Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
battery, and whatever happened to those special top-up bottles that set

the level automatically?

"Homer2911"  wrote in message 
news:1116626845.218448.135680@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

> Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
> battery, and whatever happened to those special top-up bottles that set
>
> the level automatically?
>


ordinary batteries are topped up to just a bit above the metal bits you can 
see, say about a quarter of an inch or 6mm

mrcheerful

In article ,
   Homer2911  wrote:

> Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
> battery, and whatever happened to those special top-up bottles that set

> the level automatically?


You just add distilled water so the electrolyte just covers the plates. If
you can't see them use a torch. Not match. Oh no.

-- 
*I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)"  wrote:

> In article ,
>   Homer2911  wrote:
>> Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
>> battery, and whatever happened to those special top-up bottles that set
> 
>> the level automatically?
> 
> You just add distilled water so the electrolyte just covers the plates. If
> you can't see them use a torch. Not match. Oh no.
> 


And to quote a Haynes manual.
Torch in this manual refers to a battery operated electric lantern, and not
what you see villagers carrying in vampire films.

Hi Homer


> Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
> battery,


Just above the level of the plates as others have said............. BUT!

ONLY when the battery is fully charged!

As a battery discharges the electrolyte level drops.  If you top up a flat 
battery, when it's charged, the electrolyte level rises again.

This can cause electrolyte to overflow and leave the battery.  Topping it up 
again dilutes the electrolyte, ending up with a knackered battery.  And so 
on, and so on.

Dave - who used to earn a great deal of dosh from people who didn't 
understand traction batteries.

"David Lang"  wrote in message
news:Gjvje.69623$a9.19781@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

> Hi Homer
>
> > Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
> > battery,
>
> Just above the level of the plates as others have said.............
BUT!
>
> ONLY when the battery is fully charged!
>
> As a battery discharges the electrolyte level drops.  If you top up
a flat
> battery, when it's charged, the electrolyte level rises again.


So you would suggest charging a flat battery with the electrolyte
*below* the level of the plates?....


>
> This can cause electrolyte to overflow and leave the battery.
Topping it up
> again dilutes the electrolyte, ending up with a knackered battery.
And so
> on, and so on.


Only if you *grossly* over fill the battery....


>
> Dave - who used to earn a great deal of dosh from people who didn't
> understand traction batteries.
>


Jerry - who used to make the bloody things, fill them (when totally
flat) and then charge them from new. You don't know the first thing
matey, most of what you said above is total bullshit or at best the
words of someone who knows less than they think they do...

"Homer2911"  wrote in message
news:1116626845.218448.135680@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...

> Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
> battery, and whatever happened to those special top-up bottles that
set
>  the level automatically?
>


Automatically ?!....

If you mean the Lucas ones, they had a red (captive) strip type lid,
the automatic levelling never really worked correctly and were a
bastard to fill to the correct level in a normal way due to the design
of the top and lid assembly.

":::Jerry::::"  wrote in message
news:428ef2d8$0$71287$892e7fe2@authen.white.readfreenews.net...

>
> "Homer2911"  wrote in message
> news:1116626845.218448.135680@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> > Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
> > battery, and whatever happened to those special top-up bottles
that
> set
> >  the level automatically?
> >
>
> Automatically ?!....
>
> If you mean the Lucas ones, they had a red (captive) strip type lid,
> the automatic levelling never really worked correctly and were a
> bastard to fill to the correct level in a normal way due to the
design
> of the top and lid assembly.
>


Fiddle-sticks !
Sorry, missed the word 'bottles', thought you were talking about the
above battery type.

Hi Jerry

> So you would suggest charging a flat battery with the electrolyte
> *below* the level of the plates?....


Nope.  The plates should be just covered.  Forgot that bit.


> Only if you *grossly* over fill the battery....


Which happens all the time.  I'm refering to 18 x 2v cell deep cycle 
traction batteries used in floor cleaning machines, in retail supermarket 
applications.

The people cleaning the floors are in the main muppets on minimum wage, most 
couldn't tie their own shoe laces, let alone follow simple instructions.

We had the batteries in a 2" deep stainless steel tray - which we often 
found full of electrolyte.


> You don't know the first thing
> matey, most of what you said above is total bullshit or at best the
> words of someone who knows less than they think they do...


Care to explain your point instead of just being rude............

Dave

In article <428ef2d8$0$71287$892e7fe2@authen.white.readfreenews.net>,
   :::Jerry::::  wrote:

> > Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
> > battery, and whatever happened to those special top-up bottles that
> set
> >  the level automatically?
> >

> Automatically ?!....

> If you mean the Lucas ones, they had a red (captive) strip type lid,
> the automatic levelling never really worked correctly and were a
> bastard to fill to the correct level in a normal way due to the design
> of the top and lid assembly.


Years ago there were distilled water bottles at every filling station, and
they had a valve in the spout which sort of stuck out. You inverted the
bottle and no water came out until you pressed this valve on the plates,
then the water cut off automatically at the correct level above the plates.

-- 
*What was the best thing before sliced bread?

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article <Gjvje.69623$a9.19781@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
   David Lang  wrote:

> Just above the level of the plates as others have said............. BUT!

> ONLY when the battery is fully charged!

> As a battery discharges the electrolyte level drops.  If you top up a
> flat battery, when it's charged, the electrolyte level rises again.


So you're implying a fully charged battery with the electrolyte at the
correct level will drop below the top of the plates when discharged? 

Not in my experience.


> This can cause electrolyte to overflow and leave the battery.  Topping
> it up again dilutes the electrolyte, ending up with a knackered
> battery.  And so on, and so on.


If you grossly overfill it of course. Hence the just above the plates bit.

-- 
*Why do overlook and oversee mean opposite things? *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"David Lang"  wrote in message
news:wkDje.28936$2k2.2916@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk...

> Hi Jerry
> > So you would suggest charging a flat battery with the electrolyte
> > *below* the level of the plates?....
>
> Nope.  The plates should be just covered.  Forgot that bit.
>


'nough said....

When you can't even get the basics correct, what credence should be
given to anything else you say ? :~(

Jerry wrote;


> When you can't even get the basics correct, what credence should be
> given to anything else you say ? :~(


Argumentum ad Hominem you twat.

Hi Dave

> So you're implying a fully charged battery with the electrolyte at the
> correct level will drop below the top of the plates when discharged?

..
Nope!  There is an expansion gap. In a fully charged battery the electrolyte 
will drop to a lower level, but still cover the plates.

If you correctly top up a discharged battery, when it charges the level will 
rise and fill the expansion gap.  If you over top a discharged battery e.g. 
fill it right up, it will overflow as it charges.

Gross over topping is common in some areas of use. like supermarket 
cleaning.

Dave

In article <Q4Eje.28979$2k2.16849@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk>,
   David Lang  wrote:

> > So you're implying a fully charged battery with the electrolyte at the
> > correct level will drop below the top of the plates when discharged?
> . Nope!  There is an expansion gap. In a fully charged battery the
> electrolyte will drop to a lower level, but still cover the plates.

> If you correctly top up a discharged battery, when it charges the level
> will rise and fill the expansion gap.  If you over top a discharged
> battery e.g. fill it right up, it will overflow as it charges.

> Gross over topping is common in some areas of use. like supermarket
> cleaning.


Then I doubt it would matter whether the battery was charged or
discharged. Fools can wreck anything. ;-)

-- 
*Hang in there, retirement is only thirty years away! *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"David Lang"  wrote in message
news:Q4Eje.28979$2k2.16849@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
<snip>

>
> Gross over topping is common in some areas of use. like supermarket
> cleaning.
>


Something you seem to know a lot about....

Jerry wrote;

>
> Something you seem to know a lot about....


As a matter of fact I do.  Your rather snide implication was that I actually 
cleaned them myself, and that doing so was a menial job - which I suppose it 
is.

Actually, I sell the capital equipment that cleans them.  You are looking at 
30K's worth of kit to clean a large superstore.

Instead of sniping and making snide comments, why don't you try making a 
positive contribution?

If you disagreed with my post on batteries, you could have done so in a way 
that we all could learn from.  Your obviously huge knowledge of them could 
have been shared by the group to the benefit of all.

Dave

Homer2911 wrote:


> Stupid question - how do I know to what level I should top up a
> battery, and whatever happened to those special top-up bottles that
set
>
> the level automatically?


Batteries normally have some indicator of what level to fill to. Do not
fill them to this level if theyre old. Why? Batteries gradually lose
H2SO4 during use, and topping up batteries to the fill line has wrecked
many an older lead acid battery, by diluting the electrolyte too far.
If the thing is not new, it is better to fill it to just cover the
plates, say by 2mm.

NT

Thanks guys - still searching for that elusive top-up bottle with the
automatic levelling feature though - every garage used to sell them whn
I was younger!