"How To..." Battery Q&A

Golf is a pleasurable sport as players can test their skills while enjoying remarkable scenery and light physical activity. A golf cart will enhance a day spent on the course since players can easily zip from hole to hole. However, a golf cart battery can quickly mar a pleasant day on the course when it fails to start the motorized vehicle.

Assess the Golf Cart Battery

Before completing a jump-start on a battery, players should inspect the device to make sure the cart’s connections are complete. In addition, players should check the battery for corrosion on the cables along with the contact points.

In order to remain safe during a battery assessment, players should turn the vehicle’s engine off and wear gloves. Keep in mind that golf cart batteries feature battery acid, which can cause burns if it touches human skin. During the battery assessment, players should use a wrench to shift the contacts, and with a rubbing alcohol doused towel, they can safely remove the battery’s built up corrosion.

Dead Batteries...The Joy of Children

It was my turn to take my son to school today. As we prepared to get in our red Subaru Legacy my son asks, "Dad, did you charge the battery yet?" I had completely forgotten to do so. The battery went dead the prior week after our youngest daughter found an unlocked door and managed to flip every switch, turn every dial, and twist every lever. Needless to say, the lights and everything else that draws power were left on without us noticing.

[For the step-by-step playbook on how to overcome today's smart chargers and revive a dead battery refer to the bottom of this blog post]

I had a PulseTech Xtreme charger in the garage and connected it to the terminals. Nothing. The charger indicated it was connected to AC power and that it was not connected to a battery. Of course, being the 'smart' man that I am, I figured the charger was wrong or at the very least the clamps slipped off.  So I held the clamps directly on the auto post avoiding any corrosion

Lithium-ion batteries are used in an array of consumer electronics, from laptops, smart phones, and even electric cars. While the current lithium-ion batteries are good, they will get better. The reason can be credited to researchers who have found a way to have the batteries store more energy.

According to a recent article in Science Daily, the anode is a critical component in these batteries. Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab have designed a new type of anode that can absorb eight times the lithium of current designs. Even more promising, it has maintained its greatly increased energy capacity after over a year of testing and countless charge-discharge cycles. And additional good news with it is that the new anodes are made from low-cost materials, compatible with current standard lithium-battery manufacturing technologies.

While the better batteries aren’t yet ready for your new electronics just yet, the emphasis on continual improvement to maintain high customer

A battery not achieving or holding a desired charge is a common complaint with consumers for anything electronic. Whether it is a battery for a toy, scooter, golf cart, boat, RV, laptop, or a hose of other electronics items, customers rightfully expect for their battery to produce a charge that makes the equipment is for run.

We have discussed previously that batteries have a life and that no battery—regardless of the brand or quality—lasts forever. But sometimes, consumers unwittingly shorten their battery’s life by using the battery improperly. When that happens, the end result could be a battery that is damaged, and in some cases, could even affect the appliance or equipment itself.

Common reasons why batteries fail:

• A battery is exposed to extreme weather conditions—heat, cold or moisture.
• Battery is attempted to be used in a different way than what it was made for. Many batteries are designed for a specific product and using them interchangeably when they shouldn’t be can cause damage.

Selling batteries is what we do, but when we saw the article this week from Techlicious about potential techie products that are possible dangers to children, we wanted to pass it on to our families.

Topping No. 4 on the hazards list is "button cell batteries", touted as potential poison pills. Since 1985, there have been 3,500 injuries and nine deaths. These small button-sized batteries are commonly used in items like remote controls, toys, light-up shoes, digital ear thermometers, and countless other products.

The danger here According to the National Capital Poison Center in Washington, D.C., is that children, usually toddler-age, swallow these batteries. The batteries can get stuck in children’s throats.  This is obviously a choking hazard but more often overlooked is the potential for severe chemical burns. "The effect starts within minutes of ingesting the battery and in as soon as two hours can burn a hole through the esophagus where it's lodged," says Dr. Toby Litovitz, executive

You may have a UPS power source, even though you may not instantly be familiar with the name. UPS stands for uninterruptible power supply, and the battery-powered units are intended to provide emergency power to a load when the input power source fails.

While UPS power supplies are not limited to a particular style or type of equipment, they are most commonly used by consumers to protect computers. With companies, it may be for computers, data centers, telecommunication equipment or other electrical equipment where a sudden, unexpected surge or power disruption could cause a loss of data, business disruption, or even threaten personal safety. Sizes of UPS units vary so they can provide the needed backup ranging from individuals to a business, building or even city. Needless to say, maintaining the battery for these units is critical in the event that the UPS is required.

At Impact Battery, we offer a selection of AGM sealed lead acid UPS batteries manufactured by Amstron and Universal

[caption id="attachment_40" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Smart Genius Chargers"][/caption]Customers frequently ask, "Why do I need a charger?" Rather than replying sarcastically, "Why do we need to eat healthy and exercise?" I choose to provide a little education that will hopefully help save our customers money and frustration in the future.

Lead acid batteries will self discharge when left sitting unused. Discharged batteries rapidly undergo a process called sulfation. You see, when batteries are discharged the active lead material bonds with the sulfate and electrolyte forming sulfate crystals. These sulfate crystals harden and block the effective area of the battery and reduce its capacity. A battery with no capacity is useless; it can't provide the power required for its designated function. A smart battery charger, such as the Noco Genius brand of chargers, will help prevent sulfation from occurring by keeping your battery in a constant state of charge. They will never

If you’ve popped your hood and taken a close look at your car’s sealed lead acid battery lately, chances are you’ve noticed a build-up (unless your battery is new) of corrosion caused by acid condensation. The crusty-looking whitish or greenish appearance is actually easy to clean, and most likely you already have everything you need. But while it is easy enough to accomplish, you’ll need to make sure you keep safety protocols in mind so that you don’t hurt yourself—or your car—in the process.

While some batteries may be so corroded that they require disconnection of the cable clamps or terminals, we’re not recommending that and instead talking about general maintenance and cleaning that you can do while keeping your car’s battery still in place. A severely corroded battery may require additional maintenance and cleaning beyond what we are discussing here today.

Supplies:

• Safety goggles/protective glasses
• Box of baking soda
• An old toothbrush or similar bristled brush
• Cleaning rags or sponges