Batteries conduct electric current through an electrolyte, which is a mixture of sulfuric acid and water. When a battery is used for several months, the electrolyte tends to decrease, which may have adverse impacts on the way the battery operates significantly. Therefore, it is battery watering is important to keep the electrolyte at optimum levels for electric current to flow through.
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When to Water Your Battery
Watering batteries should always be done when the battery is at full charge. This should be done to top up the remaining space in the battery. Many people make the mistake of adding water and then charging the battery. This causes the electrolyte to overflow when the battery is charging, which can negatively impact the well-being of the battery. Adding water when the battery is partially charged is also known to cause extreme overheating, which can destroy the battery.
What Type of Water Should Be Added to Your Battery?
Not all water sources are safe for your battery. It is always recommended that you understand the purity of water before adding it to your battery. You can purchase equipment that you will be using to test the purity of water before adding. This will prevent unnecessary reactions within the battery that can affect the effectiveness of the electrolyte. However, to avoid many challenges, it is always necessary for you to consider deionized water.
Prevent Battery Explosion
Batteries are at the risk of exploding at any given time when they have low water levels. The explosion is caused by the increase in the acid concentration in the battery due to loss of water. To prevent this safety hazard from happening, adding water to the battery will help prevent any form of explosion. With sufficient water in the battery, the acid concentration is significantly reduced, which is very effective in minimizing any form of explosion.
Enhanced Electrolysis Activity
Batteries work through an electrolysis process where water and acid molecules are broken down into electrons and ions that conduct electricity. The hydrogen ion, which is available when water is split into hydrogen and oxygen molecules, is very important in electrolysis. There will be an insufficient amount of hydrogen molecules without water, thereby affecting the electric current flow. On the other hand, increasing water in the battery enhances current through the electrolyte flow due to increased hydrogen ions.
Prevent Battery Failure
Hundreds of people who use batteries always complain that their batteries have failed before serving them the required period. This is a common experience for most car owners who have to replace their batteries after serving for several months. Although many things cause battery failure, lack of sufficient water stands out as one of the major causes of battery failure. If you want to extend the lifespan of your battery, you have to add water regularly.
Avoid Costly Replacement
Batteries are expensive, and buying replacement batteries regularly could have negative impacts on your financial health. To avoid situations where you have to replace your battery often, you need to ensure that your unit is working optimally. Preventing rusts might be considered as one of the essential methods of preventing battery replacement, but it is worth highlighting that using water plays a critical role in this process.
It is obvious that there are benefits that you will gain if you keep watering your battery at the required time. Your battery’s lifespan and effectiveness are highly determined by how regularly you will be watering your battery. However, always check the most appropriate time to add water to your battery while at the same time emphasizing the purity of the water used.
