OK, this is a good one and I'm not making this up either! A sailing friend of mine, who has a lot more experience then me, claims that if you keep a 12 volt car or boat battery on a concrete floor for a long period of time it will damage it so much that it will not take a charge. He heard from someone else that putting a piece of wood under that battery prevents any damage and he does this himself. This point came up when I mentioned to him that I had pulled the two 12 volt batteries from my boat like I do every winter when the boat is put on the hard. I contend that this "old sailor's tale" is completely false but like most "wife's tales" it probably has some core of truth to it. Like, most neglected batteries, stored for the winter in sub-freezing garages on concrete floors probably do suffer some sort of damage eventually. Has anyone ever heard of this "tale" or should I be putting plywood under my batteries?
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Bat Storage
According to Click and Clack on NPR, the old rubber based battery cases made many years ago did lose some charge sitting on a concrete floor. Something to do with small amounts of conductivity through the case itself. They indicated "old timers" think this is a fact, and it was, or something close to that. The two also said that battery cases made of modern plastics don't leak charge in any appreciable fashion and leaving batteries on the garage floor forthe winter should not be a cause of any damage. Now, I have no expertise on this at all, but have been leaving my bateries on tha garage floor each winter for around 15 years (thus picked up on the click and clack comment) and have never had a problem. I do put them on a charger once in the middle of the winter and just before I take them to the boat in the spring, but have never noted more discharge than I would expect in summer months on the boat.
According to Click and Clack on NPR, the old rubber based battery cases made many years ago did lose some charge sitting on a concrete floor. Something to do with small amounts of conductivity through the case itself. They indicated "old timers" think this is a fact, and it was, or something close to that. The two also said that battery cases made of modern plastics don't leak charge in any appreciable fashion and leaving batteries on the garage floor forthe winter should not be a cause of any damage. Now, I have no expertise on this at all, but have been leaving my bateries on tha garage floor each winter for around 15 years (thus picked up on the click and clack comment) and have never had a problem. I do put them on a charger once in the middle of the winter and just before I take them to the boat in the spring, but have never noted more discharge than I would expect in summer months on the boat.
True
I have always heard the tale not to put the batteries on concrete floors also,but also have heard that it is not true also. I do feel that it would not hurt to be safe putting wood on the concrete floor with the batteries on top,I also make sure they have a good charge and keep them charged up the whole winter lay up. nick
I have always heard the tale not to put the batteries on concrete floors also,but also have heard that it is not true also. I do feel that it would not hurt to be safe putting wood on the concrete floor with the batteries on top,I also make sure they have a good charge and keep them charged up the whole winter lay up. nick
absolutely not true
If you have a funky battery that has traces of electrolyte(acid) on the battery it will deteriorate the concrete. but the concrete will not discharge a battery. Healthy flooded lead acid batteries self discharge at approximately 2-4% per month. Dirt or salt on the top of the battery will discharge it at a much higher rate. Keep your batteries clean and trickle charge them once a month. A fully charged battery has a freezing point in excess of fifty below zero. a discharged battery will freeze at about 25 above. If click and clacks statement of older rubber cased batteries having current flow through the case was correct, what would happen to a battery that is sitting on a steel battery platform found in older automobiles? I have heard the battery on concrete myth many times, When I was younger, there was a service station in the neighborhood that had a battery charging room. they were always charging old, sulfated batteries trying to revive them. these batteries would be gassing and bubbling away, they would overfill them with water and they would boil over, etc. The concrete floor in this room was literally eaten away by the battery acid.
If you have a funky battery that has traces of electrolyte(acid) on the battery it will deteriorate the concrete. but the concrete will not discharge a battery. Healthy flooded lead acid batteries self discharge at approximately 2-4% per month. Dirt or salt on the top of the battery will discharge it at a much higher rate. Keep your batteries clean and trickle charge them once a month. A fully charged battery has a freezing point in excess of fifty below zero. a discharged battery will freeze at about 25 above. If click and clacks statement of older rubber cased batteries having current flow through the case was correct, what would happen to a battery that is sitting on a steel battery platform found in older automobiles? I have heard the battery on concrete myth many times, When I was younger, there was a service station in the neighborhood that had a battery charging room. they were always charging old, sulfated batteries trying to revive them. these batteries would be gassing and bubbling away, they would overfill them with water and they would boil over, etc. The concrete floor in this room was literally eaten away by the battery acid.
Semi-related story
There is a ferrocement boat on the Seattle ship canal which has supposedly been sunk three times due to battery acid spills eating holes in the hull.
There is a ferrocement boat on the Seattle ship canal which has supposedly been sunk three times due to battery acid spills eating holes in the hull.
Battery Discharge
Well, here's what I think - if the battery can sit in a car on a metal mounting tray without any greater discharge than the normal amount, concrete certainly can't conduct any more current than metal. I think it's not worth considering. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be charged to keep them topped off anyway, so any small drain won't make much difference.
Well, here's what I think - if the battery can sit in a car on a metal mounting tray without any greater discharge than the normal amount, concrete certainly can't conduct any more current than metal. I think it's not worth considering. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be charged to keep them topped off anyway, so any small drain won't make much difference.
Battery Discharge
Well, here's what I think - if the battery can sit in a car on a metal mounting tray without any greater discharge than the normal amount, concrete certainly can't conduct any more current than metal. I think it's not worth considering. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be charged to keep them topped off anyway, so any small drain won't make much difference.
Well, here's what I think - if the battery can sit in a car on a metal mounting tray without any greater discharge than the normal amount, concrete certainly can't conduct any more current than metal. I think it's not worth considering. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be charged to keep them topped off anyway, so any small drain won't make much difference.
Battery Discharge
Well, here's what I think - if the battery can sit in a car on a metal mounting tray without any greater discharge than the normal amount, concrete certainly can't conduct any more current than metal. I think it's not worth considering. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be charged to keep them topped off anyway, so any small drain won't make much difference.
Well, here's what I think - if the battery can sit in a car on a metal mounting tray without any greater discharge than the normal amount, concrete certainly can't conduct any more current than metal. I think it's not worth considering. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be charged to keep them topped off anyway, so any small drain won't make much difference.
Battery Discharge
Well, here's what I think - if the battery can sit in a car on a metal mounting tray without any greater discharge than the normal amount, concrete certainly can't conduct any more current than metal. I think it's not worth considering. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be charged to keep them topped off anyway, so any small drain won't make much difference.
Well, here's what I think - if the battery can sit in a car on a metal mounting tray without any greater discharge than the normal amount, concrete certainly can't conduct any more current than metal. I think it's not worth considering. Flooded lead-acid batteries must be charged to keep them topped off anyway, so any small drain won't make much difference.
to myth or not to myth
I think the whole thing revolves around the fact that lead acid based batteries hate the cold temperatures and considering the nature of concrete, which is on the unheated ground in most cases- commonly cold, keeps this so-called myth alive. Otherwise, CCA wouldn't mean Cold Cranking Amps... Winterizing a boat also means taking the batteries out and bringing them home to a warmer climate. (why do we do that ?)... hehe, good question though
I think the whole thing revolves around the fact that lead acid based batteries hate the cold temperatures and considering the nature of concrete, which is on the unheated ground in most cases- commonly cold, keeps this so-called myth alive. Otherwise, CCA wouldn't mean Cold Cranking Amps... Winterizing a boat also means taking the batteries out and bringing them home to a warmer climate. (why do we do that ?)... hehe, good question though
Battery vs concrete
I agree with Bill. 50 years ago there was some truth to the conrete myth. Not so anymore with today's batteries. I still put my batts on a piece of wood just in case the acid spills over on the floor when charging, although that has never happened and, given the choice, I charge them outdoors.
I agree with Bill. 50 years ago there was some truth to the conrete myth. Not so anymore with today's batteries. I still put my batts on a piece of wood just in case the acid spills over on the floor when charging, although that has never happened and, given the choice, I charge them outdoors.
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