Adding distilled water to batteries??

[Old Salt]

You folks are making it too complicated

Just use a turkey baster !Its simple. This isn't rocket science and you don't need and expensive single use tool

 

[tcbro]

I fill with

my hydrometer because it's right there to check the batteries. I was going to recommend a $2 turkey baster but Old Salt beat me to it.

 

[Bonnie Riser]

Battery Water

I heard about adding distilled water about one year after getting a brand new 28' Catalina sailboat. The distilled water (now acid) was just above the point of no return. I was really glad I heard about checking the batteries when I did. Talk about "just in time". The house batteries were much lower than the engine start battery which makes total sense because I hardly ever use the start battery. I also bought a CHEAP gauge to test the quality of what was in -- there to understand the health of the batteries but then battery acid spilled and I stopped testing after cleaning it up. I bought a better unit (called a hydrometer I think) and next time it won't make a mess to test. I keep baking soda around to neutralize the acid if I have another accident.Bonnie Rieser

 

[Fred Ficarra7897]

This Is GREAT!

Old Salt and I agree on something! Tom too. I have and use both a bulb and hydrometer.

 

[Glenn]

Turkey baster

I use a turkey baster, works great. My batteries are below the chart table, under a shelf that will tilt but not come out. I need a flashlight and a mirror to see the water levels. Um, three hands required.

 

[Ray T]

battery maintenance

John you didnt say whether you bought a maintenance free battery or not. if they are maintence free you might want to check them once a year if they arent maybe every couple of months. you will know over time how often is enough. On the matter of distilled or tap water I dont think you will notice any differance in performance or battery life. Most shops with electric fork trucks and other battery powered equipment use tap water. The important thing is to prevent the battery from going dry.

 

[Chuck R]

I will get distilled water...

Ray T.Your reply relieves my mind that I may not have hurt my new battery. This foggy still can't get used to buying water... In the olden days you bought distilled water to put into your steam iron and that was the only available water for purchase.. Water was free back then. Now days you have so many choices of water ie Spring water, pure water, clear mountain water, natural water, flavored water, and the list goes on....... Hee He. Who would'a thought??

 

[LloydB]

wear glasses when you check acid levels

enough

 

[Ctskip]

Talk about dating oneself

Every two years we used to empty the battery acid out. Save and filter it through a stocking, before reintroducing it back into the battery. Once the battery is empty, we use to flush the insides out with water from a hose. Fill, shake and empty. Do that several times. It breaks away any flakes off the lead plates that would touch the plate next to it, which would create a short and shorten the life of the battery itself. That would result in a dead cell. Once flushed out several times, refill with the fluid you saved and top off with distilled water, and trickle (slow) charge. You will be good to go for another two or three years. Then you can do it again. But those were the old days, when money was scarce and time was abundant. Remember when batteries were expensive? My, how times have changed. Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[Ross]

CTSkip, I was antiqueing last year and saw a book

of battery repair and rebuilding instruction. That used to be a vocation. Some batteries were made with wooden cases and the cells were connected with clamped cable above the confines of the case. You could make one good battery from several bad ones by collecting the good cells and assembling them in one case. I think the book was copy righted prior to 1920.

 

[Ctskip]

I learned that from an old timer.

I tried it and was quite sucessful too. I had a battery last me 12 years. I guess the plates just plain old wore away. I know it works, and you'd be surprised at all the junk that comes out of it. Years ago, it wasn't the throwaway society it is today. I wonder if the plates nowadays can hold up to the beating we gave them years ago. They are probably made much thinner and designed to be tossed after 3 yrs anyway.(sorry, recycle) Keep it up, Ctskip

 

[John Nantz]

Pour with a screwdriver or...?

Everybody keeps mentioning to use a turkey baster to put water in the batteries and while this seems like a logical way to go, in fact, that is what I used to do, the problem I had was the hole in the baster was too large and the water would run out really easy. The hydrometer sold in autoparts stores (don't need a marine hydrometer!) that is used for checking specific gravity has a smaller hole than the baster and works a lot better. But, what I found that works really well is to just use a long screwdriver, or something like that, and put the shaft near the handle against the spout of the water jug (1-gal jug) and the other end above the hole for the battery cell and the water will just run down the shaft of the screwdriver. Works really well.Also, a plug for Bonnie's idea with the baking soda container. That's what I do too. Just a small plastic container with a snap top and I keep it right there in the battery compartment so there is no need to go looking for the baking soda when there is a problem. Because the soda is so convenient I often make a solution and do a quick wipe-down the battery tops, inside of the battery case, cables, etc. just as a routine to keep it all clean and free of acid.If the hydrometer is used by dipping in the battery acid the tip should also be cleaned or, what I do, place the tip in a container to keep it from touching anything.That acid can really ruin a pair of pants or a good shirt. Anybody know why they call it a "pair" of pants when there is only one of them (it)?