Battery Water

Geaux · 02-05-2013, 03:17 PM

Is it ok to put mineraloil in your battery,I was reading about this, could not find any info from a good source where it was benefical ...or safe, maybe just another{ well let me tell you story}.

Broadway Joe · 02-05-2013, 03:29 PM

You should not put anything except distilled water in your battery.Mineral oil will quickly coat the plates inside and render the battery useless.

**Herk7769** · 02-05-2013, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geaux

Is it ok to put mineraloil in your battery,I was reading about this, could not find any info from a good source where it was benefical ...or safe, maybe just another{ well let me tell you story}.

Times 2 - ONLY distilled water in the battery. Any Wal-Mart or food store will carry DISTILLED WATER. It will say so right on the label.

NOT the same as SPRING WATER - this will ruin your battery.

RoadTrip · 02-05-2013, 03:43 PM

Wiscampsin · 02-05-2013, 03:52 PM

Why would you want to put mineral oil into your battery????

Pipeman · 02-05-2013, 03:53 PM

amxpress · 02-05-2013, 03:58 PM

Adding mineral oil is an old wive's tale. Rumor has it that it prevents the electrolyte from freezing, which if it did, would render the battery useless. It might have been used in the olden days before today's technology, you know like 50 years ago.
As already mentioned, don't add ANYTHING to your battery except distilled water.

**Herk7769** · 02-05-2013, 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wiscampsin

Why would you want to put mineral oil into your battery????

I had to go back and re-read that!

I don't even know how to address that other than to say WHAT?

**Herk7769** · 02-05-2013, 04:34 PM

OK, here is what I found.

This is an ad from Europe for an oil type additive (NOT PURE MINERAL OIL).

Thermoil.com - How to Treat Yours

I would NEVER use something like this in my batteries without someone whose opinion I trust implicitly saying the risk is worth the reward.

All other references I found to "mineral oil" trace back to this ad.

mwebber78 · 02-05-2013, 07:46 PM

Under a trickle charge the batteries won't freeze - otherwise your car would be dead in a few days during winter.

I leave mine on a trickle charge and they stay outside in the coach. Distilled water only, I check them twice a year.

VinceU · 02-05-2013, 08:00 PM

Good research Lou, I had a Thermoil battery in a motor home from Gulf Stream built late 1999. The Oil looked like salad dressing oil, thin and just laid on top. The purpose was to retard gas bubbling from leaving the battery (hydrogen). It may have reduced it but its obvious the gas is very light and some will break through. Oil mfg. I've known to use this principal, adding water puts the H20 back in! Can't see how it retards freeze temp however.

**Herk7769** · 02-05-2013, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VinceU

Good research Lou, I had a Thermoil battery in a motor home from Gulf Stream built late 1999. The Oil looked like salad dressing oil, thin and just laid on top. The purpose was to retard gas bubbling from leaving the battery (hydrogen). It may have reduced it but its obvious the gas is very light and some will break through. Oil mfg. I've known to use this principal, adding water puts the H20 back in! Can't see how it retards freeze temp however.

Totally seemed like a gimmick to me. If you have a proper 3 stage charger there should be very little or no H2 released as a gas and the hydrogen should stay in solution as Hydrogen ions (H+).

The only time H2 would be released is if the battery was overcharged or charged at a rate too high for the battery to accept and the water would be torn apart by the excess current releasing hydrogen and oxygen as gas. If not vented, this explosive mixture would collect faster than the vents could release it and BANG.

Lead

Discharge

Fully Discharged: Two identical lead sulfate plates

In the discharged state both the positive and negative plates become lead(II) sulfate (PbSO4) and the electrolyte loses much of its dissolved sulfuric acid and becomes primarily water. The discharge process is driven by the conduction of electrons from the negative plate back into the cell at the positive plate in the external circuit.

Negative plate reaction: Pb(s) + HSO−4(aq) → PbSO4(s) + H+(aq) + 2-e

Positive plate reaction: PbO2(s) + HSO−4(aq) + 3H+(aq) + 2-e → PbSO4(s) + 2H2O(l)

The (aq) means aqueous or dissolved in water; so no gas is produced. When discharging, the sulphate from the acid bonds with the lead and the sulfuric acid becomes pure water.

Charging

Fully Charged: Lead and Lead Oxide plates

In the charged state, each cell contains negative plates of elemental lead (Pb) and positive plates of lead(IV) oxide (PbO2) in an electrolyte of approximately 33.5% v/v (4.2 Molar) sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The charging process is driven by the forcible removal of electrons from the positive plate and the forcible introduction of them to the negative plate by the charging source.

Negative plate reaction: PbSO4(s) + H+(aq) + 2-e → Pb(s) + HSO−4(aq)

Positive plate reaction: PbSO4(s) + 2H2O(l) → PbO2(s) + HSO−4(aq) + 3H+(aq) + 2-e

Again, the (aq) means aqueous or dissolved in water; so no gas is produced when charging at a rate that the battery can accept. When charging at the correct pace, the sulphate from the plates bond with the Hydrogen ions in the water and the water becomes sulfuric acid again.

Oil would have no use in either process.

BigTJohn · 02-09-2013, 07:32 PM

I think the oil would retard evaporation of the battery H2O but do little else. If the water were to "boil out" caused by a low quality charger, the oil level would - because oil will float on H2O - go down with the H2O and coat the lead plates, reducing effectiveness and battery life. Don't do it.

MillerTime · 02-09-2013, 08:27 PM

I've never heard of batt. Acid ever freezing- I would say not posible.... but I'm no scientist? Is it realy possible?

TURBS · 02-09-2013, 08:33 PM

Battery acid will in fact freeze if the battery is discharged or dead !

garbonz · 02-09-2013, 08:42 PM

The liquid in a discharged battery is essentially water and will freeze. Charged up the liquid is sulfuric acid and will only freeze under REALLY cold conditions like -92f