Battery Installation

Heed the following points when installing a battery bank:

1. Lead Acid Batteries should be installed in a cool well ventilated area, well away from any source of heat and from windows admitting direct sunlight.

2. Open stands should allow access from both sides for maintenance and cleaning.

3. Always keep cells upright to avoid damage or displacement of plate assemblies.

4. Never lift cells by the terminal lugs; large cells may be lifted by their handles (if fitted) or by means of a sling made of plastic sheeting.

5. Cells must be placed on a flat surface for even weight distribution, and should never be rested on the edges of packing cases etc.

6. Levers of any kind must not be used to position cells, instead a cell must be lifted bodily and lowered gently. into position.

7. Never slide a battery across a floor; this particularly applies to those with acrylic cases.

8. When batteries are installed in cabinets, adequate ventilation must be provided to avoid a dangerous concentration of hydrogen. Cabinet doors should be open during gas charging.

9. Stands should provide support for at least 50% of the base area. It is recommended that timber supporting rails should be covered on top and sides with rubber or PVC at least 1/16" thick.

10. No metal should be in contact with plastic cell containers.

11. Battery connection links should be kept as short as practical, terminals' should be cleaned and the connecting lugs firmly tightened using stainless steel bolts - do not over tighten.

Grease-impregnated felt washers should be placed under the lugs to arrest corrosion.
The interconnecting lug faces on Telecom type batteries must be cleaned, and if necessary squared with a coarse file.

The lugs are bolted together, the lug, bolt and nut being lightly coated with petroleum jelly before assembly. The correct size spanner must be used; pliers or grips must not be used or damage may result. Nuts must not be over-tightened.

12. During normal battery life, positive plates may expand and increase in length by 5%. Intercell connections must therefore be soft lead or flexible. Heavy bus bars or charging leads must be able to accommodate some movement.

MONITORING AND MAINTENANCE

A battery bank will need to be monitored and will need a certain amount of attention from time to time.

First of all, a battery bank most be charged and remain as fully charged as possible. It is advisable in a home power situation that you have an amp-meter to show the rate of charge and a volt- meter to give some idea of the state of the batteries. Both of these meters should be mounted in such a position that they noticed frequently. This strategy will make you more familiar with what to expect and make you aware of any problem when it arises, such as no amps showing when the batteries are supposed to be charging.

You will need to- take note of the rate of water loss of the battery bank and make sure it is topped up before the level drops to less than one centimeter above plates or to the lower level marked on some batteries. Bring it to the bottom of the filler wells or to upper (high) level specified by the manufacturers. Only top the battery up with distilled water or clean rain water collected in plastic or glass. Do not over- fill. It is advisable to take specific gravity measurements of all the cells of the battery bank once in a while with a hydrometer.

CHARGING THE BATTERY

The word "gas" here refers to a gas given off by the acid due to electrolysis of the water. If continued at a high rate this gassing can be quite a violent boiling action and will result in loss of water and plate damage.
These points must be born in mind:

1. If a battery is left in a partially discharged state for an extended period, sulphation of the plates will occur, which if allowed to proceed, results in irreversible loss of capacity.

2. If a cell is maintained at a constant voltage without any cycling, "stratification" of the electrolyte inter-layers of differing densities will occur. This can be minimized by occasionally charging the battery to a gassing voltage (i.e. some bubbling occurs).

CHARGE LEVEL OF BATTERY

The charged or discharged condition of a lead-acid battery is indicated by the colour of the positive plate, the voltage, and the strength (specific gravity of the electrolyte). A lead-acid battery will self discharge over a period of time if left standing and not connected to any charging source.