Restoration Battery Return for Re-Conditioning???

[Gary J.]

Re: Restoration Battery Return for Re-Conditioning???

Jr, I know if small block reproduction radiator does not have the clamp marks they usually get a deduction. I know Tom can put those in but you have to ask it.

[Joe R.]

Re: Restoration Battery Return for Re-Conditioning???

Based on what I have read in other posts, the "flooded wet cell" battery (traditional type that you add water to) that is used inside the Restoration Battery products sometimes gives very limited life. I'm not sure what the problem is.

However, you also have the option (at an added cost) of getting a newer-technology AGM battery inside the same case. I believe that the AGM battery that Restoration Battery currently uses is made by Odyssey. This is a very high quality battery.

I purchased a Restoration Battery with an AGM battery inside for my '67 back in 2005, and I did not need to replace it until this year. Even so, it would still start my car, but it was getting a bit tired. I think the key to the long life that I got was that I did *NOT* keep it on a charger.

One difference of the AGM batteries is that they have a much lower self-discharge rate than a flooded wet cell battery. Whenever I parked my in the garage, I simply disconnected the battery using the knife-switch disconnect that I had installed. Even after sitting for a couple months for the winter, the car would start right up. Based on what I have heard, leaving an AGM battery on a trickle charger 24/7 can actually shorten its life. For this type of battery, a charger should only be used overnight if the battery actually needs to be charged. If you routinely disconnect the battery when you park the car, you probably won't even need to charge it unless the car sits for more than three months.

Regarding your original question about whether the existing case can be re-used, I guess you would have to ask Restoration Battery. I think the top is glued on as a final step in the assembly, so it may be difficult to take apart without damage.

I will add some technical detail here that may not be of interest to some readers, but helps to explain why some people have different experiences with their batteries and chargers:

1) Charging a battery involves forcing current through it backwards, into the positive terminal and out the negative terminal. This is a good thing if the battery needs to be charged, but it is a bad thing if the battery is already fully charged.

2) If a charger is left connected to the battery 24/7, it needs to maintain what is called a "float voltage" that is just enough to keep the battery fully charged, but not enough to force charging current through the battery after it is fully charged.

3) The optimal float voltage for a given battery depends of its chemistry (flooded wet cell, gel cell, or AGM) and also on the temperature of the battery. For each type of battery chemistry and ambient temperature, the optimal float voltage will be different.

4) A charger that is designed to provide the correct voltage for a flooded wet cell battery will over-charge an AGM battery and shorten its life. And, any charger that does not stop charging a battery after the battery is fully charged will shorten the battery's life. So, any charger that is left continuously connected to a battery has to be designed to avoid over-charging the battery. Some chargers do this pretty well, but others do not.


Based on the above, you can see that people who leave the battery continuously connected to a charger can have different experiences depending on how well matched the charger is to the battery, and how well the charger reduces its charging current when the battery is fully charged.

A charger that correctly maintains the optimal float voltage for the battery will help the battery live a very long life, but a charger that over-charges the battery will shorten the battery's life. It's hard to be sure whether the charger you have purchased is a good match for the battery you have.

This is one reason why I like AGM batteries like the Odyssey. These batteries have such a low self-discharge rate that they can sit for three months without losing much charge. There is no need to keep them on a charger. The traditional flooded wet cell batteries have a much higher self-discharge rate and probably can't last more than a month or so without being re-charged. Unless you are confident that your charger will not over-charge the battery, it is better to simply charge it periodically for a day or so and then disconnect the charger.

Of course, this periodic-charge method depends on the battery being *completely* disconnected while it is sitting with no charger. Any small load like a clock or a security system will probably drain a battery in a few weeks. I use a knife switch to physically disconnect the battery (in a way that can be easily confirmed at a glance) whenever the car is parked.

[James W.]

Re: Restoration Battery Return for Re-Conditioning???

James,
This question is asked with absolutely no intent of disrespect...was the battery sitting on a concrete floor all this time?

No. It has been setting on my work bench since last summer and I just recently moved it to the lower shelf on my work bench.

[Steven B.]

Re: Restoration Battery Return for Re-Conditioning???

Electron flow in a battery is negative to positive. Water by itself is not a conductor of electricity. It is the impurities in water that cause it to be conductive. That is why you never want to put water other than distilled water in a lead-acid battery. In order for a battery to discharge, electrons have to have some place to go and means of getting there. For a circuit to be complete, current has to have a path from the source and the ability to return. If there is any interruption, current will not flow.

Steve

[John F.]

Re: Restoration Battery Return for Re-Conditioning???

Have you called the place you purchased it from yet???