Batteries

[Wes G]

HELP!? For years I have heard that it will drain a battery if you set it directly on concrete. Is there any basis for this in fact? ( I had a student ask and I don't know) If so why?
Thanks.
___________________
Wes Gerrans
Electrical Technology Instructor
Northwest Kansas Technical College
Goodland, KS

 

[starbright28]

Wes

I went to ask.com to see any results and it is a myth. Here is the explanation that I found. Hope it helps.

Q: Is it true that concrete will drain batteries left sitting on it?

A: No. This myth had validity back when batteries used glass separators between the lead plates. Then, if you dropped the battery on a concrete floor, the glass separators cracked or broke, thus violating the solid barrier between the plates. That allowed the positively (+) and negatively (-) charged lead plates to touch and the charge leaked off through the connection.

Therefore, people thought that "concrete caused the battery to discharge when, in fact, it had nothing to do with it," says EverStart Batteries of Wal-Mart Stores.

Today?s batteries use paper (instead of glass) envelope separators to keep the (+) and (-) plates from touching. The paper separators are highly unlikely to tear even if you drop the battery on concrete.

 

[petersonra]

HELP!? For years I have heard that it will drain a battery if you set it directly on concrete. Is there any basis for this in fact? ( I had a student ask and I don't know) If so why?
Thanks.

The answer is both yes and no.

Concrete is somewhat conductive, so if you get corrosion products or acid boil over that extends all the way from both battery terminals down to the concrete, you could get some discharge.

It used to be much more of an issue because batteries were much more prone to such problems.

The same problem exists in your car. Corrosion off the positive terminal could create a conductive path down to the battery shelf which would complete the circuit, and has discharged car batteries on occassion.

 

[steve66]

There are still some that claim the cold concrete floor can stratify the acid causing some sort of discharge current. Don't know if its true or not.

Lead Acid batteries will self discharge over time, so even if this isn't true, if you leave a battery sit in the garage for a year, its going to be dead even if its sitting on wood.

Steve

 

[Wes G]

Wes

Q: Is it true that concrete will drain batteries left sitting on it?

A: No. This myth had validity back when batteries used glass separators between the lead plates. Then, if you dropped the battery on a concrete floor, the glass separators cracked or broke, thus violating the solid barrier between the plates. That allowed the positively (+) and negatively (-) charged lead plates to touch and the charge leaked off through the connection.

Therefore, people thought that "concrete caused the battery to discharge when, in fact, it had nothing to do with it," says EverStart Batteries of Wal-Mart Stores.

Today?s batteries use paper (instead of glass) envelope separators to keep the (+) and (-) plates from touching. The paper separators are highly unlikely to tear even if you drop the battery on concrete.

Thanks, I appreciate the input Amanda, and from the rest of you also!
___________________
Wes Gerrans
Electrical Technology Instructor
Northwest Kansas Technical College
Goodland, KS