Cleaning Cell Covers; Tap Connections; Putting Batteries Into Storage; Record Keeping - C&D Technologies LIBERTY 1000 Series Installation And Operating Instructions Manual

24

3.6 Cleaning cell covers

• Cell covers can be dusted with a clean cloth or clean dry paintbrush.
• Cell covers may also be cleaned with clear water and a small
amount of baking soda and dried after cleaning.
• If residual acid appears on the cover surfaces it may be neutralized
with a solution of one pound baking soda and one gallon of clear
water. Rinse with water following neutralization and air dry.
Never use solvents other than water to clean battery containers.
Many solvents will damage the plastic materials causing the
materials to crack or fail. A neutralizing solution of baking soda
and water may be used to clean acid spills.

3.7 Tap connections

Tap connections on the battery electrically unbalance the battery and
should never be used. Installing a tap will result either in partial or
complete discharge of the group of cells that are furnishing current to
the auxiliary load. In addition an overcharge is imposed on the
untapped cells that will materially decrease their useful life. Tap con-
nections most often inadvertently occur during initial installation when
installers may be tempted to use a portion of the battery to power their
equipment, particularly prior to installation of electrical service. The
use of tap connections will void the warranty.

3.8 Putting batteries into storage

A battery on float charge provides maximum service life and, therefore,
should not be stored on open circuit unless it is unavoidable, but in
such cases only for a very limited time as discussed earlier in Part 1,
Section 2. In such cases, follow these recommendations before
de-energizing:
• Provide an equalize charge as described in Part 2, Section 1.3 and
Section 2.2.
• De-energize battery only after it is fully charged, typically 12 to 16
hours.
• Disconnect battery terminals or remove battery system fuses, so
there is no possibility of discharge through the electrical circuits. As
an added precaution, open one intercell connector on each row of
batteries.
• Store the battery at approximately 77°F (25°C) in a horizontal
position. When returning the battery to service, restore all open
connections, replace fuses, and treat as a new battery by providing
an initial charge.

3.9 Record keeping

At a minimum, annual measurement of unit voltages should be taken
and recorded. On occasion, if a long discharge has been experienced,
CAUTION