no-maintenance batteries

I just bought a new battery for my JD lawn mower. It is one of those no-maintenance batteries that don't have any fill holes to add water.

That got me to thinking:

How do these batteries differ from the old type lead-acid batteries that required occasional addition of water? What's different about these batteries?

Reply to
Caesar Romano
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Sealed = no evaporation.

Reply to
Thomas

Is it perhaps a gel cell or an AGM battery? If so, there is no water in them.

Reply to
salty

Don't know what type of battery you actually have. The "maintenance free" car batteries have calcium added to the lead which greatly diminishes gassing which is the major reason you needed to add water. If it is a gelled electrolyte then there is no evaporation.

Reply to
George

It's been a lot of years since I read this. But there is a different design of battery that uses lead and calcium for the plates. It's much more resistant to over charging, and electrolyzing the water to hydrogen and oxygen. Sometimes mistakenly called boiling off the water. They are vented, and can lose the water. Only problem is, no way to replace the water.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Battery gel is a mixture of water and other stuff, like alcohol gel is a mix of alcohol (and water and other stuff). As to AGM, I'd have to research it, but I'm guessing they do contain water.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

Neither contain free water that can escape.

Batteries with free water that can escape are known as FLOODED cell batteries.

Reply to
salty

Wasn't that a movie "Free Water", no that was Willie. Carry on.

I hope the OP's sealed garden tractor battery gives many years of service. Bring the battery indoors for the winter. Not on cement floor. Yeah, I know, that was the old rubber cased batteries. Why take a chance.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

I don't know the actual difference but it certainly isn't an old style that is sealed. An older style battery produces hydrogen and maybe oxygen gas when charged. If it was sealed it would explode from the pressure of the gases. Most car type maintenance free batteries do have vents and emit explosive gases while charging. They are not sealed tight. Most can also be checked and filled if low, they just make the caps look like they don't come off but most do. Check it every couple years instead of every couple months.

Gel cells are a whole different story.

Reply to
Tony

Come on now Stormin, you must be older than dirt if you are still worried about putting a battery on a cement floor. (I suppose that should actually be a "concrete" floor?)

Reply to
Tony

Actually, modern batteries with poly cases BENEFIT from being stored on a concrete floor. Keeping a battery cool will slow down the chemical reactions and prolong its life.

Reply to
salty

What? Talk a little closer to my hearing aid? I'll thump my cane on the floor if I can hear you.

Some old advice, I just don't want to take the chance.

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

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