How long would a battery still be good if charged?

[y_p_w]

I'm just wondering how long would a wet cell last if maybe it was properly maintained in storage. Possibly make sure the charge is topped off once a month and in a temperate climate like here in California. If I did that for a dozen years, would the battery still be about as good as new?

I'm thinking about it like the way Interstate rotates out batteries that haven't sold and place freshly charged batteries in service. I'm wondering how long they can do that before the batteries may suffer problems.

I've heard of some backup battery systems where wet cell batteries have been in service for decades. The size and number of batteries might be designed with loss of capacity in mind.

 

[gman2304]

A friend has had his 2002 Victory motorcycle on a battery tender for almost 15 years. Same battery all this time. It's stored inside a heated garage and the bike is hardly ever ridden. Less than 1,500 miles on the bike. If he ever starts riding the bike again, I'm thinking a new battery would be at the top of the to do list for sure.

 

[JimPghPA]

Most chemical reactions will double the reaction rate for every 10 degree C (18 degree F) increase in temperature, or another way to look at it is the reaction rate will be half as much for every 10 degree C (18 degree F) decrease in temperature.

So if you want a battery to last a long time you want to store it a the coldest possible temperature without freezing it.

And with wet cells there are also problems that can occur if they are left uncharged / or become uncharged by being stored too long and are left uncharged.

 

[andyd]

I left the 8 month old Valu Craft un-connected in the Rat while it was in a tent for 3 1/2 months Jan 1- Apr 15. Started up easily when it was time to pull it out. The battery is 6 yrs old now and gets run flat from sitting until I charge it. The engine starts super easy, so it doesnt need very many amps. Maybe apples and oranges but the huge battery plants in a telephone central office last 45- 50 yrs. The way its done is for constant power and sound quality. DC doesn't get much flatter than talk battery

 

[wrcsixeight]

Kept at 100% state of charge on a temperature compensentated float charger at or below 75F the top of the line AGM manufacturers are claiming 12 years service life.

At the end of this 12 years, how much CCA would remains, how long could it power a load in accordance with its performance when new?

UNknown.

Usually when a battery has only 80% of its original capacity it will be taken from service as failure rates increase exponentially after that. I do not believe there is a standard which all battery manufacturers use when making such claims in standby use. Like when it tests at X percentage of original CCA, or has declined to X percentage of capacity.

One must also realize that a 650CCA battery can decline to 250CCA and still be able to start the engine, until those freezing temps hit, and perhaps even then.

The Benchmark of being able to start the engine in mild or warm temperatures, does not determine whether a battery is healthy or not as it requires only a tiny fraction of the battery capacity to do that task, and most starters use a tiny fraction of amps of that CCA rating

I have seen my starter use as much as 164 amps. Yet my owner manual stipulates a battery with a minimum of 550CCA.

I have started it on a 12AH AGM battery which would be lucky to achieve a 150CCA rating, granted it was very slow and just barely caught, but it caught.

Lead acid Batteries have shelf lives regardless if they are ever used or not. the shelf life can be extended with a temperature compensated maintenance/float charger and when kept at cooler temperatures. How long can it be extended? I do not know, and it would likely take 15 years or more to determine an answer on a battery available today recharged fully and put on a temperature compensated maintenance charger and put in a refrigerator.

In 15 years who knows what kind of battery technology will be in use.

 

[JHZR2]

In UPS service, where they are kept climate controlled and on permanent float charge, 10-15 years is very doable.

In cars with light drain (not a ton of electronics), Ive had batteries last for 10 years.

 

[JHZR2]

Originally Posted By: wrcsixeight
Kept at 100% state of charge on a temperature compensentated float charger at or below 75F the top of the line AGM manufacturers are claiming 12 years service life.

At the end of this 12 years, how much CCA would remains, how long could it power a load in accordance with its performance when new?

UNknown.

Usually when a battery has only 80% of its original capacity it will be taken from service as failure rates increase exponentially after that. I do not believe there is a standard which all battery manufacturers use when making such claims in standby use. Like when it tests at X percentage of original CCA, or has declined to X percentage of capacity.

One must also realize that a 650CCA battery can decline to 250CCA and still be able to start the engine, until those freezing temps hit, and perhaps even then.

The Benchmark of being able to start the engine in mild or warm temperatures, does not determine whether a battery is healthy or not as it requires only a tiny fraction of the battery capacity to do that task, and most starters use a tiny fraction of amps of that CCA rating

I have seen my starter use as much as 164 amps. Yet my owner manual stipulates a battery with a minimum of 550CCA.

I have started it on a 12AH AGM battery which would be lucky to achieve a 150CCA rating, granted it was very slow and just barely caught, but it caught.

Lead acid Batteries have shelf lives regardless if they are ever used or not. the shelf life can be extended with a temperature compensated maintenance/float charger and when kept at cooler temperatures. How long can it be extended? I do not know, and it would likely take 15 years or more to determine an answer on a battery available today recharged fully and put on a temperature compensated maintenance charger and put in a refrigerator.

In 15 years who knows what kind of battery technology will be in use.


In 15 years likely lead acid batteries will still be in wide use.

For energy applications, new vs used ampere-hours are what is the consideration. Condemnation at 80% of original.

Total Ah is not critical for SLI applications. They arent depleted the same way. This is where impedance is more critical. Impedance defines the voltage drop under load. Since the impedance of different size batteries differs, the better metric is wen voltage drops below some condemnation value (10.8V or so) when loaded at half its CCA rating.

 

[pcoxe]

I just replaced a U1 lawnmower battery that was maintained on a batteryminder charger. Date code on the battery was 2004. 13 years is possible.

 

[barryh]

What if a fully charged wet cell was emptied of electrolyte and then dried out. New batteries used to be supplied dry for an almost indefinite shelf life and filled at point of sale. You would want to be storing if for a long time to make the exercise worthwhile though.

 

[eljefino]

My dad bought a new battery for his Escort and kept it in the basement for ~5 years (per its date code) without doing anything to it. Never a charge or anything. He thought the factory motorcraft battery was on its last leg but it made it 12 years and he junked the car.

I got my mitts on it, charged it once whether or not it needed it, and dumped it in a hyundai accent. Worked mint.

 

[Dan55]

Went to a wind farm museum 30 years ago, the tour guide told me that a lead acid battery will easily last 15 yrs as long as it NEVER goes below 50% discharge.

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: Dan55
Went to a wind farm museum 30 years ago, the tour guide told me that a lead acid battery will easily last 15 yrs as long as it NEVER goes below 50% discharge.


Temperature would have a huge role in whether or not it lasted that long.

 

[mjoekingz28]

A 2amp charge overnight once a month as maintenance seems like a great idea.

 

[kc8adu]

there are so many variables its impossible to know.what alloy?
sg of the acid?i have seen fully charged sg of 1.225 to 1.3.
higher sg means faster grid corrosion.but lower ir.
and the biggie is temp.cooler is better for ANY battery.its all a guess absent any mfr data sheets.and it is unlikely you will get this on anything outside of industrial stuff/high end deep cycle/solar,ect.

 

[BrocLuno]

Depends on the battery design ...

 

[ImpactBattery]

It depends on the charger. From my experience, a lower quality charger such as (yes I know the pundits will start crying foul in a moment) Schumacher and Battery Tender will only get you a couple years at best with the battery maintaining all its 'faculties' The desulfating chargers like Battery Minder and PulseTech will keep the battery at a higher state of charge and the battery will maintain its ability to perform, not just show a good voltage.