The large Hospital where I work have 11 Deisel and 4 gas generators. The service company is now recommending that we stop purchasing the maintenance free batteries due to them blowing up [their words]. The 4 gas generators each have 3 starters feed by a total of 6 batteries and the rest with 4 batteries. Every week when we PM them we would have to open over 400 cell caps to check the electrolite level. We have the batteries replaced every 3 years . Does anyone have any problems they can stare with the maintenance free batteries. The type we have are 1500 CCA at 12 volts. Thanks tom grabowski
maintenance free generator batteries
- Thread starter garbo
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zbang
Senior Member
- Location
- Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
You have "maintenance-free" batteries now and they're recommending that you install flooded-cell batteries? If the existing M-F batteries are "blowing up", then there's a serious problem in their environment or the charging system, or both.
FWIW, I'd rather replace a stack of batteries every couple of years than do PM on that many flooded-cell batteries. (I wonder if the service company would like to have the weekly battery maintenance contract on them...)
FWIW, I'd rather replace a stack of batteries every couple of years than do PM on that many flooded-cell batteries. (I wonder if the service company would like to have the weekly battery maintenance contract on them...)
SegDog
Member
- Location
- Philadelphia
battery fill
battery fill
Hi Tom,
I have battery experience, but generally in pairs only. However, I have followed the RV and Solar battery sites for years. Some of the self-contained watering systems are the way to go. Much info is available by searching. That is the way to go...
Dog
battery fill
Hi Tom,
I have battery experience, but generally in pairs only. However, I have followed the RV and Solar battery sites for years. Some of the self-contained watering systems are the way to go. Much info is available by searching. That is the way to go...
Dog
brian john
Senior Member
- Location
- Leesburg, VA
Actually there have been some issues with MFB blowing up, this was with certain manufactures and I THINK this issue has been resolved.
In addition this would be a warranty issue and with the high number of starting batteries and the nature of the facility have you considered having spare on hand on charge?
Have you had any blow up?
Can they give you any instances or documentation of this?
The 3 year cycle for replacement is a decent program.
Lastly have you looked in to NiCads for engine starting, we have several sites that have had their NiCads for 12 years and regularly pass the load test with flying colors.
In addition this would be a warranty issue and with the high number of starting batteries and the nature of the facility have you considered having spare on hand on charge?
Have you had any blow up?
Can they give you any instances or documentation of this?
The 3 year cycle for replacement is a decent program.
Lastly have you looked in to NiCads for engine starting, we have several sites that have had their NiCads for 12 years and regularly pass the load test with flying colors.
Time for the rest of the story.
Time for the rest of the story.
If the batteries are literally blowing up, then there is definitly something more going on here than just the wrong type of battery. Need to go back to the generator company and find out what does the generator manufacturer specify for their starting batteries.
Off the top of my head, the symtoms match a battery charger system that is always charging the batteries. Once the battery has reached full charge, it then starts turning that charging current into heat which cooks the electrolyte and also starts turning the water in the electrolyte into hydrogen and oxygen gas.
If you do go to conventional flooded cell batteries, I suggest you get those catalytic caps for the cells. These caps have a catlyst inside of the vent tube that will cause the hydrogen and oxygen gases to recombine back to water that then drips back down into the battery cell. Will save your batteries if you overcharge them, and greatly reduce the amount of adding of water you need to do.
Read about them being used on a mountian top radio repeater site, where the site is only accessable by ground for a few weeks in the middle of the summer. They added these catlyst caps to their batteries and reduced their water consumption in the automatic battery watering system to something negligable.
Time for the rest of the story.
If the batteries are literally blowing up, then there is definitly something more going on here than just the wrong type of battery. Need to go back to the generator company and find out what does the generator manufacturer specify for their starting batteries.
Off the top of my head, the symtoms match a battery charger system that is always charging the batteries. Once the battery has reached full charge, it then starts turning that charging current into heat which cooks the electrolyte and also starts turning the water in the electrolyte into hydrogen and oxygen gas.
If you do go to conventional flooded cell batteries, I suggest you get those catalytic caps for the cells. These caps have a catlyst inside of the vent tube that will cause the hydrogen and oxygen gases to recombine back to water that then drips back down into the battery cell. Will save your batteries if you overcharge them, and greatly reduce the amount of adding of water you need to do.
Read about them being used on a mountian top radio repeater site, where the site is only accessable by ground for a few weeks in the middle of the summer. They added these catlyst caps to their batteries and reduced their water consumption in the automatic battery watering system to something negligable.
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