Airplane Batteries

I've used a RG battery for 6 years and consider them a good solution to
a potentially nasty problem (leakage). I think the life is comparable
to a wet battery, and would certainly use one in your situation. The
RGs are a little more sensitive to overcharging, so have your mechanic
check the charging voltage when installing the new battery.

"Jim Macklin" wrote in message news:lSaBf.69242$QW2.68282@dukeread08...
Bottled water is filtered tap water and often is enhanced
with "minerals for taste" or spring water which also has
minerals.

Distilled water has been BOILED and the steam condensed, it
is as pure as chemically possible. Less than a dollar a
gallon. A gallon will keep the battery in your car and
plane filled for about 25 years. Use a basting syringe to
add distilled water, an ounce at a time, six cells. If the
electrolyte level is low in all cells that means that it is
working evenly, but if just one or two cells are low, there
is likely to be a problem developing.



You can also get distilled water from the de-humidifier....

I didn't mean to imply that tap or even mud puddle water is good for a
lead acid battery. It's just that exposed plates are really bad &
should be covered ASAP. Dehumidifier water is good.

("Jim Macklin" wrote)
But all batteries wear out because lead flakes off the plates and collects
in the bottom of a standard lead/acid battery [that's why the plates do
not extend all the way to the bottom of the case, the space is there to
collect lead sludge. When the sludge touches the plates they short out
and the cell is dead.]


Would sucking out the sludge/flakes, once in a while, extend the life of the
battery? Drain (filter) back any acid/water into the cells.

Has anyone tried this?


Montblack

You can get it from the outside of a glass of ice water too,
but my bladder can't handle that much ice water. It is just
easier to buy a gallon jug at the grocery store for less
than a dollar.


".Blueskies." wrote in
message
et...
|
| "Jim Macklin" wrote
in message news:lSaBf.69242$QW2.68282@dukeread08...
| Bottled water is filtered tap water and often is
enhanced
| with "minerals for taste" or spring water which also has
| minerals.
|
| Distilled water has been BOILED and the steam condensed,
it
| is as pure as chemically possible. Less than a dollar a
| gallon. A gallon will keep the battery in your car and
| plane filled for about 25 years. Use a basting syringe
to
| add distilled water, an ounce at a time, six cells. If
the
| electrolyte level is low in all cells that means that it
is
| working evenly, but if just one or two cells are low,
there
| is likely to be a problem developing.
|
|
|
| You can also get distilled water from the
de-humidifier....
|
|

True, the plates must be kept submerged. Aircraft batteries
use less electrolyte and have less above the plates than a
car battery.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"nrp" wrote in message
oups.com...
|I didn't mean to imply that tap or even mud puddle water is
good for a
| lead acid battery. It's just that exposed plates are
really bad &
| should be covered ASAP. Dehumidifier water is good.
|

There really isn't space to clean the sludge and if you
invert the case, you just dump the sludge into the plates.
I don't know of any batteries with a drain/cleanout plug on
the bottom. Battery recyclers rebuild batteries by cutting
the top open and washing the plates and reinstalling them
into clean cases. But the plates are worn and the life of
the battery would be shortened. I don't think any aircraft
batteries are rebuilt this way, usually the metals are
melted down and new batteries manufactured. NiCad batteries
use individual cells and those cells can be swapped into a
case and the cells are remanufactured under careful
controls. Of course NiCad batteries used in KingAirs and
jets cost as much as a small car.


--
James H. Macklin
ATP,CFI,A&P

--
The people think the Constitution protects their rights;
But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
http://www.usdoj.gov/olc/secondamendment2.htm
See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


"Montblack" wrote in
message ...
| ("Jim Macklin" wrote)
| But all batteries wear out because lead flakes off the
plates and collects
| in the bottom of a standard lead/acid battery [that's
why the plates do
| not extend all the way to the bottom of the case, the
space is there to
| collect lead sludge. When the sludge touches the plates
they short out
| and the cell is dead.]
|
|
| Would sucking out the sludge/flakes, once in a while,
extend the life of the
| battery? Drain (filter) back any acid/water into the
cells.
|
| Has anyone tried this?
|
|
| Montblack
|

Before I wrote my recombinant gas (sealed) battery article for Kitplanes, I
called and had quite a talk with their chief engineer. It seems that a RG
battery likes to be discharged to a particular level (about 12.8 volts as I
recall) then recharged to 13.4, then discharged, then recharged...

This, as I was told, gets the maximum life out of the RG batteries. Simply
putting them on trickle charge is what kills them.

Jim

But all batteries wear out because lead flakes off the
plates and collects in the bottom of a standard lead/acid
battery [that's why the plates do not extend all the way to
the bottom of the case, the space is there to collect lead
sludge. When the sludge touches the plates they short out
and the cell is dead.]

Would it make sense to periodically drain the sludge and refill with
fresh water?

Jose
--
Money: what you need when you run out of brains.
for Email, make the obvious change in the address.

On Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:23:54 -0800, "RST Engineering"
wrote:

Before I wrote my recombinant gas (sealed) battery article for Kitplanes, I
called and had quite a talk with their chief engineer. It seems that a RG
battery likes to be discharged to a particular level (about 12.8 volts as I
recall) then recharged to 13.4, then discharged, then recharged...

This, as I was told, gets the maximum life out of the RG batteries. Simply
putting them on trickle charge is what kills them.

Yup. If they flunk a cap check, you charge them and hit 'em again.

Discharging them fully (or over-charging) is another story though...

TC