Educate me on battery acid

[Industrial Toys]

Just for what it's worth. A friend worked for an auto parts place in the 80s. He got me a box of acid, claiming if I poured the acid out of a bad battery and replenished it with new acid, it would rejuvinate the battery. TOTALLY bogus! I gave the remaining acid to friends that had an auto shop. I didn't want that stuff around.

So how come, if you charge a battery with the caps off, it will emmit hydrogen, but with a similar sized sealed battery, where does the hydrogen go? Or in service, while charging, the caps are closed. So why open the caps at all?

 

[LouNY]

Most of the so called sealed batteries actually have vents to relieve the pressure,
many so called sealed batteries with the molded tops can be opened with a putty knife or thin bladed screwdriver,
to reveal the fill and level ports.
Haven't you smelled the fumes cooking off a battery in your truck or car,
thats the hydrogen getting cooked off.
In a quiet shop when you have a charger on a "sealed" battery charge it at 30 amps for ten minutes
then turn the charger off and listen. That whistling sizzle noise is hydrogen gassing off.
The totally sealed batteries that can be turned over and not leak, or even mounted
in any orientation are constructed differently then our common lead acid plate batteries.
Check out the construction and design of the newer AGM batteries.

 

[LittleBill21]

you should only be adding distilled water to battery, nothing else, maybe a touch of mineral oil to slow the boil off.

 

[oldballs]

Seems like all the batteries on small tractors and trucks are no maintenance... in the past 20 years or so.. Back in the days when gas stations checked your oil etc, they kept a container just specially for adding water to the car battery that had screw tops on each cell. Not necessary these days.

 

[fried1765]

Don稚 dilute the acid at all. Slowly pour it in then let battery have a slow charge with the trickle charger for a few hours.

Take the wifeç—´ baking powder and use it to neutralize any spilled acid or wash your hands with if you do spill any. It will neutralize the acid and help greatly containing any damage the acid comes in contact with.

I really don't think "the wife's baking powder" will neutralize much of anything.
Good idea instead though, would be to use baking soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)

 

[LouNY]

Just don't wash off the top of the battery with it or splash any around when your cleaning your terminals with it.
You would be surprised at how little it takes to ruin a battery.

 

[paulfun9]

I really don't think "the wife's baking powder" will neutralize much of anything.
Good idea instead though, would be to use baking soda (Bicarbonate of Soda)

That’s what I meant to say. Backing soda. Sorry for the mix up of words.