Each element of the car needs careful care, and if we are talking about the operation of the car in the winter, then the battery requires special treatment. In the cold, its resource is significantly reduced. To be ready at any time to replace a failed power source and hit the road, keep a dry-charged battery on your shelf. This is the most durable and cheapest power supply.
Dry charge battery
The batteries we are used to arrive at the counters in a charged state: an electrolytic solution (sulfuric acid) is already poured into a plastic container with lead plates inside.
Dry-charged batteries enter the market empty. They contain a plastic shell with a lead reagent placed inside, but they do not have an acid solution. This solution gives the source of electricity some advantages, the main of which is the possibility of long-term storage.
But before you install a dry-charged battery in a car, you must bring it into working condition. To do this, you must always have an acid solution on hand and know the specific rules for putting the battery into operation.
Commissioning a dry-charged battery
The amount of acid needed to charge the battery depends on the type of device purchased. Usually this parameter varies between 1.5-5 liters. The only thing you can be sure of is that you need more acid than the operating volume of the battery.
The first thing to do is to depressurize the plastic shell. Do this in a clean technical room, because even a small amount of contaminants can ruin the installation. After that, start pouring the electrolyte into the dry-charged battery until the top edge of the plate is under a 2-cm layer of the composition.
Without installing the plugs, set the battery aside for two hours - during this time the lead will be saturated with acid, its volume will decrease, and you will need to fill it again to its original level.
Possible options
As soon as you bring the amount of electrolytic solution to a constant level, use a voltmeter to check the voltage. In this case, several options are possible:
- If the sensor indicates 12.5 volts or more, then the battery is ready for use.
- In the case when the indicator indicates a voltage between 10.5 and 12.5 V, the device must be recharged.
- When the voltage at the terminals is lower than 10.5 V, the battery is considered damaged.
The first case says that a dry-charged battery is ready for use. Commissioning was successful, and it remains only to put the battery in the car. The second option tells us that to use the battery, it is necessary to recharge it, and the last - that the storage or manufacturing conditions were violated, the device is not suitable for use.
Charging a Dry Battery
To recharge a battery that is half ready for use, you will need two devices: an electric current rectifier and a hydrometer - a device that measures the density of an electrolytic solution.
In order not to have questions with how to charge a dry-charged battery, follow the plan presented:
- Connect the charger to the terminals, do not forget about the polarity.
- Turn on the device and set the charge current to 10% of the battery power.
- Continue to charge the battery for 5 hours.
- Check the battery voltage, and if it still has not reached 12.5 V, then reduce the power by half and charge another 4 hours.
You can understand that the battery is ready for use, in other ways. Firstly, in the ready-for-use state, the electrolyte filled in the dry-charged battery begins to boil. Secondly, the density of the solution and the voltage on the device will be at the same level constantly. When none of the conditions are met, the device still needs to be recharged.
The benefits of dry-charged batteries
Despite the complexity of putting a dry-charged battery into operation, it enjoys considerable popularity due to its advantages. The first of these is a long shelf life. Conventional lead acid batteries are stored for no more than 4 years and require special conditions. “Dry” plants retain their properties for 7 years and do not need additional storage conditions.
The second advantage is ease of transportation. In an idle state, there is no electrolyte in it, which can begin to leak for any reason. In addition, this installation has a low weight.
A third advantage is the cost that a dry-charged battery has. Putting it into operation with your own hands will cost around 300 rubles, and the average price of the battery itself starts to grow from 1900 rubles, which is much lower than the finished batteries.
Dry Battery Manual
It is possible to significantly extend the service life of dry-charged energy sources that are already ready for operation by observing elementary operating rules. Firstly, you will need to check the voltage at the terminals in the "idle" state and under load once a month.
At the same time, measure the density of the electrolyte - it should not fall below a regulated level. If necessary, recharge the battery in accordance with the instructions.
Secondly, once every six months, arrange a battery training - discharge to a minimum value, and then fully replenish its supply of electricity. Finally, so that the operation of dry-charged batteries lasts as long as possible, use a charging device with a stabilized voltage - it fills the battery in a gentle mode.