Maintenance free batteries

Here's a short quiz.

  1. With respect to lead acid batteries, "maintenance free" means:

a) Maintenance is done by the seller at no additional cost. b) There is no maintenance procedure that can extend the life of the battery. c) Even if there were such a procedure, the battery has been designed in a way that makes it impossible, in order to cut manufacturing costs. d) Even if there were such a procedure, the battery has been designed in a way that makes it impossible, in order to sell you a new battery on a shorter schedule.

The question I'm really getting at is whether or not "sealed" batteries ever run low on electrolyte like "capped" batteries do. If they do, it seems like the battery would have an artificially short lifetime if it is not possible to add fluid as necessary.

Reply to
Ryan Underwood
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Reply to
William R. Watt

They lose much less water, maybe 80% less and should never run dry unless very old or badly overcharged (shorted alternator regulator) because the plates are submerged deeper and are made of a different alloy, lead-calcium, that consumes much less water than the lead-antimony found in low-maintenance batteries. But lead-calcium batteries are much less resistant to accidental deep discharge and may be ruined if the headlights are forgotten just once overnight, compared to 3-10 times for other batteries. There are maintenance-free batteries with removable caps, made by Exide and possibly Johnson Controls' Eveready brand (but not their others).

Reply to
do_not_spam_me

Try

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. It might not answeryour exact questions, but it is a good read. Ed

Reply to
C. E. White

Thanks, bookmarked.

Reply to
Ryan Underwood

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