PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-631

PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly

ISSUE 631

JUNE 2005
PS Magazine - TB 43-PS-631 - Page 7 of 33
W
orking in the heat means drinking lots of water so your body stays hydrated.
So you drink lots of water.
Working in the heat also affects the water in lead-acid batteries. So you have to
keep them hydrated, too.
PS 631
JUN 05
10
Adding Just Enough
More is not better, though. If batteries are filled
to the rim, the electrolyte will boil out through the
vent caps when the battery charges. Use the bat-
tery filler syringe, NSN 6140-00-808-7325, to
remove any excess.
Make sure, too, that the vent caps are open so
that gases can escape. If the vents are clogged, the
battery can explode.
If you find a battery that needs water, let your
mechanic know ASAP. The best water is distilled
water. NSN 6810-00-682-6867 gets a gallon and
NSN 6810-00-356-4936 gets a 5-gal jug.
Lead-Acid Batteries…
Then operators should
eyeball the electrolyte levels
at least once a day if the tem-
perature stays above 90°F
for a week. The level should
be at least
1
⁄
2
inch above the
top of the battery plates. If
the filler hole has a lip or an
indicator at the bottom, it
should be filled to that.
Where Does It Go?
Normal charging causes some
water in the electrolyte to evaporate.
But
overcharging drives off much
more water. Add in the evaporation
caused by high temperatures and
your batteries can go dry quickly.
Just adding water won’t always be
enough to save your batteries. First
off, the batteries need to be checked
by your mechanic using the optical
battery/antifreeze tester, NSN 6630-
00-105-1418. A fully-charged bat-
tery should give specific gravity
readings of 1.280.
Use tester
to check
electrolyte
Full charge
will be 1.280
ELECTROLYTE LEVEL LOW
THIS BIRD’S EYE VIEW SHOWS EYE-SHAPE
ELECTROLYTE LEVEL OK
Full to bottom…
not to top
man,
we’re so
lost…
we’ve
got no
water…
water…
n-need
water…
ehhhnnn…
if we were…
checked properly
by… our mechanic…
we’d be ok!
631.10-11(C)
4/28/05
6:24 PM
Page 1
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