Airplane Batteries

I am a new airplane owner (since May). My mechanic replaced my battery
last June. No choices, I figured he bought the one it needed.

Just serviced it (added water). It's in a REALLY awkward spot to get at
and see inside the cells -- on the floor under the instrument panel of a
plane with no doors (climb in over the sides). I understand if the water
level is not just right, it will boil over and then needs to be cleaned
with baking soda and water. I've heard since that the battery should be
removed when servicing. Today I heard you can buy a dry battery, that
there is controversy about which lasts longer, but that maybe since mine
is so difficult to access, the dry type would be a better choice.

Thoughts/Opinions?

I use a recombinant gas (RG) battery in my aerobatic plane, since acid
leakage could be catastrophic. They won't leak at all, and there's nothing
to check.

The down side is that they need replacement every two or three years as
compared to a regular lead acid battery.

My thought is this should be posted under "owning" not piloting.

"150flivver" wrote:
My thought is this should be posted under "owning" not piloting.

Sorry if it's a problem here. I just figured if we can discuss hotels
and restaurants, airplane batteries shouldn't bother anyone.

"150flivver" wrote in message
oups.com...
My thought is this should be posted under "owning" not piloting.

Compared to all of the other stuff that gets posted, it's close enough.
After all, someone has to pilot that plane, with the battery acid leaking on
their feet! ;-)
--
Jim in NC

I just figured if we can discuss hotels
and restaurants, airplane batteries shouldn't bother anyone.

Hotels and restaurants have nothing to do with aviation, so they are
fine in an aviation newsgroup. OTOH, aircraft batteries have to be OT
in an aviation newsgroup or the penguin would explode.

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

wrote in message
...
Sorry if it's a problem here. I just figured if we can discuss hotels
and restaurants, airplane batteries shouldn't bother anyone.

I'll echo the recommendation for posting in r.a.owning. Not because there's
a problem posting your post here, but because you are likely to get better
answers there.

That said, I'll also echo "Viperdoc"'s recommendation for an RG battery. I
think that might be what you mean by "dry". They are sealed, ensuring no
leaks (barring some failure of the battery, of course). They aren't exactly
"dry"...but close enough for your purposes, I think.

Pete

"Viperdoc" wrote in message
news
The down side is that they need replacement every two or three years as
compared to a regular lead acid battery.

Hell, that sounds *exactly* like a regular lead acid battery...

There are options, such as gell-cell. The problem with the
battery having low acid (liquid) level is that the cell
plates must be submerged in liquid electrolyte in order to
work. If the plates become exposed to air and dry out they
will become useless.
Overcharging will over-heat the battery and boil away the
electrolyte, so installing a voltmeter so you can monitor
that you don't charge above the design limits (12 volt uses
14.5-14.75 as top of the green) and 24 volt uses 26-28 volts
as top, will do a lot to allowing the monitoring of the
battery and charging system.

BTW, aircraft mechanics have to get into all kinds of small
and cramped spaces on a daily basis. Aircraft designers
just assume that their girl friends are dating mechanics and
are trying to get even.



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

--
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But government sees it as an obstacle to be overcome.
some support
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See http://www.fija.org/ more about your rights and duties.


wrote in message
...
|I am a new airplane owner (since May). My mechanic replaced
my battery
| last June. No choices, I figured he bought the one it
needed.
|
| Just serviced it (added water). It's in a REALLY awkward
spot to get at
| and see inside the cells -- on the floor under the
instrument panel of a
| plane with no doors (climb in over the sides). I
understand if the water
| level is not just right, it will boil over and then needs
to be cleaned
| with baking soda and water. I've heard since that the
battery should be
| removed when servicing. Today I heard you can buy a dry
battery, that
| there is controversy about which lasts longer, but that
maybe since mine
| is so difficult to access, the dry type would be a better
choice.
|
| Thoughts/Opinions?

Xmnushal8y opined

"150flivver" wrote:
My thought is this should be posted under "owning" not piloting.

Sorry if it's a problem here. I just figured if we can discuss hotels
and restaurants, airplane batteries shouldn't bother anyone.

Clearly, discussing airplane batteries is out in this news group.

How ever, it is perfectly permissible to talk about batteries for hotel
emergency lighting.

-ash
Cthulhu in 2005!
Why wait for nature?