Hi Again Scruff,
The 36cells are green topped Floride lead acids and are still sitting in the old forklift they came in over 7 years ago. I only take the pack up to 146volts twice a year and only for a couple of hours each time. At the height of the incoming power during the summer,the controllers only allow the voltage to creep to 140max but can hold that for a good 8 hours in summer.The excess goes into the tanks in 2 x 2kw dc immersions which do a great job, hence me getting roasted while building the brickwork around the new stove pipework last week.
I got the acid from the suppliers, A friend,retired from rewindings,alternator,starter,electric motors and most things electrical gave me the number and told me to say xxxxxxx said xxxx xxxx
and a couple of days later, I had a pretty pallet sitting on the front street with a dozen 2.5 jars of No 8 acid which I was told goes directly into the cells and needs nothing else. Sure enough, I had a few batts which had sat for a good 10 years dry,(from new) and when topped up with this miracle restorer, sprang to life. The price of the acid was some 30cents a ltr cheaper than distilled water. Buying the distilled water was causing me a severe pangs of regret and self doubt and worst of all a certain inbalance in my stride because one hip became considerably lighter than the other, so I went back to the old system of collecting the juice of our winter dust free north westerlies.The last time I bought the stuff, it cost me 64 euros for 40 ltrs of the stuff and I swear that our 60 cells were moaning and asking for the rain water with slight taste of the Atlantic instead. The summer delivery is a different kettle of fish,or should i say,frogs,newts,bathing birdies and fox,cat,mink stopping for a pint. So winter collected rain is the order of the day. I store in in clear 5 ltr jars in which it sits for months in the dark and appears pure and clean as the day it was captured.
As little side story,,, I went to the local hardware shop to look for something that would clean the soot of the face of the brickwork, now I know that that is a job ,",impossibleeee". but I had to try.
The guy in the shop, stood upright ,hands on hips and preached in a negative fashion about the contrary values of soot ."There is nothing as soul destroying as soot on your fireplace" he confided and lowering his voice to get my attention ,he swung round and pulled a 5ltr plastic jar off the shelf. It had warning all over it. It could kill. " Holy mooly it was dangerous" I said "It must be good"
" Look there" he said tapping the line that stated the contents. " It has got hydraulic acid" He explained. "But, But only 12.5%" I argued
"but the stuff is liquid gold and impossible to obtain on the open market" " The 100% version would burn its way through to OZZ man" he said, throwing his head back like victors do.
" I have some stronger stuff already" I said.
" No you don,t,,well you could,nt have, well you have no reason to have it,what would you be doing with that stuff" he muttered retreating.
"I put it in Batteries" I chirped.
" Batteries come with it already in them" he chortled.
" I had a few delivered dry and had to put the acid in them myself" I explained,
" What ta xxx would ya be doing with dry batteries,,wait,,donm,t answer that and he turned round to another customer. He is still the most helpfull guy you could possibly find. The moral of the story is,
" If ya wanna sell,, buum it up alright but don,t say what it in it" The chances are some clown might have it at home.
Biff
NB The acid did help clean the brickwork, not perfectly but lowered it to an acceptable level..
