GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR MAINTENANCE FREE VRLA BATTERIES

I.

Storage and Supplementary Charging

Store the batteries in a dry and preferably cool location away from any source of heat or
fire.
Storage will cause batteries to self-discharge. The rate of self-discharge increases with
temperature.
Lead acid batteries must always be kept at full charge during storage. During storage carry
out supplementary charging at regular intervals (refer to Table 1). The supplementary
charging interval is dependent on the storage temperature and should be observed to avoid
permanent capacity loss.
When using a stored battery, always carry out supplementary charging before use.
Table - 1
Storage temperature
o

Below 20 C
o

Every 3- 6 months

Storage to be avoided

6 to 12h with a constant current of 0.05CA

Over 35 C

Supplementary charge method

More than 48h with a constant voltage of
2.27V/cell
6 to12h with a constant voltage of 2.45V/cell

20 to 35 C

II.

Recommended
supplementary charge
interval
Every 12 months

Installation
After unpacking, check for any abnormality on the VRLA battery. When crack of the
container, acid leakage or any abnormality has been found, notify the same to the
manufacturer immediately.
Battery top should be clean & dry and free of dust to prevent blockage of the vent holes.
When cleaning or checking the VRLA battery, always use a soft damp cloth containing
adequate moisture. Never use a dry cloth or a duster to clean the VRLA battery. In doing so,
sparks created by static electricity can ignite hydrogen gas generated from the VRLA
battery, which may lead to an explosion.
Do not wet the VRLA battery with water or sea water. In doing so, it may cause damage and
fire, and also cause battery terminals, connectors and connecting wires to corrode.
Do not contact synthetic detergent or organic solvent such as benzene, paint, thinner and
gasoline to the battery container and cover. It can cause the VRLA battery to crack & lead to
acid-leakage.
Do not use the VRLA battery near a heat generating area or spot. Doing so can damage and
shorten the battery life.

Install the VRLA battery in correct assembly configuration so that each battery can
be connected with proper polarity. If the VRLA battery is connected with a wrong
polarity (reverse connection), it can cause damage to the battery charger and short
circuit, which can also cause damage to the VRLA battery and explosion.

Inter battery space should be minimum 5 mm & there should be sufficient space between
two tiers to facilitate easy installation & maintenance.
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Terminals are not to be bent or soldered directly. Appropriate connectors are always to be
used.
Proper tightness of bolted connectors is to be ensured. All inter unit connecting cables must
be of same rating/cross section and of same length. Cables are to be crimped adequately
and crimped junction is to be fully insulated. Improperly or loosely tightened bolts can
create a spark leading to an explosion.
The arrangement of the fasteners should strictly be as follows:
Bolt Plain washer Cable lug Terminal Plain washer Spring washer Nut

III.

Batteries of different capacities/make/performances should never be used in the same

bank.
Normal ventilation in the battery space is to be ensured so that periodically emitted gases
from the battery have no possibility of accumulation in the battery place. For large
industrial/commercial installations, exhaust arrangement as recommended by EXIDE is to be
provided.
Batteries should be installed providing an insulating rubber/PVC mat at the bottom to
prevent any leakage current to battery rack/ground. Ensure isolation between battery rack
to ground/ + terminal to ground and - terminal to ground.
Do not put wrench, tool or metallic object on the VRLA battery, nor carryout any work on
the VRLA battery. It can cause short-circuit and damage the battery.
No exposed electrical devices capable of generating sparks should be in the vicinity of the
battery bank or inside the battery room.
For paralleling of battery banks the maximum number of strings should not exceed 3 under
normal circumstance.
Charging and Operation
Correct charging of a VRLA battery is essential in optimizing battery performance and life.
Constant Potential chargers, with current limit facility only, are recommended for normal
continuous operation.
Table 2 shows the charge voltage and limit current. The charge voltage of the battery has to
be reduced with increasing temperature and increased with decreasing temperature.

CHARGE PARAMETERS
Recharge voltages: Batteries to be charged in CC-CV mode only
Mode of
Voltage settings per 12 V unit for ambient temperature 20-30
Current setting
0
operation
C
Maximum: 0.3
Float
13.7 0.1 V
CA
Maximum: 0.1
Cyclic
14.7 0.1 V
CA
Temperature compensation (reference 25 0C) : FLOAT : -18 mV/ 0C / 12 V unit
CYCLIC : -30 mV / 0C / 12 V unit
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Operating the battery at an ambient temperature of 5 -35 deg. C is recommended to

prevent any adverse effect on its effective life.
The battery should never be left in discharged condition, otherwise the capacity to hold the
charge may not be recovered. Immediate recharging is recommended. Charging of the
battery at an ambient temperature of 5-35 deg. C is recommended to prevent any adverse
effect on its effective life. The battery life will be shortened as service temperature rises.
The battery should never be left in discharged condition, otherwise the capacity to hold the
charge may not be recovered. Immediate recharging is recommended.
VRLA batteries should be charged by pure DC source only. For optimum life, the AC ripple
current should not exceed 5% of rated Ah capacity.

IV.

Periodic Maintenance of VRLA Batteries

The VRLA battery is maintenance free only as related to the electrolyte. For assuarance of
the battery reliability it is still important to perform periodic maintenance.

V.

Quaterly Maintenance
The following checks should be completed quarterly:
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.

Measure and record the temperature within the battery room.

Visually inspect the battery for:
Cleanliness/ terminal damage/ container or cover damage/ evidence of overheating
Measure the DC voltage from each polarity of the battery to ground to detect any
ground faults.
Measure and record the battery system DC float charging voltage at the battery.
Measure and record the individual unit DC float charging voltage.
Measure and record the system equalization voltage.

VI.

Semi-Annual Maintenance
A. Repeat the quarterly checks.
B. Optionally perform a 10 s high rate load test to assure the individual batteries are
functional.
C. Optionally measure and record the resistance/impedance/conductance of the individual
units to detect dramatic differences between individual units and the norm.

VII.

Annual Maintenance
A. Repeat the semi-annual checks.
B. Re-torque all the inter-unit connecting hardware.

VIII.

Bi-Annual Maintenance
The battery should be capacity tested every two years at the service load or the battery
rating related to the service requirements.