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opening a sealed battery

goodoldboy

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2010
Messages
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has anyone tried this? my sealed
Bosch silver batteries are on the way out after 6 years which is not bad I suppose but I've had batteries last 10+ years in the past .the thing is that there is little point in opening up a bad battery to top it up & I'm a littl
e reluctant to go at a new one with a hammer & chisel
 
there's a few vids on youtube where people have topped up sealed batteries.

That said, if the plates have warped and are now shorting out between cells, it won't make any difference.
 
Just out of curiosity I opened up a small sealed LA battery, the type used in domestic alarm panels, a while back. There were multiple plates & insulators holding the gel electrolyte but precious little that could be done to recover a bad one as far as I could see, if that's what you were thinking of.
 
Just out of curiosity I opened up a small sealed LA battery, the type used in domestic alarm panels, a while back. There were multiple plates & insulators holding the gel electrolyte but precious little that could be done to recover a bad one as far as I could see, if that's what you were thinking of.
yes I have seen some vids , one with a yank having at it with a bolster & lump hammer no safety goggles - not recomended ! I was thinking more of trying to open a new battery & being able to top it up.the problem would be 're sealing it afterwards.
 
I think there are clip in panels holding individual vented stoppers but it may well depend on the make. One of the new intelligent chargers may well recover it, a Ctek is probably best. I had a Sealey old style charger on the Smart battery (1 yr old, not much use) and it stayed flat. Couple of days with a Ctek on it and it's like new.
 
I think there are clip in panels holding individual vented stoppers but it may well depend on the make. One of the new intelligent chargers may well recover it, a Ctek is probably best. I had a Sealey old style charger on the Smart battery (1 yr old, not much use) and it stayed flat. Couple of days with a Ctek on it and it's like new.
I have a sterling digital charger on our main house solar system so I could try & charge them but I suspect that after 6 years without top up they are finished.I've seen on videos the type of top you mention but suspect that it is fragile & only designed to be put in once .What we need is an enterprising person to come up with a retrofitted top for this type of battery.so I might have a go with the old ones.
 
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I think the idea is that they are designed to vent gassed but not evaporate the water out of the electrolyte unless they have been boiled by over charging. It may be that the electrolyte level hasn't dropped below the top of your plates. Often you can see the levels through the casing. If you shine a light the other side, you may be able to see better but I cannot remember if this works.

The main problem will probably be sulphation which a clever battery conditioner may well deal with successfully. Another problem is unequal charge in the cells, again a clever charger will deal with this with an equalising charge.

If you really feel a need to open them, try prising the cover off gently and see what happens. If will either be of use or you will be replacing it anyway.
 
I think the idea is that they are designed to vent gassed but not evaporate the water out of the electrolyte unless they have been boiled by over charging. It may be that the electrolyte level hasn't dropped below the top of your plates. Often you can see the levels through the casing. If you shine a light the other side, you may be able to see better but I cannot remember if this works.

The main problem will probably be sulphation which a clever battery conditioner may well deal with successfully. Another problem is unequal charge in the cells, again a clever charger will deal with this with an equalising charge.

If you really feel a need to open them, try prising the cover off gently and see what happens. If will either be of use or you will be replacing it anyway.
i charged them yesterday with a solar panel & 3 stage charge controller & they barely had enough juce to start this morning....my understanding of car alternator is that they only bulk charge & dont do absorb or float charge.my sterling digital charger (for my main solar bank) charges open lead acid to 14.85 V & sealed lead acid to 14.40 - which is about what a car alternator gives....as for a sealed battery only losing gas but not water my understanding is that charging a battery produces hydrogen & oxygen by electrolysis of the water.my solar batteries need regular top ups.My solar charge controller is a mppt 3 stage charger & the bulk voltage is set according to the battery specs.every month i do a equalise charge for a couple of hours & the V goes up to 15.10 .old style screw top car batteries needed regular top ups .the definition of maintenance free - the bugger dies on you the day after the guarantee expires.
 
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