Overfilled the leisure batteries.

[Jstupot]

I overfilled the leisure batteries. They were all empty. What can I do to fix the problem?

[Alan de Enfield]

If they were all 'empty' I would suggest that you investigate your charging system to minimise 'boiling' the batteries.

It is unlikely that you will be able to recover them by adding distilled water.

 

To answer your question : I would suggest that you budget for new batteries.

[Murflynn]

empty?

unless you tipped the electrolyte out, I very much doubt it.

do you mean the level of the electrolyte could not be seen because it was below the top of the plates?

 

over-filled?

do you mean the level was close to the top of the filling opening or did the electrolyte actually spill out?

if it didn't actually spill out I would just suck it and see.

[Jstupot]

Well yes, most were below the plates, so when I say empty I mean low.

As for overfilled, well some are filled quite high to just below the filler cap. Since I have done this we seem to be losing charge a lot more.

No spillage at all.

[Arthur Brown]

If they were losing water by gassing, then continued use will gas off the surplus water you have added. As ever ill treated batteries are closer to needing replacement.

[Jstupot]

No spillage at all.

[Mac of Cygnet]

empty?

unless you tipped the electrolyte out, I very much doubt it.

do you mean the level of the electrolyte could not be seen because it was below the top of the plates?

 

over-filled?

do you mean the level was close to the top of the filling opening or did the electrolyte actually spill out?

if it didn't actually spill out I would just suck it and see.

 

Please do not take this literally.

[Eeyore]

No spillage at all.

You don't really need to do anything about the over filling as the excess water will eventually gas off.

One problem, as you have found, is that the capacity will have dropped as a result of dilution of the electrolye; this will eventually sort its self out. Do not remove the excess as this will permanently weaken the electrolyte.

Another possible problem is that you may get some spillage as a result of the electrolyte warming up and expanding during charging; just check regularly and wipe up any spillage straight away.

You will need to check the charging system as already advised.

[Richard10002]

I got told off by Alpha Batteries for overfilling a recently purchased set of Varna Hobby baterries. I filled them to the level of what looked like an indicator... they said I was stupid to think it was an indicator, and it should be a quarter inch above the plates. They kept them for a weekend and returned them seemingly sorted. They didn't last long such that I managed to eek out a total of two years out of them. I now have 4 x Trojan T105s, which I will probably destroy, but which should last a total 3 or 4 years based on 19 months use.

[1st ade]

 

Please do not take this literally.

 

Beat me to it...

[mrsmelly]

I overfilled the leisure batteries. They were all empty. What can I do to fix the problem?

 

Next time buy sealed ones.

[dmr]

This is potentially a very serious problem. All of the electronics from the exposed part of the plates will have dislodged into the battery and floated about on top of the acid. When you then over filled the batteries these electrons will have been forced out of the top of the battery, if you were paying attention you might have noticed them spilling out and falling towards the baseplate of the boat (lead electrons are obviously heavier than air). Electrons are very reactive and will eat right through the baseplate in a matter of hours. I would put you most treasured possessions into you pockets and head directly towards the nearest pub and have a good boxing day drink.

 

............Dave

[MtB]

 

Next time buy sealed ones.

 

I disagree.

[matty40s]

A good drink will neutronise the bad electrons.

[mrsmelly]

 

I disagree.

 

Then pray tell me how he can overfill sealed ones?

[MtB]

This is potentially a very serious problem. All of the electronics from the exposed part of the plates will have dislodged into the battery and floated about on top of the acid. When you then over filled the batteries these electrons will have been forced out of the top of the battery, if you were paying attention you might have noticed them spilling out and falling towards the baseplate of the boat (lead electrons are obviously heavier than air). Electrons are very reactive and will eat right through the baseplate in a matter of hours. I would put you most treasured possessions into you pockets and head directly towards the nearest pub and have a good boxing day drink.

 

............Dave

 

 

This raises an interesting point. Do the electrons in a battery live in the space above the water then? Is this how a battery works? If so, this could explain why the OP found the capacity reduced after topping up...

 

Then pray tell me how he can overfill sealed ones?

 

 

Technically your advice is correct as he can't. Instead he has to buy new ones each time they need topping up as sealed ones can't be topped up, which seems fundamentally daft.

[canals are us?]

You really do need to regularly inspect the water level of your batteries.

 

I have 2 Trojan T105's and had them around 2 and a half years so far on a permanently connected mains battery charger as liveaboard at a Marina.

I find they do need water, and top them up every 6 months. The level has always remained above the plates, before topping up.

 

I would like another 2 to increase the bank size. I do have 380 watts of solar to help charge them.

 

James

[dmr]

 

 

This raises an interesting point. Do the electrons in a battery live in the space above the water then? Is this how a battery works? If so, this could explain why the OP found the capacity reduced after topping up...

 

.

 

Yes I think that's how it works, that's why you should top up the batteries very slowly and carefully to avoid displacing the electrons, and also why you should never leave a battery with the caps off.

I think this is also why we use distilled water, ordinary water contains small metal particles called irons and these react with the free electrons to form rust that falls to the bottom of the cells are can short the plates out.

 

The lost capacity that you mention comes back after a few days when new electrons escape from the lead plates

 

............Dave

[Bee]

I sweep up any escaped electrons with a dustpan and brush and tip them back into the battery. If the battery gets really low then I sweep them up from the side of the M6, there's lots of them there.

[Mac of Cygnet]

This has easily been the most entertaining battery thread ever on CWDF. Usually jokes about batteries go down like the proverbial........

[mrsmelly]

This has easily been the most entertaining battery thread ever on CWDF. Usually jokes about batteries go down like the proverbial........

 

I completely agree. We usualy get told how to " Look after " them etc etc

[blackrose]

 

Next time buy sealed ones.

If you're not going to top up batteries regularly then sealed batteries are the best option, however you'll never match the performance of (properly maintained) wet lead/acid batteries.

 

 

I've slightly overfilled my batteries before and found that by just keeping them on charge for long enough (on shore power) they were fine.

Edited December 26, 2016 by blackrose

[mrsmelly]

If you're not going to top up batteries regularly then sealed batteries are the best option, however you'll never match the performance of (properly maintained) wet lead/acid batteries.

 

 

I've slightly overfilled my batteries before and found that by just keeping them on charge for long enough (on shore power) they were fine.

 

This is why I now buy sealed batteries. My first twenty five years as a liveaboard I always bought open batteries and occasionaly ( if I could be arsed ) topped them up. I bought this set of cheap sealed ones almost two years ago and the only reason I know they are still there is that the lights work as I never go near them. Still performing well after at least 600 cycles and I am never buying open ones ever ever again life is simply too short. At present they stand me at a cost of about three quid a week and no topping up so I am more than happy.

[blackrose]

I'll stick with wet lead/acids. I top them up about 2 or 3 times a year. The previous set lasted 10 years. With the autofill bottle I really don't find it that much hassle.

[Guest]

I bought my latest batteries thinking they were sealed, but underneath the labels are normal filler plugs

Never get very long out of my batteries owing to no shore power (with the exception of a bank of seconhand Yuasa backups, which were truly sealed, and lasted well) but hoping for a longer life for this set with solars now fitted.