What to do with my sla battery while on vacation?
01-15-08, 06:54 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 316
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
What to do with my sla battery while on vacation?
I will be gone for 6 weeks. Should I leave my battery continually attached to the charger? Maybe buy a timer so that the charger goes on for one hour our of 24?
Help...quick!
Help...quick!
01-15-08, 08:59 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Posts: 68
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Don't worry about it. Worst case, the self discharge rate is 20% per month so it would be 30% discharged in six weeks. Just recharge when you get back. See:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_acid_battery
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_acid_battery
01-15-08, 08:31 PM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: northern California
Posts: 5,603
Bikes: Bruce Gordon BLT, Cannondale parts bike, Ecodyne recumbent trike, Counterpoint Opus 2, miyata 1000
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
Leave it somewhere cold or cool. Lower temps = lower discharge rates. A smart 3-stage charger can be left on but may cost more then the battery.
01-17-08, 07:17 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: arlington, VA
Posts: 1,764
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 6 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times
in
4 Posts
It would be beneficial to have the batteries charged up before departing, but the fire hazzard of leaving them charged on vacation far exceed any benefit of keeping them charged.
02-02-08, 06:05 PM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 123
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
what to do...
Couldn't agree more...never leave SLA charging longer than 48 hours...Even with a smart charger it is not recommended. Best to charge it ahead of time and unplug before you go...charge it when you return...SLA loved to be charged but you don't want the charger to overheat if the fan motor burns out.
02-05-08, 04:15 AM
#8
Fred
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Boston, PRM
Posts: 277
Bikes: 1983 Schwinn Super Sp0rt, Trek hybrid, eBike, Xootr
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I used to have a timer attached to a trickle charger. It came on for 10 minutes a day. Cheap and effective, but I just wouldn't leave it unattended.
06-03-08, 05:05 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 415
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times
in
0 Posts
I think people over react on the SLA battery storage. Remember they say for months in a warehouse before you bought them. And when I was still working I traveled for several months at a time. My car ether sat in a cold Chicago garage or in the snow at the Chicago airport. I never had a problem starting my car when I returned and as I said it was always between 30 to 90 day trips.
