Around a month ago we gave you tips on effective battery care, in this post we will give you advice and best practice on how to top up your battery.
First and foremost, lead acid batteries use dilute sulphuric acid as the electrolyte – so if you or any member of your team open cell caps for inspection or maintenance, make sure you always wear adequate PPE, including gloves and goggles.
When using a brand new battery for the first time, manufacturers recommendations are such that it must go through a certain number of charge/discharge cycles before first being topped up. Therefore, it’s always best to follow the manufacturers guidelines for the specific battery in question.
When you are charging a lead acid battery, heat is generated and this is known as the ‘gassing’ stage.
Electrolyte levels within the battery will always rise due to this heat, so it must always be left to cool to room temperature before maintenance continues. It is always recommended that maintenance is carried out on a fully charged and cooled battery.
