Battery Question

Ron Corkum · Nov 14, 2012

If a fully charged, disconnected battery is left exposed out in the rain ,will it discharge?

Seems to me water is a conductor of electricity.

It rained here last night and I am looking out at my exposed battery sitting there in the rain,this morning!Does anyone have experience with this type of battery exposure?

jackinok · Nov 14, 2012

probably not,wont help it,but i doubt it will discharge it.driving in the rain leaves underhood components wet,and they dont discharge.sun on the case is probably worse because they are not likely to be uv protected very well. but that would take some time.

John B. · Nov 14, 2012

Moisture between the posts of a battery will cause a light discharge. It can take months, but as the moisture collects dust and it stays moist the faster the discharge. This is why they recommend keeping a battery clean.
Many people have not heard of or seen this. Take a volt meter, put one lead on one post and touch the top of the battery anywhere and watch what reading you get. This proves that moisture on top of a battery conducts electricity.

LJD · Nov 14, 2012

All flooded lead-acid batteries "self discharge" regardless if wet or dry. Heavy duty batteries with more antimony inside discharge even faster. Most auto batteries discharge at 5%-10% per month when unhooked. Some AGM (absorbed glass mat) lead-acid batteries discharge less.

Mike (WA) · Nov 14, 2012

I had a tractor that sat for 4 years, outside, with top post battery exposed to the weather (and disconnected). It started the tractor without external charging when I finally got tractor fixed. Average rainfall here is about 40 inches a year.

Russ from MN · Nov 14, 2012

Clean water does not conduct electricity, however the top of the battery probably has some dirt on it. A good hard rain would probably wash off all the dirt in a few minutes. There are may reasons you shouldn't leave a battery sit outside, one is they are worth 10-$20 for scrap!

ohiojim · Nov 14, 2012

pure water will not conduct electricity,...only the minerals in it will,

Dick2 · Nov 14, 2012

I was told that the way to harm a battery more than any other way, was to install it and not anchor it down firmly. I knew lots of farmers that just put a battery in a case or frame and let it bounce around because it was not bolted down.

Rain shouldn't hurt the battery at all. Not securing it in place will harm a battery.

David G · Nov 14, 2012

Wash the top off, then should be fine. The wet contaminates conduct, not the water.

buickanddeere · Nov 14, 2012

The 900MW , 1.2 million HP generators run cooling water through the hollow stator bars . Stator bars operate at 27,000 volts.

pete black · Nov 14, 2012

however: does the cooling water in the hollow stator bars actually come in contact with the stator coils?

pete black · Nov 14, 2012

however: does the cooling water in the hollow stator bars actually come in contact with the stator coils?

old · Nov 14, 2012

Not likely to cause any problems. Just to prove it you can take a jar f distilled water and put 2 wires in it and hook those one side to a light bulb and the other to a post oif the battery and the other side if that bulb to the battery and the light will NOT light up. Water does not conduct electricity. Ya rain water does have impurities that might conduct but you would have to have a very dirty rain to cause much if any problem

donjr · Nov 14, 2012

It won't normally hurt it. Pure water conducts very little voltage, if any. Rain water is not pure, and dirt and trash on the battery between the posts will cause a minor discharge but it is very small, and normally does not affect normal use. A larger buildup will cause it to discharge this way more rapidly, but even then, it may not be noticed in normal use. Most water, due to impurities, is slightly conductive. Distilled water is about as pure as you can get. Rain water only has dirt and particles of dust and other contaminates it may have picked up in the atmoshere and is also very close to being pure.

buickanddeere · Nov 14, 2012

Cooling water runs right through the middle of the hollow 27,000V energized stator bars. Stator bar is approx the dia of a beer can and 30 feet long.

gene bender · Nov 14, 2012

So if i am standing in water i will not get zapped.

buickanddeere · Nov 14, 2012

Re-read all the posts. The answer is there more than once.

buickanddeere · Nov 14, 2012

Yes the cooling water contacts, touches and is not insulated from the 27,000 volts.

barnE · Nov 14, 2012

When I was apprentice in 1969, I remember checking glass of water and resistance was around 7 thousand ohms with a simpson meter. This was done after an electrical box was found to be filled with water and rust and impurities. All were surprised including engineers. Dave (Probes were one inch apart in water.)

504 · Nov 14, 2012

If you check on the golf car sites, they all say to keep the top of batteries dry.

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