Troubleshooting Common Issues with Lead-Acid Batteries

Even a minor issue with a lead-acid battery can cause huge trouble sometimes. Those issues may lead to poor performance of the appliance. Also, it affects the durability of the battery and the machine in which it is used.

Therefore, it is essential to troubleshoot the problems at the earliest. Hence, in this article, we will discuss how you can fix common issues with a lead-acid battery.

This article will talk about troubleshooting both types. They are AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) and Sealed Lead-acid (SLA) batteries. Also, we will point out some preventive measures for these common issues. Finally, you will learn how to prolong the battery’s life.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Lead-Acid Battery

A lead-acid battery, be it an SLA or AGM battery, may pose problems at any time. The major reasons behind such issues are usually poor quality material, no proper maintenance, etc.

Anyways, whatever the reason is, you must fix the problem before it gets worse. So, here we share the troubleshooting processes:

Instant Fluctuation of the Battery Percentage

A sudden decrease or increase in battery percentage depends largely on terminal voltage. And this voltage is affected by the charge and discharge currents.

The charge current can quickly increase the voltage of a resting battery during the first minute of charge. It results in an instant increase in battery percentage. But, once that charge current is stopped, the battery percentage decreases suddenly.

Also, the discharge current can cause an immediate decrease in battery percentage at the first minute of discharge. But when the current is stopped, the voltage rapidly rises to the resting level, and the battery percentage increases instantly.

To resolve the issue and find an accurate battery percentage, disconnect the battery from the whole system and rest it for 2 hours at least before taking the measurement.

The battery bank does not accept charging or discharges too fast

It might be a result of the failure of your battery bank. When such an issue occurs, identify the lagging battery in the bank first.

A lagging battery comes with a lower voltage than other batteries in the bank. Charge and discharge the battery thrice to see if any battery shows a lower voltage than the average voltage bank by more than 5%.

Then, equalise the battery bank with proper equalisation charge parameters. If that battery bank issue is still there, the lagging battery may have failed.

Then, disconnect it from power sources and loads. Next, use a battery generator to rejuvenate the battery. If the issue is not solved, replace the lagging battery.

The acid leaks, swells up, or releases vapours

Three of them are crucial issues. With a cracked casing, the sulfuric acid electrolyte in a battery starts seeping out and causes corrosion to the things in the surrounding areas. Thus acid leaks take place. You must handle the battery to prevent it.

A battery’s positive and negative plates can exert pressure on the inner wall and make the battery case swell up. It might be a result of overcharging or short-circuiting. Make sure you do not overcharge

These issues are mostly seen in sealed lead-acid batteries. For AGM batteries, regular damages may not cause any harm due to their materials. Anyways, you must check other performance issues.

If your AGM battery shows poor performance, you can apply some ways. For example:

• Check for damage. Although minor damage cannot harm, you should find and repair it soon.
• Inspect the gravity of the acid within the battery fluid. The fluid will be clear without any discolouration if the battery is fine.
• Check the voltage of the battery after charging. It should be 100% before use. If it is less than 100%, recharge it. If the problem still occurs, the battery might have a problem.
• Load test inspection is another way. You should replace the battery if the test voltage is below the minimum.

How to Prevent the Common Issues with Lead-Acid Batteries

Troubleshooting the issue is fine. But, the better is when you prevent the issues beforehand from occurring. Things that you can do are:

• Fully recharge the battery after using and before storing it to avoid the undercharging issue.
• If the battery is stored for a long period, charge it every few weeks.
• Check water levels frequently and refill the cells with distilled water as required.
• Avoid overwatering. A regular fluid level is around ½ inch above the plates’ top or just below the vent’s bottom. Maintain it.

How to prolong lead-acid battery life

Before we end today’s discussion, here are some tips to prolong battery life.

• Never discharge the battery below 50%
• Connect power sources on the bank’s opposite corners for an even charging and discharging for every battery.
• Stick to the maximum limitations of charge and discharge current.
• You should store the battery in a dry and cool place.

What should you do?

Even if it apparently looks negligible, you should never ignore any issues with your lead-acid battery. Often, it takes very little time for a small issue to turn into a bigger one. And it becomes costlier too.

So, fix the problems as soon as possible. Also, try to prevent the issues beforehand following the tips we have mentioned. Anyways, the poor-quality battery is a vital reason for these common issues. So, why not buy a high-quality battery and reduce the risks? Visit L&T-SuFin now for the vast collection of lead-acid batteries it offers.