to crystals. This equation reduces the ability of the battery to deliver and accept a charge.
Stages of sulfation include an initial form that might reduce quick starting, but will be absorbed back into the electrolyte when charged. With more time, stage one progresses into stage two sulfation, wherein small crystals begin to form on the plates. At this point the battery might not start the vehicle, and will require a greater charge to break the crystals free. If the battery sits long enough, stage two sulfation will advance into stage three, resulting in a non-chargeable battery. The lead sulfuric crystals of stage three sulfation can grow so large as to cause the battery case to bow.
To keep sulfation from occurring, a battery need only be maintained in a fully charged state. For those vehicles and crafts used on a daily or semi-daily basis, this isn’t a problem.
To slow this process, some people disconnect the battery from the vehicle when not in use, but sulfation and self-discharge still occur. A better, more convenient and effective solution is to use a device called a battery conditioner. A battery conditioner will keep the battery fully charged between uses, without overcharging it. Battery Minder and Battery Tender are examples of two such products, designed specifically to prevent sulfation and extend battery life by as much as several years.
First of all it doesn't matter if you store a battery on a concrete floor, it's almost 100% non conductive and the battery is made of very thick non conductive plastic. Also it doesn't discharge it through coldness, the battery normally sits on a cold metal plate in the car anyway.
In cold weather a battery that has a low state of charge can freeze and be damaged. Cold weather makes the power required to start the engine increase dramatically so a battery in a low state of charge cannot deliver the amps required to start the unit.
However it's not the cold that kills batteries, it's the heat if a battery gets really hot like in the summer or due to a malfunctioning Alternator, it's then when it becomes cold outside that you notice a drop in power or it'll go flat. Then if you leave it flat for a period of time, Say over night the Sulfur can attach itself to the plates inside the battery and then when you charge it again it might not hold its charge. Or it won't charge at all.
No matter how much you charge it once the Sulfur has attached itself that's it.
So you may jump start your car, then it'll be fine all day while you go in and out of shops, but the next morning it'll be flat again... Then it's time for a new one
I don't think I've missed anything out, just thought I'd explain as a few people are confused as to why their batteries are flat each morning lol.
More explanation and ways to stop Sulfation.
Due to chemical interactions inside a lead battery it must be used on a regular basis or sulfation will occur. Sulfation interferes with the ability of the battery to accept, hold and deliver a charge, and left unchecked will render the battery useless far short of its designed life. In understanding how, and under what circumstances sulfation takes place, one can take measures to avoid it and prolong battery life by years. This is not only good for the pocketbook, but for the environment.
In basic terms, a common acid battery consists of a series of oppositely charged lead and lead oxide plates which divide cells. Battery cells are filled with a mixture of 65% distilled water and 35% sulfuric acid, or electrolyte solution. Electrolyte produces electrons. While under charge electrons move between the plates discharging energy in the form of volts. The lead plates convert this energy into electricity. Each cell can produce about 2.1 volts of charge, therefore a 12.6-volt battery, for example, requires six cells.
Sulfation occurs when the battery sits for long periods of time and the electrolyte solution begins to break down. Sulfur in the solution leaches from the electrolyte, sticking to the lead plates as converted lead sulfuric crystals. These crystals coat the plates preventing them from doing their job at the next crank. Compounding the problem, the electrolyte solution becomes weaker because it is lacking the sulfuric acid that has converted to crystals. This equation reduces the ability of the battery to deliver and accept a charge.
Stages of sulfation include an initial form that might reduce quick starting, but will be absorbed back into the electrolyte when charged. With more time, stage one progresses into stage two sulfation, wherein small crystals begin to form on the plates. At this point the battery might not start the vehicle, and will require a greater charge to break the crystals free. If the battery sits long enough, stage two sulfation will advance into stage three, resulting in a non-chargeable battery. The lead sulfuric crystals of stage three sulfation can grow so large as to cause the battery case to bow.
To keep sulfation from occurring, a battery need only be maintained in a fully charged state. For those vehicles and crafts used on a daily or semi-daily basis, this isn’t a problem.
To slow this process, some people disconnect the battery from the vehicle when not in use, but sulfation and self-discharge still occur. A better, more convenient and effective solution is to use a device called a battery conditioner. A battery conditioner will keep the battery fully charged between uses, without overcharging it. Battery Minder and Battery Tender are examples of two such products, designed specifically to prevent sulfation and extend battery life by as much as several years.
