Many modern batteries are made mostly maintenance-free. Such batteries do not have access to banks, since there is no need to add water. The disadvantage of this technology is that if for some reason the water evaporates from the cans, you will either have to purchase a new one, or do restoration.
Content
Why maintenance-free battery may be required
In maintenance-free batteries, water evaporation is almost completely absent due to the fact that during charging, the boiled electrolyte inside the jars condenses back into the liquid through the labyrinth cover.
At the same time, if for some reason you violate the operating rules (charge with high currents, use a faulty generator, etc.), then a lot of steam will accumulate in the tanks, which will be discharged through pressure relief valves to avoid explosion of the case.
Note! The only reason maintenance may be required is the evaporation of liquid from the cans. If this happens, then any battery can be made serviced.
Modern batteries can be used for more than 5 years with virtually no loss in performance, but cheap maintenance-free models are not always able to last even half this time. To extend the effective use of such batteries, many car owners are trying to make the product serviceable.
Experienced motorists, knowing in advance that cheap serviced batteries will not last long, make holes in the case immediately after purchase to monitor the level of electrolyte and its density. For many car owners, it's just a matter of habit.
How to identify a maintenance free battery
Determining whether a battery is a maintenance-free product is fairly straightforward. A visual inspection of this fact indicates the absence of plugs with a cross recess for screwdrivers. Some models may be serviced, but the holes in such batteries are connected in the lid to remove gas at the same time for all cans.
Such a product can be easily identified by the hole located on the side through which the internal space of the cans is connected with the atmosphere.
Attention! Sometimes battery manufacturers, such as the Beast, seal the cork with a large sticker on the top cover, so tear off all the stickers before drilling holes.
If the battery is purchased remotely, and there is no way to make out the details of its case, then you should carefully read the information provided by the seller.
The type of battery is not always indicated in the product description, but if it is reliably known that calcium technology was used in the manufacture of the battery, then all passenger batteries will have an unattended case.
How to service and add water to a maintenance-free battery
Before you begin to independently change the design of the battery, you should evaluate all the pros and cons of performing such an operation. In many cases, when a maintenance-free battery loses its ability to deliver a high discharge current, it is a sign of its imminent death. That is, the lack of water has already led to irreparable consequences. Even if you manage to bring him back to life, then the fact that he will live a long time.
If the final decision is made to repair the battery, then you should take care of safety, because inside the battery case there are several liters of acid, which, when sprayed, can cause serious damage to health. There are several ways to make a maintenance-free battery serviced.
The most difficult option - Remove the top cover completely. This can be done using a hacksaw or a power tool, but such an operation will require too much time, and upon completion of the service it will be necessary to set this element back to high quality, which is an even bigger problem. Therefore, we do not recommend doing this.
You can only restore calcium acid batteryif you Agm, Efb or Gel then nothing will work.
The easiest way to maintain battery This type is drilling holes in the cover. A 12-volt battery consists of 6 cans, so it’s enough to make 1 hole in each compartment so that you can independently adjust the level and density of the electrolyte.
Traffic jams on banks of a non-separable battery are made in the following sequence:
- Mark the middle of each can on the top lid with a marker. If the vertical walls are not visible on the body, then to perform this operation it is necessary to measure the width of the lid to the nearest millimeter. Then the resulting number must be divided by six. As a result of the calculations, the distance between the plugs will be obtained. The distance from the edge for the first tube can be obtained if the previously calculated result is divided by 2.
- To minimize contamination of the electrolyte with plastic chips, drilling of the housing is recommended in 2 stages. First, you should make holes with a drill with a diameter of 3 mm using the points previously marked with a marker. After this, the holes should be expanded with a tool whose cross section is 12 mm.
- In order to tightly close such openings and thereby eliminate the likelihood of acid splashing during use, it is necessary to take 6 plugs from medicinal alcohol extracts, for example, valerian, and install them in the holes made.
Thus, you can make a fairly high-quality alteration of one type of battery in another. Holes with a diameter of 12 mm allow, if necessary, to add distilled water or electrolyte, if the problem of battery inoperability was the leakage of an acid solution.
By the way! It is not necessary to drill large holes, it is enough that the tip of the syringe crawls through. Then using it in several stages it will be possible to fill the entire electrolyte. Then seal the holes with acid-resistant sealant.
Precautionary measures
Inside a maintenance-free battery, gas can be under significant pressure. The composition of such a mixture can be highly flammable, so do not smoke during drilling of the body. Work must be carried out at a considerable distance from an open flame, for example, a gas burner or fireplace.
In addition, to protect the organs of vision and skin from splashing acid, you will need to use the following personal protective equipment:
- Rubber gloves.
- Glasses.
- Special clothes.
Spilled acid can not only harm your health, but also the flooring, walls, or room environment. Works of such complexity should be performed in the garage, but if this is not possible, then a plastic film should be used, which must carefully cover the furniture, floor and walls of the room.
What can an opening of the case lead to?
If you open the battery housing, this will lead to the fact that water from the electrolyte will constantly evaporate and it will be required to charge the battery, as it should be served. Disassembling the battery in any way will result in loss of warranty. For modern products, a manufacturer's warranty may be provided from 12 to 36 months.
Important! If the battery is under warranty, then before opening it and do it yourself, take it to a service center, maybe they can help you there.
Dismantling the battery is not always complete without getting chips in its body. In addition, during operation of the battery opened in this way, dust and dirt can get into the cans. Foreign objects inside the case, to put it mildly, do not contribute to an increase in the service life of the product.
There are questions, could not solve the problem, or is there anything to supplement the article with? Then write to us about it in the comments. This will help make the material more complete and useful!
