vented battery.

Sgt_Pepper · 6 Nov 2009 at 22:52

Hi, my Smart car needs a new battery. Thats the easy part.

The problem i'm having is finding a battery that has a venting tube in it, which i need as the battery is inside the car,
I can get one from Mercedes but they just over charge for everything, and they've had enough of my money already this year.

Or, am i just being dumb and all batterys are vented. Its not something i've bought before.

Thermo Nuclear Penguin · 6 Nov 2009 at 22:58

All batteries come with vents

They are normally blocked off with little rubber bungs.

Clarkey · 6 Nov 2009 at 23:11

I was under the impression that all maintenance free type batteries were sealed?

Burned_Alive · 6 Nov 2009 at 23:31

Clarkey said:
I was under the impression that all maintenance free type batteries were sealed?

They're sealed in the fact that you dont need to top them up, but they still vent out vapor iirc.

miniyazz · 7 Nov 2009 at 00:52

Burned_Alive said:
They're sealed in the fact that you dont need to top them up, but they still vent out vapor iirc.

Are you sure? :confused:

I have a motorbike 'maintenance-free/sealed' battery - which I stole from a UPS (therefore intended to be kept indoors). And tbh I think I would've noticed a bloody great bung in them

there's literally just the two terminals, and the battery appears to fit together clam-shell style in two halves (plastic), and certainly appears tight at the join.

Burned_Alive · 7 Nov 2009 at 01:03

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRLA_battery

Rich1988 · 7 Nov 2009 at 01:04

all lead acid batteries will have vents, even AGM batteries have vents, maintenance free batteries simply have an excess of electrolyte to compensate for the what will be evaporated through normal charging and discharging. The only ones that will be totally sealed are gel batteries which have a much lower output that standard lead acid batteries

Burned_Alive · 7 Nov 2009 at 01:11

As per the link above, even the gel batteries have a vent/valve.

miniyazz · 7 Nov 2009 at 01:33

Burned_Alive said:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRLA_battery

Burned_Alive said:
As per the link above, even the gel batteries have a vent/valve.

Ah cool, cheers. It would seem sealed means no gases are released unless the internal pressure raises significantly - such as in overcharging. Learn something new every day

Unfortunately, as I have exams coming up, I may have to learn something else today as well

Dogbreath · 7 Nov 2009 at 11:53

miniyazz said:
Are you sure? I have a motorbike 'maintenance-free/sealed' battery - which I stole from a UPS (therefore intended to be kept indoors). And tbh I think I would've noticed a bloody great bung in them there's literally just the two terminals, and the battery appears to fit together clam-shell style in two halves (plastic), and certainly appears tight at the join.

UPS's do not use motorbike batteries, though they are of a similar size. They use VRLA gel batteries which have the ability to absorb the oxygen generated during charging which suppresses the generation of hydrogen. They have a safety vent to prevent excessive pressure build up if gas to produced faster than it can be absorbed, but it should never operate unless the battery is abused (i.e. overcharged).

Motorbike batteries are standard lead acid types that simply have the cell vents connected to a common outlet that a pipe can be attached to.

miniyazz · 7 Nov 2009 at 12:08

Dogbreath said:
UPS's do not use motorbike batteries, though they are of a similar size. They use VRLA gel batteries which have the ability to absorb the oxygen generated during charging which suppresses the generation of hydrogen. They have a safety vent to prevent excessive pressure build up if gas to produced faster than it can be absorbed, but it should never operate unless the battery is abused (i.e. overcharged).

Motorbike batteries are standard lead acid types that simply have the cell vents connected to a common outlet that a pipe can be attached to.

I stand corrected. For my uses it's as good as, at least