22 Years' Battery Customization
Mar 18, 2021 Pageview：1002
Often times, we are only concerned about how our batteries are electrically charged and how fast they can discharge. As such, we only end up putting the battery through various charging and discharging cycles. As good as that sounds, it is expected that you know how much electric charges are left in your battery. That information will reliably help you ascertain if you need to buy a new battery or not. Besides, it gives you a holistic view of your battery’s condition. I hereby welcome you to the world of how to use hydrometer to determine the specific gravity reading of a full charged battery. Keep reading to find out what you need to know.
There are a number of instruments that can be used to conveniently measure the electrical capacity of a battery or how fully charged a battery is. I am quite sure you are already asking yourself what is so special about hydrometer readings compared to readings from other instruments.
If that is how you feel, thumbs up to you! However, there is something you have to understand about battery charging. It is one thing for you to use any other instrument to check your battery charging status and another thing to ensure those readings are accurate. The accuracy of these readings is where many other measuring instruments seem to be failing.
Some measuring instruments might indicate a fully charged battery, but in the actual sense the battery is not fully charged. As a result, several tests have been carried out regarding the correctness of the value of the specific gravity of the electrolyte solution in a fully charged battery. The hydrometer readings appeared to be the instrument with the closest of values.
The research was able to establish that the best way to ascertain the fullness of a charged battery is by using a hydrometer to measure each cell’s specific gravity. This is the surest way to get the charged level of a battery.
This is based on the fact that the strength of the sulphuric acid within a battery’s electrolyte is known to diminish as the battery discharges, leaving the water behind. And when that happens, the specific gravity of the battery also starts to decrease. So there is a relationship between a battery’s specific gravity and its sulphuric acid content that tells you how accurately charged your battery is.
In other words, the battery has a specific hydrometer readings whenever it is fully charged. A reading below this specific reading indicates that the battery is not fully charged. Let’s read the next section to find out what this value could be.
The act of using a ball hydrometer to test if a battery is fully charged is a no brainer. It is a relatively easy task because you just have to watch out for a particular figure indicated on the meter, and you can easily tell if the battery is fully charged or not.
You can look up various hydrometer readings online to be sure you are getting the correct information here. I would quickly spell out the different values for various charging levels. If the battery is completely charged, the specific gravity readings is always 1.265. At 75%, the hydrometer readings become 1.225. The specific reading drops to 1.190 when the battery is charged to 50% of its full capacity. But, if it gets to 25%, the hydrometer reads 1.155. The hydrometer reads 1.120 when the battery is discharged. This reading indicates your battery needs to be charged again. The readings mentioned earlier are specific gravity readings for batteries with different amount of electric charges in the battery cells.
Anytime the specific gravity of a battery drops below 75%, the battery is been deprived of a full charge. This is may be due to Sulfation or what is commonly referred to as hardening of the battery lead plates. This ought to be avoided as much as possible because it can easily result in the battery having permanent damages. So the best thing is to ensure your battery is fully charged always.
Some people are confused about how to use the hydrometer to obtain the correct readings from their battery. You don’t have to be. Knowing how to accurately get the hydrometer reading of your battery can be as simple as following the instructions you are about to be given in this post.
The hydrometer should be held vertically so that the float doesn’t touch the wall’s inner barrel. That way, the float will be freely positioned.
To ensure proper accuracy, draw the electrolyte into the said bulb a number of times till the hydrometer parts and electrolyte assume the same temperature.
Hold or position hydrometer so that the liquid will be levelled inside the barrel when you view it at eye level.
Get the specific gravity value from the calibrated float’s scale where the liquid surface and the float crosses.
Confirm for separate battery cells. The specific gravity value for all the cells should not exceed a variance of 0.50. If any cell has a variance of above 0.5, you should recharge the battery. And if it persists, change the battery.
Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the electrolyte for you to get an accurate reading.
If you follow these instructions, you can be sure of getting the correct hydrometer readings from your fully charged batteries.
You can choose to confirm how charged your battery is with any instrument. Or you can decide to do it with a hydrometer. The reason many people prefer hydrometer for such readings is because they provide more accurate and reliable readings when compared to other measuring instruments. We equally stated the different specific gravity readings for different charged battery states. So you should not have any trouble identifying a fully charged battery or otherwise. The other information contained herewith will also help you use your battery in a more efficient way.
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