Leaving batteries on cold concrete?

[AB]

I remember reading a thread here many moons ago about how leaving a battery on the cold concrete floor was a myth that it kills the battery, is that true?

The brand new Bond deep cycle I got from work is not holding charge. In fact it drops in charge dramatically after taking it off charge.

It's brand new but the warehouse staff left it in the freezing cold warehouse that no one uses on the concrete for about 2 months.

Thoughts???

[Bloodyaussie]

Carnts fwarked...... what kind of charger.

[AB]

Carnts fwarked...... what kind of charger. Projecta.

The charger is 100% ok, it's used on other things around the block.

[Bloodyaussie]

Definitely not good leaving it sitting on the ground for 2 months...

[mudnut]

Warranty should cover it.

[AB]

Warranty should cover it. I was thinking that. Might take it back ;)

I didn't leave the battery in storage like that but really would of thought it would be fine being brand new.

[mudnut]

Is Bond. Is good.

[Rock Trol]

Apparently it was bad to leave the old batteries made of Bakelite on concrete as it did cause problems. With new batteries its not a problem.

Yours on the other hand is either a dud or has gone so flat that the smart charger cannot start on it. Some of these charges need more than 3 volts in that battery to detect it and start charging. If yours is lower then you need to get some charge into it before hooking up the Projecta. Maybe hook up some jumper leads to your car and let it charge for 10 min or so.

[Winnie]

Old wive's tale!!!!!!!
Back in the olden days it was true but not now...

Go for a warranty claim and enjoy many more years of concrete storage of your batteries =]

[MudRunnerTD]

Apparently it was bad to leave the old batteries made of Bakelite on concrete as it did cause problems. With new batteries its not a problem.

Yours on the other hand is either a dud or has gone so flat that the smart charger cannot start on it. Some of these charges need more than 3 volts in that battery to detect it and start charging. If yours is lower then you need to get some charge into it before hooking up the Projecta. Maybe hook up some jumper leads to your car and let it charge for 10 min or so.


Exactly what he said. Equalise it with another battery to give it some boost then hit it with your charger. See what happens. Or use the warranty if it is available to you.

[DX grunt]

My parents once told me that if you sit on cold concrete, you'd get piles !! lol

[dom14]

My parents once told me that if you sit on cold concrete, you'd get piles !! lol

Did you? :D
I've been told like million times this story about cold floors and batteries.
If the battery was left for two months without enough charge, it probably would've been cactus after that. Nothing much to do with concrete cold floor. :)
Cold concrete floors can give you frost bites on the butt if you sit on it.
That's no old wives tale. :D

[Maxhead]

The brand new Bond deep cycle I got from work is not holding charge. In fact it drops in charge dramatically after taking it off charge.




Does it actually charge???

Another trick on my Projector is to put the charger in power supply mode to pump some amps into the battery if its really low, then put it on normal charge mode

[AB]

Does it actually charge??? Another trick on my Projector is to put the charger in power supply mode to pump some amps into the battery if its really low, then put it on normal charge mode it does charge to full so I think it's a dud.

As soon as you take it off I put the multimeter on it and it was at 12.5v dropping 0.10v every 5 seconds.

[Maxhead]

it does charge to full so I think it's a dud.

As soon as you take it off I put the multimeter on it and it was at 12.5v dropping 0.10v every 5 seconds.

Sounds like its well and truly forked[emoji3]





..........on the move

[mudski]

What I was told by the SuperCharge rep, who was an auto sparky for some 30 odd years, said its not the concrete but the cold that prematurely shortens the life of a battery. He said they don't like heat, and the don't like the cold, especially if not being used. Something about the acid loses its acidity or something like that. And the cold just accelerates the process.

[Cuppa]

All good responses.
A fully charged new battery should sit at 12.8v to 13.0v once taken off the charger. This is a ‘surface charge’. As soon as a light load (eg. a small light or a radio) is placed on it expect to see it drop to 12.7v. Remove the load & expect to see the voltage rise again slightly. Dropping to 12.5v as you have described does not sound good. I suspect that, as has already been mentioned, that at sometime during it’s life it has been significantly discharged & allowed to sit in that state for a while.


Assuming it is a 90 to 100Ah battery (or larger)- To test it: When fully charged connect a reasonable load to it (a 60w headlamp globe is good) & leave it on for 20 minutes. Disconnect the load & let the battery sit for at least 30 minutes & measure then measure the voltage across the terminals. If it is healthy condition the voltage should have risen back to 12.6v to 12.7v.

Sounds like you will find that this is not so.

IF, as you have measured it the battery drops to 12.5v but then stays there, whilst not great, it may be ok IF you got the battery very cheaply, but if it continues to drop (with no load attached) it is cactus & I’d be expecting a replacement regardless of whether it had been cheap or not. Even if it stays at 12.5v I’d be expecting a replacement if I’d paid the going rate for it.

[AB]

Great advice gents, thank you!

This will help others in the future I'm sure!

I've ran out of time before the snow trip so I have thrown my old battery back in for the trip.

At least we're going to the snow, won't use much power ;)

[Winnie]

Great advice gents, thank you!

This will help others in the future I'm sure!

I've ran out of time before the snow trip so I have thrown my old battery back in for the trip.

At least we're going to the snow, won't use much power ;)
Be better off taking the beers out of the fridge and putting them on the cold concrete =)

[Bacho86]

Or even better.... http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2015/07/202.jpg


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[blocko05]

Hi AB, I read this from the Aussie Batteries and Solar web site. I hope this helps.

Myth: Batteries will discharge when placed or stored on a concrete floor

This common belief results from an ancient fact. The first batteries were made of glass cells enclosed in wooden boxes, and placing them on a concrete floor would cause the wood to swell and damage the battery cells. Later, those boxes were replaced by porous rubber consisting of carbon. When these batteries were stored on a concrete floor, the combination of the carbon and concrete could create an electrical current between the cells causing the battery to discharge.

However, modern batteries are made from harder materials, such as polypropylene, and seal better. Therefore, you do not need to worry about placing your batteries on a concrete floor. In fact, these days it is recommended to store them as such. Not only are ground temperatures cooler, concrete also provides an extra thermal mass protecting them against any temperature shifts in the battery.
- See more at: http://www.aussiebatteries.com.au/blog/common-solar-and-battery-myths-busted/#sthash.Wp1TAFKJ.dpuf