Maintenance Free Batteries- All You Need To Know

• Nov 23, 2015
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You look at cars; you look at bikes, check out the batteries of any of the old models of bikes and check out the batteries present in the newer bikes. You will notice that the batteries in both these cases are pretty different. The reason for this is because battery technology has developed quite a lot over the years giving rise to a new breed of batteries called the maintenance free types of batteries. We all see this, read this and feel good about it that at least your battery is just one less thing for you to worry about and well, somewhat it is true; but it is not the correct picture. So for that one needs to know and understand as to what exactly are maintenance free batteries. What is the difference?

Older batteries were bigger, bulkier and most of all needed a lot of maintenance. But this was all due to the way they were constructed. They had Lead plates and surrounded by acid which caused a reaction and created an electric current. This is being put in a very lay man term for everyone to understand the basic of a battery. But then there would be hassles of putting in water and checking the acid levels and making sure every cell was working properly and what not. Also there were the added issues of overcharging which caused the acid to go bad really fast and also charging those batteries was quite the headache if they go off.

The newer maintenance free types of batteries have got it all sorted out; well, almost. Gone are the days to keep checking the water of the batteries because they have no water in it. These batteries are made up of gel based electrolyte which acts as a porous medium for the charge to go through and the final result of the reaction ends up in nothing at all. This allows for sealing of the batteries and hence creation of more compact iterations of the battery while making sure the output and performance remains the same.

READ ALSO: 10 Points To Maintain Your Two Wheeler Battery

Even in the charging process if the older batteries if overcharged start losing the cells and eventually they lose their charge holding capacity. In the maintenance free version if the battery gets overcharged, the final result of the same is still nothing but oxygen and hydrogen which is channeled in such a way that the oxygen goes on to react again with the internal components and again goes back to the original form and hence since there is no water formation, there is nothing to deteriorate the battery which makes them last longer. Is Maintenance Free Really True?

Yes somewhat it is true that you do not spend much of your time and energy on these batteries. All that is needed is a cleaning of the battery make sure it is free of dirt and grime from time to time. Even of the battery is sealed completely; there is a small vent hole which acts as a buffer to the atmosphere a little and also a bit of a heat sink. So in case there is some overheating inside the battery and the battery is covered in dirt, it will not be able to cool properly or there could be other complications as well. So yes, you do not have to top up the water and all, but you will have to clean the battery from the outside. For that cleaning it during every service regime is pretty much enough. Yes there are two sides to everything, yet in case of maintenance free batteries, the advantages are way more than the disadvantages; why every single new bike manufactured comes with a maintenance free battery as stock. It is the best solution for two wheelers since they do not really require a large amount of output for everyday operation and also it allows keeping the weight of the bike in check as well. So make sure to keep cleaning your battery regularly, and if you happen to have an old battery and are due for a battery replacement, consider going for maintenance free battery for your bike; it lasts longer, has better warranty on it and it will not fail you in tough conditions.

By: Pratik Patole