# Long Term 12V Battery Storage



## DENALI (Mar 25, 2008)

Does anyone know how long a new 12V battery stored without its electrolyte would last? Thanks


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

In a sealed and de-humidified container, just about as long as you want. There is a hardened grid which is coated with a lead paste.

However... once put into active service, most people have no clue on how to maximize the life of such a cell. It'll help short term, but edison cells and other options may be a better choice for real long term service.


----------



## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

I hope a LONG time, because I have several ATV batteries that come dry, and you put the electrolyte in, and a tractor battery I bought dry from the local Deka dealer with separate jug of acid.

BUT what I've heard is they do fill them with acid initially, then drain it....so the acid is already working on the plates. WHY they would do that is beyond me, and may just be an internet tale....but I've seen in on more than one source.


----------



## adamtheha (Mar 14, 2007)

As long as no oxygen can get to the plates, it should keep. Oxygen and lead means oxidized lead, which means battery no good. At all. That might be why they add some acid at first, to prevent that.


----------



## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

They might be checking for dead shorts in the cells. The residual acid would be only a few ounces, so once it reacted it would no longer be active. I guess you could do a rinse out with distilled water and EDTA when you first buy a battery like this, but I don't think it would be needed if you used it within five years or so.


----------



## DENALI (Mar 25, 2008)

technically speaking if a battery never has any electrolyte in it it should have an indefinite shelf life shouldnt it? As in a prep item, put away 20-50 spare batteries for 20 years and add the electrolyte to them as you need them when trhe SHTF and you have to go solar....... Expensive yes but its hypothetical play money at this point.


----------



## roachhill (Jul 8, 2009)

I read in a solar energy book that the lifespan of batteries without electrolyte is related to the humidity level of it's environment. If stored properly the lifespan is very long but when sitting in some warehouse who knows how it was stored.


----------



## DENALI (Mar 25, 2008)

roachhill said:


> I read in a solar energy book that the lifespan of batteries without electrolyte is related to the humidity level of it's environment. If stored properly the lifespan is very long but when sitting in some warehouse who knows how it was stored.



Vacuum bag it with an absorber should do the trick i would think, exide batteries has a plant not to far from me with a factory outlet so i am betting one could get fresh off the press batteries to turn into LTS units.


----------



## Daryll in NW FLA (May 10, 2002)

So, how long does the electrolyte last ?


----------

