Damaged SLA Batteries
What to do if Your SLA Battery is Damaged?
A Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery is an essential component in powering many devices and one of its biggest benefits is that it’s incredibly durable and can withstand a lot of extremes including bouncing, dropping, plus low and high temperatures. However, there may be times when those extremes are somehow too extreme. It’s rare but perhaps you received a battery with a pre-existing issue or was damaged in transit, and a damaged SLA battery can cause further issues, so we’ve prepared a guide to help determine how to check for any damage or degradation.
With a few simple steps, you can quickly determine whether your SLA battery needs to be serviced or replaced.
Identifying a Damaged SLA Battery
Lithium batteries do require closer monitoring so having a Battery Management System (BMS) is important as the cells can be impacted from over or under current, over or under voltage or over under temperatures, all of which can cause permanent damage.
Differences Between Lithium-Ion and SLA Batteries
Identifying a damaged SLA battery can be difficult, but a couple of useful methods includes visual inspection and performance testing.
There may be some visual clues like increased sulfation on terminals, warping and buckling of the casing, or look over the cables connected. Inspect for bare wires or loose terminals which could lead to overheating, sparks or even explosions due impacts with other parts around them as well as improper energy flow coming through them which could potentially ruin some certain kinds of devices completely.
These may be some of the more obvious signs. Still, the issue may be more internal.
For performance testing, get a multimeter and an insulated screwdriver capable of handling up to 12 volts of direct current.
Due to increased levels of currents passing through faulty terminals instead of the intended ones inside those device circuits, there can be major jumps in resistance values within a few microseconds, which are often detected by sensitive electronic sensors.
This can eventually result in short-circuits along series resistances, leading to permanent damages and catastrophic failures.
Testing the SLA Battery
To test the SLA battery, you will need a basic multimeter and an insulated screwdriver capable of handling up to 12 volts DC (direct current).
These tools should help to more accurately determine if your battery is damaged in some way:
- Check the Voltage: Use the multimeter to measure the voltage of the SLA battery.
If the voltage is lower than the rated voltage, the battery may be damaged.
- Check the Resistance: Use the multimeter to measure the resistance of the SLA battery.
If the resistance is higher than the rated resistance, the battery may be damaged.
- Check the Capacity: Use the multimeter to measure the capacity of the SLA battery.
If the capacity is lower than the rated capacity, the battery may be damaged.
If any of these tests indicate that the SLA Battery is damaged, it is important to replace it as soon as possible.
Replacing a damaged SLA battery can help prevent further damage to your device.
- It is important to remember that SLA batteries can be dangerous if not handled properly.
- Always wear protective gear and follow safety instructions when handling SLA batteries.
By monitoring the performance of your SLA batteries and understanding the signs that something isn’t right, you can identify a damaged SLA battery and take the necessary steps to replace it.
This will help ensure that your device is functioning properly and that you are not at risk of any potential damage.
Understanding the Signs of a Faulty SLA Battery
We’ve discussed some initial things to look for but perhaps understanding what those signs mean could potentially mean the difference between overreacting or more accurately diagnosing any SLA battery damage.
Here are some common indications that your SLA battery has deteriorated or gone bad:
- Low Voltage Output - One of the first things you should look out for when troubleshooting an SLA battery is its voltage output level. If you have taken measurements and find readings 2 volts below the batteries voltage then this could be indicative of an issue with the power source itself. Testing your batteries often will help identify any issues more quickly so they can be addressed before further damage occurs.
- Leaks & Corrosion - Battery acid leakage and corrosion on terminals and other components around your system are not only signs of a malfunctioning unit but also pose safety risks as well due to their highly corrosive nature in contact with surrounding metals or electronics parts within nearby equipment, such as computers and cellphones which need protection from liquid spills at all times to avoid damage or destruction through oxidation processes occurring over time alongside circuit board erosion effects created by long-term exposure.
- Swelling & Bloating – When looking for indicators that something might be wrong with one’s damaged replacement batteries, another sure sign involves physical changes like excessive bulging associated with swelling along edges particularly near case seams where fluid levels increase drastically beyond typical conditions typically seen even after extended usage cycles leading up to gradual distortion in size involving actual casing body shape accompanied major increases.
It is important to be aware of the signs of a faulty SLA battery in order to prevent further damage.
If you notice any of these signs, it is important to replace your damaged replacement batteries as soon as possible.
Replacing a damaged SLA battery is essential in order to prevent further damage.
Disposing Of Damaged or Faulty SLA Batteries Correctly
If you received your battery from BatteryClerk and it is damaged on arrival (this is extremely rare) you can return the item within 30 days for a new one. Other companies may have similar policies so check with them. If your battery is older or was somehow damaged by user error, It is essential to dispose of a damaged or faulty SLA battery correctly so that the environment, public health and safety can be protected.
Before disposing of any type of battery it is important to make sure they are discharged safely by unplugging them from their device or charger and letting them to lose their charge over time. This should then be followed up with research regarding local authority disposal recommendations.
In some cases this may mean taking these types of hazardous waste items down to an authorized recycling center where staff will help make sure all materials like lead acid go through a disposal process compliant with laws in each state/county division.
It might also involve paperwork being matched which confirms exactly what was brought in for recycling too – never do anything on your own accord here without confirmation from those who know best!
Most communities will offer drop-off locations or collection services you can take advantage of when getting rid of old batteries whether it’s single use alkaline cells or multi-cell vehicles/marine related units - but always double check first what’s permissible as rules vary across places and won't necessarily match universal standards every single time.
Replacing Your Damaged SLA Battery
Naturally, we encourage you to do your research on battery companies to determine quality and performance. Typically, an online search will yield enough reviews and feedback to help in that area. Not all reviews will be positive, but you can often tell the ones that are one-off issues, or purchasing or shipping problems rather than actual product issues. Overall numbers should give you a fair idea of customer happiness.
Doing a bit of research ahead of time will help you make sure that you are choosing the right replacement battery.
A damaged SLA battery is rare but it does occur. Sometimes it can be caused by human error or because of faulty equipment but there may also be the odd bad product. There are several obvious techniques to help identify a damaged battery like visual inspection but there are also some tests that can also be done to help determine internal issues. All of these help to ensure that you don’t pass those damages onto your devices or get into a questionable predicament. In addition, it’s important to dispose of your battery properly and find an appropriate and reliable replacement.