Battery Issues

[aswbe]

Gene
I agree, for those of us who are electrically challenged this was a quick and easy way to determine I needed new batteries. Living a 30 mile round trip from auto repair facilities/stores and working long hrs my time is limited to diagnose and fix (any kind) of problems. This forum has been extremely helpful on many issues for that reason. I will continue to research long term fixes and upgrades and group them all together for an off season trip to an RV service center.

[bryanl]

re: "It's still a tool and a lot easier to use than checking charge over a period of days and disconnecting and re-connecting the batteries."

It is much much easier just to measure the voltage with a good modern DVM, much safer, much more convenient, less like to have something untoward happen, and voltage, properly measured, will tell you all you need to know.

Both specific gravity and voltage are primary indicators of battery state of charge, both need proper measurement technique, and both need proper interpretation of the measures.

I still don't think it a good idea to ignore advice such as at Lead-Acid Battery Info or Lead Acid Battery Maintenance and Safety Protocol (which cites "Nationally, 2300 people are injured each year using lead acid batteries. Acid burns to the face and eyes comprise about 50% of these injuries as these batteries can easily explode. The remaining injuries were mostly due to lifting or dropping batteries as they are quite heavy.")

What intrigues me is that there is such a cavalier attitude about battery safety, where there is a measured risk, while issues such as hitches and weight ratings, where there isn't sufficient data to assess risk, cause people to go absolutely bonkers about safety issues.

Note also in the quote above about the confusion between battery condition and battery state of charge and battery failure. These are entirely separate things. Specific gravity and voltage tell you about state of charge. The modern method to determine battery condition is usually with what is called a conductance test (see batteryuniversity.com for more about this). Conductance tests have replaced load testing because it is less destructive.

[Gene]

Originally Posted by bryanl

I still don't think it a good idea to ignore advice such as at Lead-Acid Battery Info or Lead Acid Battery Maintenance and Safety Protocol (which cites "Nationally, 2300 people are injured each year using lead acid batteries. Acid burns to the face and eyes comprise about 50% of these injuries as these batteries can easily explode. The remaining injuries were mostly due to lifting or dropping batteries as they are quite heavy.")

I didn't know that using a hydrometer would cause a battery to explode, or that using one causes a battery to drop through the bottom of the battery box.

When quoting a source to prove a point, you should use a quote that actually applies to the situation. And I doubt anyone is ignoring the advice, but are choosing whether to follow it or not according to the situation.

I suppose there is someone who uses a hydrometer as an eyedropper, but that seems pretty unlikely except for someone so self destructive that they will find some way to blind themselves even if the hydrometer is taken away from them. Careful people usually do quite fine and careful people are usually aware of the dangers involved with sulphuric acid. There's nothing we can do about self destructive people except provide funds for mental health treatments. Fortunately we have choices—hydrometer or not, multitester or not.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

Even though the batts in the AS are sealed I still have a use for this in two out of five of my applications.

To quick and easy to give up....sorry.

[richinny]

Originally Posted by bryanl

What intrigues me is that there is such a cavalier attitude about battery safety, where there is a measured risk, while issues such as hitches and weight ratings, where there isn't sufficient data to assess risk, cause people to go absolutely bonkers about safety issues.

as someone that has used one over many years i have to agree that i should have known what i know now before i used one. i rarely use one now and sometimes just dip the voltmeter tip into the electrolyte to get a cell voltage reading. (not advised)

i find adding water to be much more dangerous and would encourage water auto fillers before ditching the hydrometer. i store mine in a glass jar and keep baking soda and water with my battery tools.

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[Gene]

You can use a turkey baster to add water to a battery. Never had a problem with this primitive method.

It is not a good idea, however, to use the turkey baster to baste turkey after using it to fill a battery.

Gene

[bryanl]

As for my quote being appropriate to the context, the snark about hydrometry causing a battery to blow up (and dipping voltmeters), and the 'always done it that way" -- my, oh, my.

It is very interesting the extent to which the mind will rationalize ...

Gaining access to batteries in Airstreams usually requires pulling them from a small compartment. They are heavy. They are in tight quarters. They are full of acid. Stuff happens. It has in the past and there is a risk that it will again.

Unless you are a masochist or stuck on outdated habits or something, you don't need to drag the battery out of its box and play with acid. You can simply use a voltmeter appropriately, like any other measuring tool including a hydrometer, to find out if your battery needs replacement.

The key is that you do not need to know if a particular cell is bad, only if the battery is bad. There is no need to take the risks of hydrometry for that (and no need to rationalize taking those risks, either!)

I wonder, is safe practice and recognition of risk something to be treated as it has been here (dismissed, minimized, or ridiculed) or is another approach perhaps more responsible?

[Gene]

Originally Posted by bryanl

Gaining access to batteries in Airstreams usually requires pulling them from a small compartment.

Perhaps in your 1975 Ambassador you have to remove the batteries to test them. You may be unaware that removing batteries is not necessary to test them with a hydrometer in other models. It is certainly not necessary to remove them in any car or truck I have seen.

Gene

[ROBERT CROSS]

One of the "rationalizations" I used for changing out the Interstate's.

The Lifelines will eliminate the chance of a spill when servicing and removing for Winter storage. That was an important consideration taking into account the very cramped compartments in the Classic.

The dangers of battery acid is well known and I don't think anyone here is minimizing that fact. If you have a wet cell with caps please follow all safety precautions. (especially proper venting and the dangers of overcharging)

In my case I have two applications where I have a choice in how I service and test. (6v in Ford 12v marine in boat), the hydrometer, multi-meter and load-tester are all good tools for those purposes.

Remember the old adage....the more tools the better.

[aswbe]

Let me weigh in on this discussion one last time. I have lost many a good pair of jeans to acid over the years hauling batteries out of vehicles and wiping tools clean without much thought. Now I much more careful. But by far and away the most dangerous thing on the trailer is the awning and a close second is the steps. Put them together and it is positively lethal.

The PO almost broke his neck while balancing on the open end of a 5 gal bucket showing me how to open the awning. I one up this in the dark of night running to secure the brace by the rear, I took the steps full on the shin. 3 months latter my leg still shows the scar red and tender and it ranks as the most painful experience in recent memory. Point is the most advertized dangerous things in life (acid) are always trumped by stupidity and carelessness with the more mundane. IMHO