Maintaining UPS/car batteries

[yasirkhanpk]

Quite informative thread.

I have the same problem with both my cars and my home ups.
My car batteries are around 10 months old and they have almost died now. Battery guy has as usual asked me to replace it since it will be twelve months and batteries nowadays do not run for more than a year I don't believe him.

Since I live in apartments playing with sulphuric acid for the first time will not be comfortable for me.
But still can anyone guide me if I want to make the mixture of sulphuric acid and distilled water from where can I procure these things in Karachi ?
Then I dont even have a batter charger :(.

It would be nice if someone can guide me to a reliable and honest battery person who can either provide me with the mixture or do it himself in Karachi.

I cant just keep on replacing batteries every year.

Both my car batteries and UPS batteries are not fat but they also don't work properly. I have always poured tap water or battery water available for 20 rupees in bottles or ac water in my batteries.

[margallar]

Quite informative thread.

I have the same problem with both my cars and my home ups.
My car batteries are around 10 months old and they have almost died now. Battery guy has as usual asked me to replace it since it will be twelve months and batteries nowadays do not run for more than a year I don't believe him.

Since I live in apartments playing with sulphuric acid for the first time will not be comfortable for me.
But still can anyone guide me if I want to make the mixture of sulphuric acid and distilled water from where can I procure these things in Karachi ?
Then I dont even have a batter charger :(.

It would be nice if someone can guide me to a reliable and honest battery person who can either provide me with the mixture or do it himself in Karachi.

I cant just keep on replacing batteries every year.

Both my car batteries and UPS batteries are not fat but they also don't work properly. I have always poured tap water or battery water available for 20 rupees in bottles or ac water in my batteries.

there is ur culprit

[Xulfiqar]

there is ur culprit

also add the factor that when the battery was first put into service - meaning loaded with electrolyte - that electrolyte was also made with tap water. Using pure distilled water makes all the difference of a smelly dead battery and a not smelly - eager to work battery.

[yasirkhanpk]

there is ur culprit

also add the factor that when the battery was first put into service - meaning loaded with electrolyte - that electrolyte was also made with tap water. Using pure distilled water makes all the difference of a smelly dead battery and a not smelly - eager to work battery.

What should I do now ? Are my batteries gone or can I inject some life into them again ?

Where to find pure distilled water in Karachi ?
And more importantly from where to get quality electrolyte ? I dont think that working with sulphuric acid for the first time inside my apartment is a good idea :).
@ Xulfiqar if possible can you please guide me to a reliable battery shop in Karachi which can sort my problem or from where I can get prepared acid to be poured in my battery. I would be grateful.

[Xulfiqar]

You will have to make the electrolyte yourself, For distilled water, go to the medicine or chemicals market, they have distilled water in bulk supply. Some water bottling companies can also get you PH neutral 0TDS water. - contact Ubo in Korangi or Venus Ice near Hawksbay - they would have it.

If you absolutely cannot find distilled - then you would have to make a still for distilling water.

For the electrolyte, go to a battery vendor with your water half of it frozen - and ask him to prepare the mixture in your given water. Pay him for his item and service. EASY. When done and corrected to 1.270 SG you are set.

Fully charge your battery till the mixture bubbles inside it - shake it a little then drain it out, wash with plain fresh water about 2 times and rinse it with a little distilled water, let the battery sit upside down for about 3 hours, When completely empty. Fill with your new good quality electrolyte and put it on charge.

[yasirkhanpk]

What are battery refreshers ?
Are they any good ?

[longdrive]

what should be the ideal charging cutover voltage for a lead acid battery. Currently my homage ups stops charging at 13.8 volts and provides float charge after that.
Would it be better to increase cutover to 14.4 volts ?

[Xulfiqar]

the correct gassing voltage for a lead antimony battery (usual) is 13.5 to 14.0 volts, lead calcium (so called dry battery in Pakistan) is higher.

[longdrive]

I sourced electrolyte from pyro chemicals and checked its specific gravity. It shows 1230. I have filled a new Ags battery 190 AH with this electrolyte. Hoping for better results.

[whiteangel]

Are deep cycle batteries better suited for use with a UPS or are lead acid batteries just as good?

[longdrive]

Are deep cycle batteries better suited for use with a UPS or are lead acid batteries just as good?

Technically deep cycle batteries are best for UPS; But they are not common in Pakistan.

[Xulfiqar]

I sourced electrolyte from pyro chemicals and checked its specific gravity. It shows 1230. I have filled a new Ags battery 190 AH with this electrolyte. Hoping for better results.

checked with hydrometer or weighed it?

[longdrive]

checked with hydrometer or weighed it?

checked it with hydrometer. I was expecting it to be somewhere around 1270 but after checking many times it showed 1230. Before pouring in battery i also shaked the can a lot.
I kept the battery on charge for 4 or 5 hours with lids open and a lot of small bubbles were popping on elctrolyte surface during charging.
I called pyro again and they ensured me that their electrolyte is suitable for new batteries.
But still i am a bit confused about then SPG

[khan06]

About the Water Pump Market...Beware guys..I am telling u sincerely .. all of them are fraudsters sitting there competiting with each other for 100 rupees and for earning more profit than the other.. they use cheap and low quality Sulphuric Acid and even sulphuric acid from old batteries...I have experienced myself .. I bought N245 from Rafiq Battery near Islamia College...It ran for almost 3 and a half years and just for the sake of 200 rupees next time I bought from Sohail Hassan Battery water pump because he was selling it cheaper..and believe me...it worked for only 8 months and when i went to claim warranty .. the shopkeeper said the warranty is finished because it is for only 6 months... I learnt a lesson there that its better to spend a penny more than to suffer...My UPS person Ayaz Bhai from ATECH also told me that always buy from Rafiq Battery or any other genuine dealer if known since there is so much cheating going on nowadays.

[talhawaleed]

checked it with hydrometer. I was expecting it to be somewhere around 1270 but after checking many times it showed 1230. Before pouring in battery i also shaked the can a lot.
I kept the battery on charge for 4 or 5 hours with lids open and a lot of small bubbles were popping on elctrolyte surface during charging.
I called pyro again and they ensured me that their electrolyte is suitable for new batteries.
But still i am a bit confused about then SPG

SPG will be fine, give it two weeks and then check again

during charging specific gravity increase and once discharging it decreases

it will show its true value after 2 or maximum 3 weeks time

[longdrive]

SPG will be fine, give it two weeks and then check again

during charging specific gravity increase and once discharging it decreases

it will show its true value after 2 or maximum 3 weeks time

ok i will share findings after 3 weeks

[kulachiwal]

4 months ago i bought 2 batteries for my UPS,one is 195 and the 2nd one is 215 Ah,the shop keeper told me that use one battery of higher Ah,i dont knw abt the reason but i bought the batteries,now i am facing a strange behaviour of one battery,the battery with higher Ah reduces acid and increase and decrease the gravity,but the battery with lower Ah neither decrease acid nor Gravity,it seems like that only one one battery is in service,can any body tell me the reason,and one more thing that i am using internal plus external chager to charge the battery but the gravity of the 215 Ah battery never went above 1250,rather it just touch the fair level in hydro meter,guide plz

[talhawaleed]

@kulachiwal

CASE 1

Now imagine how is it possible that if you will buy one battery of 195 AH where as other of 215 AH. Even if you will charge both with 15 Amperes of current, then one will be charged earlier and then remaining of the time once other is being charged then this one is being subjected to abuse.

CASE 2

Imagine that once first one is completely charged and then charging stops this implies the other battery has not been completely charged and Over period of time second battery will be damaged very soon.

Probably he must have told you this because of non availability of battery of same capacity in his store. You must have slapped his face with your chapples that never ever he dares gives wrong advice to anyone.

[talhawaleed]

.

[c123pk]

Brother as i have already told you to at least wear a fire-proof underwear before playing with battery acid, why don't you remind people every now and then, safety boots, safety underwear and safety goggles, that all one needs to wear, its very simple!