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Proper maintenance will prolong the life of
a battery and will aid in assuring that it is capable of
satisfying its design requirements. A good battery
maintenance program will serve as a valuable aid in
determining the need for battery replacement. Battery
maintenance should always be performed by trained personnel
knowledgeable of batteries and the safety precautions
involved.
Most of the following material concerns
flooded, non-maintenance-free batteries. However, so called
"maintenance-free" and valve-regulated batteries
also require some maintenance. They do not require water
addition or checking of specific gravity, but they may
require periodic cleaning, monitoring of cell and battery
total float voltage, load (capacity) t7esting, terminal
resistance measurement, or cleaning and torque verification
of terminal bolts depending on the importance of the
application.
Flooded lead-acid batteries can function for
10 years or longer if properly maintained. The six general
rules of proper maintenance are
1. Match the charger to the battery
requirements.
2. Avoid over discharging the battery.
3. Maintain the electrolyte at the
appropriate level (add water as required).
4. Keep the battery clean.
5. Avoid overheating the battery.
6. Provide an equalizing charge periodically
to weak batteries/cells.
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