Helo gurus,

For the winter I have generally just disconnect the battery on my lawn tractor and leave the tractor in the garage. In the spring I usually have to jump the lawn tractor anyway to get it started - not necessarily because the battery is dead, but because starting it the first time in the spring is a bear and usually takes a lot of cranking (and the tractor battery runs down before I can get the tractor started). However, once I've started it and got her running for a while, I can start it from the battery without too much trouble for the rest of the season.

This spring, I jumped it and it started right up. I let it run for a while, but then when I went to turn on the blades, it sputtered and died. I had to jump it again, but this time started the blades with it still connected to the car battery - no problem. After disconnecting, I tried starting and stopping the blades a few times with no trouble, but then after sitting a couple of minutes, again the engine died when I tried to start the blades.

Finally, I jumped it, started the blades and then mowed for about an hour - figuring this would both charge the battery and loosen up any tightness in the blades. Afterwards, same problem - and I also couldn't start the engine from off.

I'm thinking "new battery time". I just measured the voltage (tractor off) and got 12.2. It's a 12 volt battery, but I'm not sure if that's a decent voltage or not - that was after a few unsuccessful cranks by the way. I swear I've never had a problem starting the blades once I got the tractor is running, so I'm wondering if the problem is something else (or if there are multiple problems). Like maybe the blades are sticking and things need to be greased and the extra oomph required to start the blades is too much for the battery - just like it can kill your engine if you go too quickly through grass that's too high. Or maybe the battery's not charging properly while the tractor's running. Is there a good way to diagnose the problem or should I just get a new battery and worry about it later if that doesn't solve things?

The only reason I'm asking now instead of just figuring it's the battery is that it seems to me that in the past when the battery had died, once I jump-started the mower, I had no problems turning the blades on/off - it was only starting the tractor that was a problem.

Thanks.

-J

On 5/20/2013 7:16 PM, J wrote:
Helo gurus,

For the winter I have generally just disconnect the battery on my lawn tractor and leave the tractor in the garage. In the spring I usually have to jump the lawn tractor anyway to get it started - not necessarily because the battery is dead, but because starting it the first time in the spring is a bear and usually takes a lot of cranking (and the tractor battery runs down before I can get the tractor started). However, once I've started it and got her running for a while, I can start it from the battery without too much trouble for the rest of the season.

This spring, I jumped it and it started right up. I let it run for a while, but then when I went to turn on the blades, it sputtered and died. I had to jump it again, but this time started the blades with it still connected to the car battery - no problem. After disconnecting, I tried starting and stopping the blades a few times with no trouble, but then after sitting a couple of minutes, again the engine died when I tried to start the blades.

Finally, I jumped it, started the blades and then mowed for about an hour - figuring this would both charge the battery and loosen up any tightness in the blades. Afterwards, same problem - and I also couldn't start the engine from off.

I'm thinking "new battery time". I just measured the voltage (tractor off) and got 12.2. It's a 12 volt battery, but I'm not sure if that's a decent voltage or not - that was after a few unsuccessful cranks by the way. I swear I've never had a problem starting the blades once I got the tractor is running, so I'm wondering if the problem is something else (or if there are multiple problems). Like maybe the blades are sticking and things need to be greased and the extra oomph required to start the blades is too much for the battery - just like it can kill your engine if you go too quickly through grass that's too high. Or maybe the battery's not charging properly while the tractor's running. Is there a good way to diagnose the problem or should I just get a new battery and worry about it later if that doesn't solve things?

The only reason I'm asking now instead of just figuring it's the battery is that it seems to me that in the past when the battery had died, once I jump-started the mower, I had no problems turning the blades on/off - it was only starting the tractor that was a problem.

Thanks.

-J
You probably have an electric clutch that engages the blades, and the
battery is just not up to the task. You could try putting the battery on
a charger and see if it recharges and holds a charge, but if it's been
in the tractor for over 5 years or so, it's probably got a bad cell.

On May 20, 7:16*pm, J wrote:
Helo gurus,

For the winter I have generally just disconnect the battery on my lawn tractor and leave the tractor in the garage.

Leaving a battery like that will usually shorten it's life.
Batteries will slowly self-dscharge and having it sit around
partially or fully discharged leads to sulfation and failure.
You can buy a battery tender that you can put on it to
keep it fully charged during the winter.





*In the spring I usually have to jump the lawn tractor anyway to get
it started - not necessarily because the battery is dead, but because
starting it the first time in the spring is a bear and usually takes a
lot of cranking (and the tractor battery runs down before I can get
the tractor started). *However, once I've started it and got her
running for a while, I can start it from the battery without too much
trouble for the rest of the season.

This spring, I jumped it and it started right up. *I let it run for a while, but then when I went to turn on the blades, it sputtered and died. *I had to jump it again, but this time started the blades with it still connected to the car battery - no problem. *After disconnecting, I tried starting and stopping the blades a few times with no trouble, but then after sitting a couple of minutes, again the engine died when I tried to start the blades.

Finally, I jumped it, started the blades and then mowed for about an hour - figuring this would both charge the battery and loosen up any tightness in the blades. *Afterwards, same problem - and I also couldn't start the engine from off.

I'm thinking "new battery time". *I just measured the voltage (tractor off) and got 12.2.


That is a reasonable value. But then measuring voltage
on an unloaded battery doesn't tell you the whole story.
That's why pros use a battery tester that puts a load on it.



*It's a 12 volt battery, but I'm not sure if that's a decent voltage
or not - that was after a few unsuccessful cranks by the way. *I swear
I've never had a problem starting the blades once I got the tractor is
running, so I'm wondering if the problem is something else (or if
there are multiple problems). *Like maybe the blades are sticking and
things need to be greased and the extra oomph required to start the
blades is too much for the battery - just like it can kill your engine
if you go too quickly through grass that's too high. *Or maybe the
battery's not charging properly while the tractor's running. *Is there
a good way to diagnose the problem or should I just get a new battery
and worry about it later if that doesn't solve things?

The only reason I'm asking now instead of just figuring it's the battery *is that it seems to me that in the past when the battery had died, once I jump-started the mower, I had no problems turning the blades on/off - it was only starting the tractor that was a problem.

Thanks.

Once the tractor starts, it should be supplying it's own
power to keep it running. Might be an interlock switch
or sensor that's bad that gets involved when you move
the handle to engage the blades.

wrote:
On May 20, 7:16 pm, J wrote:
Helo gurus,

For the winter I have generally just disconnect the battery on my lawn tractor and leave the tractor in the garage.

Leaving a battery like that will usually shorten it's life.
Batteries will slowly self-dscharge and having it sit around
partially or fully discharged leads to sulfation and failure.
You can buy a battery tender that you can put on it to
keep it fully charged during the winter.





In the spring I usually have to jump the lawn tractor anyway to get
it started - not necessarily because the battery is dead, but because
starting it the first time in the spring is a bear and usually takes a
lot of cranking (and the tractor battery runs down before I can get
the tractor started). However, once I've started it and got her
running for a while, I can start it from the battery without too much
trouble for the rest of the season.

This spring, I jumped it and it started right up. I let it run for a while, but then when I went to turn on the blades, it sputtered and died. I had to jump it again, but this time started the blades with it still connected to the car battery - no problem. After disconnecting, I tried starting and stopping the blades a few times with no trouble, but then after sitting a couple of minutes, again the engine died when I tried to start the blades.

Finally, I jumped it, started the blades and then mowed for about an hour - figuring this would both charge the battery and loosen up any tightness in the blades. Afterwards, same problem - and I also couldn't start the engine from off.

I'm thinking "new battery time". I just measured the voltage (tractor off) and got 12.2.


That is a reasonable value. But then measuring voltage
on an unloaded battery doesn't tell you the whole story.
That's why pros use a battery tester that puts a load on it.



It's a 12 volt battery, but I'm not sure if that's a decent voltage
or not - that was after a few unsuccessful cranks by the way. I swear
I've never had a problem starting the blades once I got the tractor is
running, so I'm wondering if the problem is something else (or if
there are multiple problems). Like maybe the blades are sticking and
things need to be greased and the extra oomph required to start the
blades is too much for the battery - just like it can kill your engine
if you go too quickly through grass that's too high. Or maybe the
battery's not charging properly while the tractor's running. Is there
a good way to diagnose the problem or should I just get a new battery
and worry about it later if that doesn't solve things?

The only reason I'm asking now instead of just figuring it's the battery is that it seems to me that in the past when the battery had died, once I jump-started the mower, I had no problems turning the blades on/off - it was only starting the tractor that was a problem.

Thanks.

Once the tractor starts, it should be supplying it's own
power to keep it running. Might be an interlock switch
or sensor that's bad that gets involved when you move
the handle to engage the blades.
Hi,
When I had camping trailer, I used to hook up a solar powered trickle
charger on the batteries during winter. Did not have any
premature battery failure. If ever ice(or slush) forms inside the
battery. That will finish it.

Id solar panel is impractical for the stored battery, I'd hook up a
small current draw load, like a LED and AC powered trickle charger.

Better to charge it periodically over the winter. I always keep a spare car battery in my boiler room and charge it with a trickle charger for about 12 hours every month or so.

That's probably cuz of lack of compression. The thin film of oil on the cylinder walls drains away during the winter, and it's the lack of an oil film that results in hard starting because of insufficient compression by the piston rings. Next time, take the spark plug(s) out and squirt some oil into each cylinder before cranking the engine over. Leave the spark plugs out while cranking. The oil will spread out onto the cylinder walls as you crank and you should find the engine is much easier to start once you put the plugs back in.

On a car, if you have aluminum cylinder heads, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS use antiseize compound on the spark plug threads before putting the spark plugs back in.

J wrote:
Helo gurus,

For the winter I have generally just disconnect the battery on my
lawn tractor and leave the tractor in the garage. In the spring I
usually have to jump the lawn tractor anyway to get it started - not
necessarily because the battery is dead, but because starting it the
first time in the spring is a bear and usually takes a lot of
cranking (and the tractor battery runs down before I can get the
tractor started). However, once I've started it and got her running
for a while, I can start it from the battery without too much trouble
for the rest of the season.

This spring, I jumped it and it started right up. I let it run for a
while, but then when I went to turn on the blades, it sputtered and
died. I had to jump it again, but this time started the blades with
it still connected to the car battery - no problem. After
disconnecting, I tried starting and stopping the blades a few times
with no trouble, but then after sitting a couple of minutes, again
the engine died when I tried to start the blades.

Finally, I jumped it, started the blades and then mowed for about an
hour - figuring this would both charge the battery and loosen up any
tightness in the blades. Afterwards, same problem - and I also
couldn't start the engine from off.

I'm thinking "new battery time". I just measured the voltage
(tractor off) and got 12.2. It's a 12 volt battery, but I'm not sure
if that's a decent voltage or not - that was after a few unsuccessful
cranks by the way. I swear I've never had a problem starting the
blades once I got the tractor is running, so I'm wondering if the
problem is something else (or if there are multiple problems). Like
maybe the blades are sticking and things need to be greased and the
extra oomph required to start the blades is too much for the battery
- just like it can kill your engine if you go too quickly through
grass that's too high. Or maybe the battery's not charging properly
while the tractor's running. Is there a good way to diagnose the
problem or should I just get a new battery and worry about it later
if that doesn't solve things?

The only reason I'm asking now instead of just figuring it's the
battery is that it seems to me that in the past when the battery had
died, once I jump-started the mower, I had no problems turning the
blades on/off - it was only starting the tractor that was a problem.


I can't imagine why the battery would be involved once the tractor is
running. Nevertheless, if it is, you want a FLOAT CHARGER, not periodic
charging or any variation of a trickle charger.

A FLOAT charger supplies charging current to the battery. When the battery
reaches full charge, the float charger shuts off. But the float charger
continues to monitor the charge on the battery and, when the charge level
drops below a minimum acceptable value, the float charger re-engages with
more charging.

This on-off-on-off sequencing prevents over charging, which will boil off
the electrolyte and under-charging which causes shorted cells due to
sulphation. A Float Charger may remain connected to a battery indefinitely.

Here's one for less than ten bucks:
http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-float-charger-automatic-69594.html

Here's another (I don't know the difference)
http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-float-charger-automatic-69594.html

Since you've got the whole summer to obtain the right kind of charger,
simply monitor the HF website. HF periodically puts this item on sale for
$6.95 and $4.95. I've got two: one for the riding lawnmower and one for my
electric wheelbarrow. The one for the mower has been in use for about three
years.

For more information, look up "float charger" on Wikipedia. There are lots
of articles and examples of use.

On 5/21/2013 7:31 AM, HeyBub wrote:

This on-off-on-off sequencing prevents over charging, which will boil off
the electrolyte and under-charging which causes shorted cells due to
sulphation. A Float Charger may remain connected to a battery indefinitely.

Here's one for less than ten bucks:
http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-float-charger-automatic-69594.html

Here's another (I don't know the difference)
http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-float-charger-automatic-69594.html


Uh, detecting the difference may be extremely difficult (other than to
say, "this is one, and this is another one [of the same thing]"

You seem to have posted the same link twice.g

These do work, however. I have used one of these for a couple of years
now to keep the battery topped off on my standby generator. Probably
got it for $6 or $7 while on sale.

I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..
..
"Unquestionably Confused" wrote in message news:519b6fb7$0$9472


This on-off-on-off sequencing prevents over charging, which will boil off
the electrolyte and under-charging which causes shorted cells due to
sulphation. A Float Charger may remain connected to a battery indefinitely.

Here's one for less than ten bucks:
http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-float-charger-automatic-69594.html

Here's another (I don't know the difference)
http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-float-charger-automatic-69594.html


Uh, detecting the difference may be extremely difficult (other than to
say, "this is one, and this is another one [of the same thing]"

You seem to have posted the same link twice.g

These do work, however. I have used one of these for a couple of years
now to keep the battery topped off on my standby generator. Probably
got it for $6 or $7 while on sale.

Thanks for the advice on over-winter battery maintenance. I know I haven't been doing that properly. The battery that 's in there is probably 2 (at most 3) seasons old. As for the trouble starting the blades, I think it may have been something as simple as over-tensioning the drive belt. I did purchase a new battery, which seems to be starting the lawn tractor just fine - but I was still having trouble starting the blades. I loosened the tension on that belt a bit and the blades seem to be starting much more easily now - though now I'm afraid of that belt slipping and not driving the blades properly when cutting grass.

Thanks.

-J

On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine battery.. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

I've probably put that HF charger in the trash, and the battery has long since been exchanged in. So, we'll never know. As for me, I'm not going to take that chance again.
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..
..
wrote in message ...
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

On Tue, 21 May 2013 16:26:31 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"
wrote:

I've probably put that HF charger in the trash, and the battery has long since been exchanged in. So, we'll never know. As for me, I'm not going to take that chance again.
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
.
wrote in message ...
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

2 amps can boil a battery if the voltage required to push 2 amps is
high enough

I've been using HF float chargers for several years. Recently I took
one
off and measured the output voltage. It had failed and there was no
way
it could maintain a charge to the battery.

These devices when used to maintain the charge on a fully
charged battery, do a fine job. But they have mortality rates
just like any other electronic device, and power line spikes and
surges can help then into the afterlife.

Every so often, maybe a couple times a year, disconnect one
and stick a voltmeter on the output. If it isn't above 12 volts,
something in it has given up it's ghost..... Stuff happens...

On May 21, 4:54*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 21 May 2013 16:26:31 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"





wrote:
I've probably put that HF charger in the trash, and the battery has long since been exchanged in. So, we'll never know. *As for me, I'm not going to take that chance again.
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.
.
wrote in ...
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

2 amps can boil a battery if the voltage required to push 2 amps is
high enough- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

But how high can the voltage be on a 12V tractor battery?
15V? That's 30W. Can 30W boil a battery that size?

wrote:
On May 21, 4:54 pm, wrote:
On Tue, 21 May 2013 16:26:31 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"





wrote:
I've probably put that HF charger in the trash, and the battery has
long since been exchanged in. So, we'll never know. As for me, I'm
not going to take that chance again. .
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
.
wrote in
...
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine
battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too
1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you
use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer,
and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current
to boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough
current to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

2 amps can boil a battery if the voltage required to push 2 amps is
high enough- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

But how high can the voltage be on a 12V tractor battery?
15V? That's 30W. Can 30W boil a battery that size?

I don't think it ia really a "boiling" process. It is electrolysis, breaking
water into hydrogen and oxygen, which vent out. It doen't take high temps.

On Tue, 21 May 2013 11:50:18 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current to boil off a battery.

Nonsense. The amount of current available to "boil off" a battery
simply relates to how fast it will do it. The issue is the voltage
and profile.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

You're assuming facts not in evidence.

On Tue, 21 May 2013 15:43:46 -0700 (PDT), "
wrote:

On May 21, 4:54*pm, wrote:
On Tue, 21 May 2013 16:26:31 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"





wrote:
I've probably put that HF charger in the trash, and the battery has long since been exchanged in. So, we'll never know. *As for me, I'm not going to take that chance again.
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
*www.lds.org
.
.
wrote in ...
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

2 amps can boil a battery if the voltage required to push 2 amps is
high enough- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

But how high can the voltage be on a 12V tractor battery?
15V? That's 30W. Can 30W boil a battery that size?

The issue isn't power. It's the voltage. It's not "boiling"
anything, rather electrolysis.

wrote:
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine
battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2
quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a
junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to
boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current
to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

It will put too much charge in a battery. It will boil. I was going to
measure the exact current and supply a resistor. 100 ma. Is too much. I
know these types of chargers will charge an almost dead battery to full
charge in 3-4 months. That's two 120 amp hour batteries in parallel, in our
case.

Greg

" wrote:
On May 21, 4:54 pm, wrote:
On Tue, 21 May 2013 16:26:31 -0400, "Stormin Mormon"





wrote:
I've probably put that HF charger in the trash, and the battery has
long since been exchanged in. So, we'll never know. As for me, I'm not
going to take that chance again.
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.
.
wrote in
...
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine
battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1
1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such
a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to
boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current
to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

2 amps can boil a battery if the voltage required to push 2 amps is
high enough- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

But how high can the voltage be on a 12V tractor battery?
15V? That's 30W. Can 30W boil a battery that size?

If the battery is discharged and high impedance, 20 volts might not be high
enough. If a battery is fully charged, .015 A can cause slow bubbling. .1 A
is starting to get excessive. I used to charge large cells with clear
walls, so you see inside. I've charged batteries in the military, at NASA,
and at home. I did one stupid thing in the army van. Dropped screwdriver
across terminals. The caps were off. I jumped out. Steams of fluid hit the
ceiling.

Greg

Yes.

The energy put in, can go to one of three things.
1. charging
2. heat
3. electrolysis (boiling).

After the battery is full charged, any further
current input has pretty much one thing to do,
which is electrolysis.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..
..
wrote in message ...

But how high can the voltage be on a 12V tractor battery?
15V? That's 30W. Can 30W boil a battery that size?

On May 21, 2:50*pm, wrote:
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2 quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

any lead acid battery that has a bad cell will overheat on charging
and boil off the liquid.

my best friend has a windmill that charges a bank of car
batteries.......

he monitors the temperature of each battery to detect bad ones

On Wed, 22 May 2013 01:30:36 +0000 (UTC), gregz
wrote:

wrote:
On Tuesday, May 21, 2013 12:23:28 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
I used to have a HF float charger. Left it clipped on to a marine
battery. A couple months later, the battery was down on water. Too 1 1/2
quarts to fill it up. The battery did not survive. If you use such a
junky charger, please put it on a 24 hour lamp timer, and run it an hour a day.

The harbor freight charger is incapable of producing enough current to
boil off a battery. That charger would burn up producing enough current
to boil off a battery.

You had some other problem, probably a shorted cell.

It will put too much charge in a battery. It will boil. I was going to
measure the exact current and supply a resistor. 100 ma. Is too much. I
know these types of chargers will charge an almost dead battery to full
charge in 3-4 months. That's two 120 amp hour batteries in parallel, in our
case.

Again, it's *not* "boiling" anything. It has nothing to do with heat
and the bubbles are not H2O vapor, rather H2 and O2; *very*
combustible.