Where to find non maintenance free battery??

[Streffpilot]

I'm told I need a non maintenance free battery for my boat and motor. Where would I find one??

 

[Mr. Asa]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

I honestly cannot see why it would make a difference... But any battery you can remove the caps on and add electrolyte/acid to is a non maintenance free battery.
Maintenance free batteries are the gel filled batteries like the Optimas.

However, so long as they have the same ratings they both provide the same amount of power, and the same cold cranking amps. Did the person that told you this give you a reason why you needed to go with a non maintenance free battery? It just sounds... weird.

 

[JB]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

Ditto ^^.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

and make sure you don't let the battery sit on concrete.

 

[procraftguy]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

Some rectifiers say do not use maintenance free batterys as it may cause damage is reason so not completly false reason they can intermiediatly raise to 14+ volts i have this said setup +/-/s maintenance free marine battery that can be checked/filled works fine

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

Maintenance free are the ones with no caps on them. Like the Delco with the sight glass.

The sitting on the floor is an old theory because the cases were made of a diff. material then the current ones

Non-maintenance free can be topped up with distilled water. Maintenance free can't. That's all the difference there is.

You can charge the non-maintenance free at higher currents as they are not "sealed" so any gas can escape. Your leisure batteries should be used at the "maintenance free" setting as they are designed for slow charge and slow discharge. Car batteries are designed for rapid charge and rapid discharge.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

Non-maintenance free can be topped up with distilled water. Maintenance free can't. That's all the difference there is.

You can charge the non-maintenance free at higher currents as they are not "sealed" so any gas can escape.

hum......if the battery is sealed so the gases can't get out, where did the electrolyte go that you need to replenish?

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

All flooded lead acid batteries have caps. Some are just less obvious than others.

All flooded lead batteries are also vented. If they weren't the cases would explode from the internal pressure.

So...basically there is no such thing as a maintenance free battery. That was something AC Delco came up with years ago to make you want to buy their batteries and then everyone copied them. It is true that calcium that was added to the plates reduced the gassing of the batteries but it still can happen, just at a lower rate.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

hum......if the battery is sealed so the gases can't get out, where did the electrolyte go that you need to replenish?

delete

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

All flooded lead acid batteries have caps. Some are just less obvious than others.

All flooded lead batteries are also vented. If they weren't the cases would explode from the internal pressure.

So...basically there is no such thing as a maintenance free battery. That was something AC Delco came up with years ago to make you want to buy their batteries and then everyone copied them. It is true that calcium that was added to the plates reduced the gassing of the batteries but it still can happen, just at a lower rate.

Thank you. This should answer dingbats question.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

.....

 

[dingbat]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

Thank you. This should answer dingbats question.

So if all batteries are vented.......

"You can charge the non-maintenance free at higher currents as they are not "sealed" so any gas can escape."

 

[matt167]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

yep. If you look on any LA battery top it has 6 raised sections or possibly 3. those are the caps and can be carefully lifted off. They are not as obvious like the old batteries with threadded caps but they are there. Usually one for each cell, but I have seen them bundled into one cap before, and sometimes 3 caps with 1 cap covering 2 cells.. I don't think any battery should be charged over 10A tho

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

I don't think any battery should be charged over 10A tho

Your alternator charges it over 10A.

 

[matt167]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

Your alternator charges it over 10A.

It does and doesent at the same time. The alt only puts out what the electrical system demands, so the battery itself is really never in a huge state of charge or discharge because the alternator is able to carry the electrical system on it's own.. If the battery is dead and the vehicle jumpstarted, the battery certainly does see around 100A from a modern alternator, but that quick charge can also sulfate the battery enough that it needs replaced

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Where to find non maintenance free battery??

It does and doesent at the same time. The alt only puts out what the electrical system demands

A smart battery charger does the same. I have a 15A battery charger for my batteries. The most it will output is 15A but only if the battery requires it. Typically a smart charger will do constant current during its first stage until a certain voltage setpoint is reached. If a battery is already fully charged, this first stage is extremely short.

Sulfation occurs when a battery is stored in a discharged condition. Has nothing to do with the charge current.