Long term storage of FLA batteries.

[PNW_Steve]

Hello Everyone,

I am shopping for 4 x L-16's for a project. I stumbled across a deal that will get me eight L-16's as a package for just a few dollars more than what I can get four for locally.

Great deal but I won't have any use for the other four until next year unless a new project comes up.

I am note sure yet but I believe that they shop dry and I have to add electrolyte. If this is correct, how would the shelf life be if I wait to add electrolyte untiil I need them?

Is there anything that I can fill the batteries with to extend shelf life?

Thanks Everyone.

[Mike90250]

......

Is there anything that I can fill the batteries with to extend shelf life?

Thanks Everyone.

Sealed nylon bag and nitrogen purge, flush the cells first with nitrogen

[SunEagle]

I agree with Mike. Try to do everything you can to keep moisture out of those empty batteries.

[Mike90250]

Oxygen is the killer. Lead in the plates will turn bad when exposed to air, and simple tape over the caps won't prevent it. They have to be nitrogen flushed and sealed against oxygen,

[PNW_Steve]

Thanks Gentlemen.

I will be buying or renting a nitrogen tank for an HVAC project. It will be equipped with a regulator and 6' hose.

If I set the regulator at 10-15 psi and stick the hose in the top of each cell then replace the caps and keep the batteries upright will that be adequate for a year's storage?

I wouldn't have 100% displacement of the air but I should be able to keep it over 90%. That would leave less than 8% O2.

[Mike90250]

What we do at work (did) for test chambers, was use a 160 or 230 liter Liquid Nitrogen tank, and it will bleed N2 from the overpressure vent, which we used for purging. Tank was good for a month or more, just bleeding off N2
With a regulator set to about 5PSI, you use a gas flow meter to regulate the purge gas to a couple liter /hr (of the dry gas, not liquid) . At work, our tank rental was about $50 per tank, but we used hundreds of them weekly.

[PNW_Steve]

What we do at work (did) for test chambers, was use a 160 or 230 liter Liquid Nitrogen tank, and it will bleed N2 from the overpressure vent, which we used for purging. Tank was good for a month or more, just bleeding off N2
With a regulator set to about 5PSI, you use a gas flow meter to regulate the purge gas to a couple liter /hr (of the dry gas, not liquid) . At work, our tank rental was about $50 per tank, but we used hundreds of them weekly.

I did a bit of checking and liquid nitrogen is a rare thing here. I found a place that is about 2-1/2 hours from here that will rent me a tank. Sometimes living in the sticks can be a pain

[Ampster]

I did a bit of checking and liquid nitrogen is a rare thing here. I found a place that is about 2-1/2 hours from here that will rent me a tank. Sometimes living in the sticks can be a pain

I use a mixture of nitrogen and argon in a small aerosol can to purge the oxygen out of wine bottles. It can be purchased online probably for less than the cost of gas for two round trips to rent nitrogen.

[Mike90250]

Argon is good too, but unless you have a way to hermetically seal the batteries in a O2 proof bag (nylon or triple layer metal polyester) you need a constant purge or at least weekly refresh, or your batteries are goners while simply being stored

[extrafu]

With all that being said, wouldn't it be easier to just get the batteries flooded and put them on a a float charger for 1 year? Way easier and safer in my book than messing around with wraps/bags and gas and all that crap that *will fail* and ruin your batteries. Or just skip the deal and get an other, there are always other deals.

[Ampster]

Great idea. Just the other day I tried to tell my significant other that there are always other deals. You can imagine how that turned out.LOL

[extrafu]

@Ampster They are always shopping so you will be fine

[PNW_Steve]

Got a call from the vendor telling me that they will not honor the price on their website.

Back to shopping.