How to Assess Water Levels in a Deep Cycle Battery

As part of your battery maintenance efforts, you should know how to check deep cycle battery water levels. Many battery banks need to be replaced earlier than the end of their expected lifespan simply because of poor maintenance. You should engage in regular maintenance of your batteries every three months or so, and as part of that should make it a point to check deep cycle battery water levels and maintain those levels appropriately.

Here are some tips from our battery store in Houston, TX for better battery maintenance:

• Clean the battery: Before you engage in any further battery maintenance, you should first make sure the exterior is completely clean. Wipe away any loose dust or debris you see on the surface, keeping it away from all port openings. The battery manual will likely have some specific cleaning instructions you should follow. Once the battery is completely clean, then you can open it up and check the water levels.
• Water level assessment: Open up every port on your battery, keeping it level while you perform this and every maintenance task that follows. Remember that all plates on your battery should be covered equally—if any of these plates has been exposed to air, then water levels will likely be low. Low water levels can be caused by evaporation or by leaks or cracks in the battery case. If you notice low levels during routine maintenance, go back and check the levels again a couple weeks after filling. If you find a crack or leak, replace the battery as soon as you can.
• Fill the cells: Fill up the battery cells using only distilled water, which you can buy at just about any grocery store. The process will be a lot easier if you have a clean funnel. You should fill up these cells until all plates are covered evenly—about a quarter inch below the vent tube. Make sure you don’t let any dirt or cleaners enter the cells—it should only be distilled water. Otherwise, you’ll have a decreased battery life.
• Close ports: Once you’ve topped off all the fluids in your battery, make sure you clean up any spills, and then you can close up all the ports. Wipe spillage away from the ports so you don’t accidentally push dirt or chemicals into the battery, which could hinder its performance. Put all the covers back onto the battery ports, and you’re good to go!

Remember to practice good shop safety when performing battery maintenance. Disconnect the charge controller and main amp battery breaker, and always wear goggles. There’s sulfuric acid in the battery, which makes it important to keep your eyes shielded. You should also wear gloves that are able to withstand exposure to this acid. Neoprene gloves are your best bet. If the acid comes into contact with your skin, you should stop what you’re doing and wash it immediately to prevent acid burning.

Contact our battery store in Houston, TX today for more info about battery maintenance!

Categorised in: Battery Store

This post was written by Writer