Basic Facts about

Lead Acid Battery:

A Laymans Guide

Okaya Power Group

I this lay a s guide we are discussing about lead acid
battery like safety, types, maintenance, warranty and
performance.

Okaya Power Group

D-7, Udyog Nagar, Rohtak Road,
New Delhi - 110041
011-49803300
[Type the fax number]
1/29/2016

If you already have researched on the functions of batteries and what to look for
while choosing a battery, there is a chance that you will be buried in bulk
information, some of which are quite conflicting. At Okaya Power Group, we aim
to clear all those up a bit for you. In this post, we will discuss how lead acid
batteries function and what they require without burying you with needless
technical information.
If you grasp the fundamental ideas, you will have better battery performance,
longevity and reliability. So read the entire tutorial thoroughly.
The Lead Acid battery is made up of lead, plates and lead oxide with approx 35%
of sulfuric acid and 65% of water solution that is also known as electrolyte and
causes a chemical reaction that creates electrons. While you are using a
hydrometer to test a battery, you are actually measuring the quantity of sulfuric
acid in the electrolyte. If your reading is low, this defines the chemistry that
makes electrons is lacking. And the sulfur rests on the battery plates and gets
returned to the electrolyte during the time of recharge.
Safety

Safety is the first and foremost thing to keep in

mind while working around and with batteries. Remove all the accessories while
you are working with battery. The hydrogen gas in the battery can cause

explosion while charging. There are instances of batteries blowing up and

drenching all in sulfuric acid. So use safety goggle while you are installing,
maintaining or charging the battery. Wear clothes made up of polyester because
this does not get affected by sulfuric acid. If you are working with a car battery,
best thing to do is detach the ground cable. If you try to keep in mind that you are
working with 100s amps of electrical
Current, corrosive acid and explosive gases, you will certainly be extra cautious
about your safety.
Battery Types
The two major types of led acid batteries are starting (cranking) and Deep Cycle.
The starting battery delivers rapid bursts of energy and thus has a greater plate
count. The plates are thinner than that of deep cycle battery. On the other hand,
deep cycle battery has less instant energy but delivers the energy for a longer
time. Avoid using Starting batteries for deep cycle applications because there are
chances that the thinner plates can be warping and pitting when discharged.

At Okaya Power Group, you will find a wide range of lead acid battery, such as
ST075H, ST150S etc. Buy online and get attractive discounts.
Hope you have found todays post useful. Come back again to know more basic
stuff regarding lead acid battery.
People are in search of easy-to-read information about battery these days. To
satisfy their hunger for practical battery knowledge, we, the team of Okaya Power
Group, has taken an initiative. In our previous post, we have started discussing
basic facts about lead acid battery. Today we will continue sharing the details
with you in this post as well.
Various Versions of Lead Acid Battery

There are mainly three versions Wet Cell, Gel Cell and AGM battery. The Wet
Cell comes in two styles, which are Maintenance Free and Serviceable. Both have
electrolyte and are quite same. AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt) battery allows the
electrolyte to be suspended in close proximity with the active material of the

plates. Theoretically, this improves both the recharge and discharge efficiency.
Larger AGM batteries are actually good quality deep cycle batteries and offer
flawless performance if recharged. You can use these as motorcycle battery, car
battery, solar battery and more. On the other hand, the Gel Cell is filled with silica
that has a silica additive and it causes it to stiffen or set up. Its recharge voltage is
lower than that of other lead acid batteries. Gel Cell can last long in hot climatic
condition. However, if you continuously use improper battery charger, such
battery will give poor performance and fail prematurely.
Whats all about CCA, CA, AH & RC
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA) defines the measurement of the number of ampere a
lead acid battery can provide at 32F for 30 seconds of duration and manage at
the minimum of 1.2 volts per cell. This is essentially important for starting battery
applications, especially in cold weather. Cranking Amps (CA) is measured at 32F
which is also known as MCA (Marine Cranking Amps). HCA (Hot Cranking
Amps) is measured at around 80F.Usually in deep cycle battery Ampere Hour
(AH) is found. This defines specific amount of energy in a battery that allows one
ampere of current to flow for one hour. The ampere is actually the unit of
measure of either the electron flow rate or the electricity rate in an electrical
conductor. Reserve Capacity (RC) defines the number of minutes a completely
charged battery maintains the voltage under a 25 ampere discharge. The higher
the capacity is the longer the battery can run various devices.
Selection of Battery
If you have decided to buy a battery, it is recommended to buy one with good
Reserve Capacity or amp hour possible. Additionally you should check the size,
terminal type, and cable hook up as well. If the application is in harsher
environment or you cannot maintain or charge the battery regularly, then

consider choosing a Gel Cell or an AGM rather than a Wet Cell. Buy the right
kind of battery as per your requirements. And finding a trusted platform to buy
battery is equally important. You can research thoroughly online and bank on a
reliable company that offers wide range of batteries that are better known for
their impeccable performance and long lasting nature.
Battery Warranty
Choose a good quality battery that comes with long-term warranty. Reputed
manufacturers even offer pro-rata warranty. You can check our previous post
regarding warranty that is one of the most important factors to be considered
while buying an inverter battery, car battery and so on. You will get more details
about this factor in that post.

Hope you have got a better understanding about lead acid battery in this post. If
you think there is something incomplete here, then you are right. We will
continue letting you know more information about battery in our next post as
well.

As we promised before that we will continue our journey of meeting your hunger
for practical battery knowledge, here we are again with some more essential
information about lead acid battery, including maintenance, process of increasing
batterys life and performance, charging procedures etc. Lets explore.

Battery Maintenance

This is a vital issue. Clean the battery with a mix of baking soda and water. As
problems in battery mainly arise due to dirt and loose connection, you should
clean and tighten the cable connections. If you are using a serviceable battery,
then check the fluid level. Use distilled water in battery as it removes corrosions
from cells. Avoid overfilling the battery cells especially in warm weather.
Improving battery life & performance

Almost 80% of battery failure is associated with the build-up of sulfation. This
occurs when the sulfur molecules in the electrolyte start being discharged and
coating the lead plates of the battery. It leads to damage in the battery. The
reasons of sulfation build-up are as below:

Deep cycling battery cannot endure deep discharge.

If you undercharge a battery to 90% of capacity, it causes sulfation.

Internal discharge gets increased when temperature increases. If a new

battery is not being used for a month and is left at around 110 degrees,
there is a chance that the battery would not start an engine.

If the battery plates with low electrolyte level get exposed to air, these will
instantly cause sulfate.

Using cheap and bad quality chargers for long time can harm the battery.
If the charging process is incorrect, then also it can harm as well.

Cold climate can also be hard on the battery.

Battery Charging

Always keep in mind that in the battery you should put back the energy that you
use instantly. If you become reluctant about it, there will be sulphate build-up
and that can affect the batterys longevity and performance. Overcharging a

battery can also cause its damage. To know detailed dos and donts about proper
battery charging, check our older posts.
This was a sincere initiative of the team of Okaya Power Group, the leading
Okaya battery manufacturer and online platform in India. Hope you find this post
useful and informative. If you want to add anything else that you know or have
experienced regarding battery, feel free to comment here.