richard10002 Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 A couple of months ago I bought a couple of Varta A28 Hobby Leisure 110Ah batteries. http://www.tayna.co.uk/813010-Varta-Hobby-Leisure-Battery-A28-P3641.html I have just opened them up to check the levels and top them up, and find there is no indicator to suggest what level the electrolyte should be at. You unscrew the cap, and all you have is the top of the battery - with other batteries, there has been something sticking down from the top, perhaps with a bit of a lip on it, which is where you fill to. Any suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spospe Posted July 21, 2013 Share Posted July 21, 2013 The main thing is to ensure that the tops of the plates are kept covered. I would suggest making sure that the plates have a ¼ inch of liquid above them as a minimum. Possibly ask Tayna for advice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 There are on-line suggestions that Varta Hobby A28 batteries are 'maintenance free'. For example: http://www.advancedbatterysupplies.co.uk/vartaleisurebatteryhobbya28_813010000.html#leisurebatteryinformation In this instance, "maintenance free'" may mean that the battery's design is such that, in normal use, the need to maintain it approaches nil. Obviously, as you are able to remove your batteries' inspection/filler plugs, the A28 is not 'maintenance impossible', but you may well find that, if you regularly check the electrolyte level, that no topping up will be required. I don't know how common electrolyte-level indicators are, but several of my vehicle batteries have not had them. There's advice here on battery maintenance and electrolyte-level checking. http://www.tayna.co.uk/tutorials/caring-for-your-battery.php http://www.wikihow.com/Check-Car-Battery-Water-Levels If a battery does not have a translucent casing with maximum/minimum electrolyte-level markings, nor any internal level indicator, I'm not sure if there's any hard and fast rule regarding the electrolyte-level's distance above the tops of the plates. 1cm above the plates sounds reasonable to me, but the vital thing (as spospe advises) is that the electrolyte-level is never allowed to fall below the tops of the plates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 I had identical twin batteries on a van for three years in which time even with a solar panel input they never needed topping up, so I would be inclined to check the charging voltages were they mine - or talk to the supplier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted July 22, 2013 Share Posted July 22, 2013 Tracker - 2013-07-22 9:52 AM I had identical twin batteries on a van for three years in which time even with a solar panel input they never needed topping up, so I would be inclined to check the charging voltages were they mine - or talk to the supplier. I don't think richard10002 is saying that the electrolyte-levels of his Varta batteries require topping up - just that, when he removed the filler-caps to check the electrolyte-levels, he found that there was no built-in indicator of where the levels should be. Admittedly he said "...to check the levels and top them up", and this might be interpreted as knowing that the electrolyte-levels were low before the caps were removed, but, as the A28 has an opaque case, it's hard to imagine how knowing this would be possible. Plainly, if the check has revealed that the electrolyte-levels of the batteries are too low after only a couple of months use, it has to be asked why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard10002 Posted August 11, 2013 Author Share Posted August 11, 2013 Having used them for a couple of months, I merely wanted to check that the levels were OK. No reason for thinking otherwise, other than I have been disciplined to check these things regularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyishuk Posted August 13, 2013 Share Posted August 13, 2013 When I were a lad, you could buy an Exide, or similar, bottle that had a spout on it. You pressed the spout on the top of the plates and the bottle automatically filled the level to to the correct height. May be still available ? This seems to be the modern equivalent http://www.agricareuk.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2119 http://www.thetoolboxshop.com/0-149-50-1l-automatic-battery-filler-bottle-3226.html gds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 tonyishuk - 2013-08-13 7:19 PM When I were a lad, you could buy an Exide, or similar, bottle that had a spout on it. You pressed the spout on the top of the plates and the bottle automatically filled the level to to the correct height. May be still available ? This seems to be the modern equivalent http://www.agricareuk.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=2119 http://www.thetoolboxshop.com/0-149-50-1l-automatic-battery-filler-bottle-3226.html gds I'm not sure if these 'automatic' battery topping-up bottles operate in the way you describe (ie. by pushing against the battery's plates - which might lead to the plates being damaged). I think you push the wide part of the bottle's spout against the battery's top surface. This opens a valve in the spout that releases liquid from within the bottle allowing the liquid to enter the battery. The electrolyte level in the battery rises until it reaches the end of the 'nozzle' at the end of the spout when the flow of liquid from the bottle will cease. If that's correct, then the distance of the electrolyte above the plates will depend on the length of the nozzle. These bottles are really aimed at professionals who regularly need to top up lots of batteries, or where the electrolyte level needs to be regularly checked/topped-up but this is difficult due to limited access. If you can see the tops of the plates through the filler holes, you shouldn't really need an auto-filler bottle. RS Components advertise two types: http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/water-fillers/1968222/?origin=PSF_409432|cav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harvey Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Indeed, the old Lucas top up bottles had a plunger spout which was pushed against the top of the plates to release the water which stopped flowing when the level was reached. I had one of these but a few years ago i left it in the garage with water in over winter. It froze and cracked. There are several for sale online and there is one here:- http://a1autocollectables.co.uk/shop/lucus-battery-top-up-bottle/ Harvey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 Harvey - 2013-08-14 9:39 AM Indeed, the old Lucas top up bottles had a plunger spout which was pushed against the top of the plates to release the water which stopped flowing when the level was reached. I had one of these but a few years ago i left it in the garage with water in over winter. It froze and cracked. There are several for sale online and there is one here:- http://a1autocollectables.co.uk/shop/lucus-battery-top-up-bottle/ Harvey Yes, but I believe the Lucas bottle operates differently from the more modern ones, hence the former's long tube-like spout needed to reach down to the top of the plate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.