mgookin
Senior Member
- Location
- Fort Myers, FL
- Occupation
- Retired inspector, plans examiner & building official
Just wait one year and buy batteries then.
Battery shelf life
- Thread starter Sahib
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broadgage
Senior Member
- Location
- London, England
The best option is probably not to purchase or supply the battery until shortly before it is required for use.
If this is not possible, then I would agree with the suggestion to fit a small PV module and charge controller, these are cheap and widely sold.
The shelf life of lead acid batteries without charging is rather variable, it depends on the ambient temperature, and on what you require the battery to do at the end of the shelf life or storage time.
There is a lot of difference between expecting a long stored battery to start an engine without prior charging, and between expecting the battery to accept a charge from a line powered battery charger and THEN start an engine.
The size of the battery relative to the engine size is also very relevant.
If the generator set supplier recomends a 400 AH battery, then this will only reliably start the engine if well charged and in good condition.
If however the user has fitted a 1,000 AH battery, then that is likely to start the engine even if partly discharged and in marginal condition.
If this is not possible, then I would agree with the suggestion to fit a small PV module and charge controller, these are cheap and widely sold.
The shelf life of lead acid batteries without charging is rather variable, it depends on the ambient temperature, and on what you require the battery to do at the end of the shelf life or storage time.
There is a lot of difference between expecting a long stored battery to start an engine without prior charging, and between expecting the battery to accept a charge from a line powered battery charger and THEN start an engine.
The size of the battery relative to the engine size is also very relevant.
If the generator set supplier recomends a 400 AH battery, then this will only reliably start the engine if well charged and in good condition.
If however the user has fitted a 1,000 AH battery, then that is likely to start the engine even if partly discharged and in marginal condition.
petersonra
Senior Member
- Location
- Northern illinois
- Occupation
- engineer
my opinion is to buy a better battery or one with more capacity.
or find a way to keep it charged.
if those are not an option wait until you actually need it to buy it and install it.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
OP is in India, don't know if that situation is common there or not.
I was going to suggest that, seems as though everyone in the last few posts agrees with that concept to some extent.
If that is the case then I would certainly would not let a genset set in a crate or installed outside in a tropical environment without running once a week. I would put it in dry storage and install when needed.
Thanks, guys for your remarkable suggestions.
I want to submit one more question.
Sometimes the battery may be revived by very slow charging to reverse the sulphation process already set in in the idle lying battery. I want to know how long after the battery sits idle this slow charging strategy effective. Thanks.
I want to submit one more question.
Sometimes the battery may be revived by very slow charging to reverse the sulphation process already set in in the idle lying battery. I want to know how long after the battery sits idle this slow charging strategy effective. Thanks.
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Not possible once lead sulfate crystals have hardened. They can only be dissolved while they are in the soft gel stage. After that it is over.
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
What about the magical devices that use high frequency pulses to vibrate the crystals into submission? I understand they also repel gophers and mosquitoes. 
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Could be useful here............What about the magical devices that use high frequency pulses to vibrate the crystals into submission? I understand they also repel gophers and mosquitoes.
kwired
Electron manager
- Location
- NE Nebraska
- Occupation
- EC
I have more interest in the repelling action than I have in reviving a battery at this time, the gophers raised hell with my yard last year, and one of these years the mosquitoes will probably return, last two or three years have been dry enough they weren't a widespread problem like they sometimes are.What about the magical devices that use high frequency pulses to vibrate the crystals into submission? I understand they also repel gophers and mosquitoes.
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ceb58
Senior Member
- Location
- Raeford, NC
We had the same problem with our generators being shipped in in bulk and setting on the riggers yard for a year or more before being installed. The batteries would some times take a charge but would not last long. We had it written in our contractor with the supplier that the MFG. would ship the generator with out a battery and they would bring a new battery to install at the time of start up.
The subject battery was put on a trickle charge of 3A for around two weeks. Lo and behold. The battery is now able to start the generator and is in usable condition. Probably, the trickle charging was able to reverse the sulphation process in the supposedly dead battery:
- Location
- Placerville, CA, USA
- Occupation
- Retired PV System Designer
Most professionals who work with lead acid batteries feel that there is no practical way to reverse sulfation damage.
The best that could happen would be the breakdown of a layer that reduced the surface conductivity of one of the electrodes the battery might be able to deliver starting current again, but the capacity of the battery would still be permanently reduced.
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The best that could happen would be the breakdown of a layer that reduced the surface conductivity of one of the electrodes the battery might be able to deliver starting current again, but the capacity of the battery would still be permanently reduced.
Tapatalk!
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