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Help - severe battery acid spillage (accidental)

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  • Help - severe battery acid spillage (accidental)

    Hi

    Just had an absolute disaster moving my batteries to new location -- while unloading, trailer tipped and the batteries went flying. One seems split (leakage underneath, can that be repaired?), several others have lost 50% of the acid (can that be replaced? If so do I need adjust SG or anything, or can I just top-up?)

  • #2
    Originally posted by Infoloko View Post
    Hi

    Just had an absolute disaster moving my batteries to new location -- while unloading, trailer tipped and the batteries went flying. One seems split (leakage underneath, can that be repaired?), several others have lost 50% of the acid (can that be replaced? If so do I need adjust SG or anything, or can I just top-up?)

    You have our deep sympathy!
    The cracked battery case cannot safely be repaired.
    As for the rest, you MUST minimize the time that the plates are exposed to air. Until you are able to plan your course properly, at least top off the batteries with distilled water to cover the plates.
    But before you do that, take a large enough sample of the electrolyte from at least one cell of each battery to fill a hydrometer, to be used in matching the Specific Gravity (SG) later in the process.

    Longer term (days) you will need to figure out what the state of charge of the batteries was (by measuring the Specific Gravity of the electrolyte) and refill them with additional electrolyte which has been mixed to match that SG. To do this you may have to drain off and safely discard some of the diluted electrolyte that is in them after you top them off.
    SunnyBoy 3000 US, 18 BP Solar 175B panels.

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    • #3
      Busted battery is toast. To save the others fill with distilled water and take to a battery shop to refill with acid. IT IS NOT A DIY PROJECT. Take your batteries to a pro ASAP after you get filled with water.
      MSEE, PE

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      • #4
        Thanks both. Now that it's daylight I can see the damage - not as bad as first thought. The batteries are all single-cell btw. The cracked battery actually has a hole about 6mm (1/4") diameter at about 1/3 height (landed on gravel). Two of the remaining batteries have lost about a litre of acid each but the plates are all still covered, couple of others have lost acid but still above minimum mark. If the SG's are the same (haven't checked yet but they were a couple of days back), can I safely top up the loss using the acid from the busted battery? (it has just about the same left as what was lost by the others). Reason being there is no battery shop local (about an hours drive away); luckily one of my neighbours runs an internet solar shop so I can get new battery delivered in a day or so.

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        • #5
          Sorry. I cannot offer any advice. Just wanted to say I am glad no one was injured in this mishap.
          Paul

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          • #6
            Here is the deal. You lost acid, it needs replaced. If you fill with water, you dilute the acid and will have weak batteries.
            MSEE, PE

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Sunking View Post
              Here is the deal. You lost acid, it needs replaced. If you fill with water, you dilute the acid and will have weak batteries.
              What if he uses the battery fluid from the one that is crack to the ones that lost a little?

              Of course checking the SG on the low level batteries and crack battery would be his first step.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by SunEagle View Post
                What if he uses the battery fluid from the one that is crack to the ones that lost a little?

                Of course checking the SG on the low level batteries and crack battery would be his first step.
                He could but I want no part of it.
                MSEE, PE

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                • #9
                  I've held off so far.
                  IF the batteries were ALL fully charged before the accident, you could take the leftover acid from one, and top the others off. I'd also expect the mechanical shock to have damaged the plates internally, they are not made to withstand that at all, and I'd be happy if the batteries last another month.

                  So do what you can, and start shopping for new batteries in a week.
                  Powerfab top of pole PV mount (2) | Listeroid 6/1 w/st5 gen head | XW6048 inverter/chgr | Iota 48V/15A charger | Morningstar 60A MPPT | 48V, 800A NiFe Battery (in series)| 15, Evergreen 205w "12V" PV array on pole | Midnight ePanel | Grundfos 10 SO5-9 with 3 wire Franklin Electric motor (1/2hp 240V 1ph ) on a timer for 3 hr noontime run - Runs off PV ||
                  || Midnight Classic 200 | 10, Evergreen 200w in a 160VOC array ||
                  || VEC1093 12V Charger | Maha C401 aa/aaa Charger | SureSine | Sunsaver MPPT 15A

                  solar: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Solar
                  gen: http://tinyurl.com/LMR-Lister

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Sunking View Post
                    He could but I want no part of it.
                    No big deal. Just wear gloves and a face shield.

                    On a more serious note. There is a high chance that a number of the batteries will not perform as required and have a short life regardless of using the "spare" fluid.

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