Wednesday 20 September 2017

The Fine Art of Filling Distilled Water in Inverter Batteries

The usage of inverters and UPS systems have sky rocketed in India. It’s now quite common to find inverters in any middle income to higher income home in India’s metros. Most of today’s inverters need little or no upkeep and the same goes for their batteries too. The only time the batteries require attention is when they need to be filled with distilled water.


Why do batteries require distilled water?
Most of the inverter battery use plates immersed in water. The water is one of the key reactors in the chemical make-up of the battery. The plates heat the water and enable it to break down into hydrogen and oxygen gases which in turn aid in creating the electrical charges.  As and when the water is used up, it needs to be filled up to keep the inverter working and in good condition.

Why distilled water?
Normal water is full of dissolved salts, minerals, organic and inorganic matter and impurities. These form salty layers on the plates, clog the pores in the plates and hinder their performance, finally leading to a complete breakdown. Even filtered water won’t do as they will still contain invisible free floating ions which will continue to hamper the charge making capabilities of the batteries.  Even RO water can contain hardness and be acidic though it may be free of impurities!

That’s why manufacturers ask buyers to use only water that has been cleaned through an ion filter or activated carbon filter and is completely distilled of all matter and ions for the battery.

Where do you get distilled water?

Today, petrol bunks and battery dealers sell distilled water. Service centers too, keep distilled water with them. You can easily buy from all these sources. The other source is large pharmacies that sell health equipment. Distilled water is used to water down certain injections, though the downside would be that quantities available would be small here. Wherever you go, make sure the places are reputed. Check to see if the bottles have been tampered with and that the seals are intact.

How do you fill the distilled water?
Your battery will have tubes which contain the distilled water. Each tube will have an indicator which shows the levels of water in them. If the indicator drops to the red level, it means you need to fill battery with water.  If the indicator remains at the green level, it means the tube in the battery has water in it.
Three steps to fill inverter battery with distilled water: 
  1. Turn off the power before topping up the inverter battery to avoid shocks!
  2. Unscrew the cap on the tube that shows low levels of water.
  3. Place a nozzle on the opening
  4. Pour water through the nozzle, till indicator rises up to the green level.  
SF Sonic’s range of inverter batteries are known for low maintenance and better systems.

SF Sonic Power Box, PBX 1500 Plus comes with an advanced Electrolyte Level Indicator sensor. This indicator warns you when electrolyte levels go below optimum point in the battery.

The other two inverter batteries: The S F Sonic Power Punch and the S F Sonic Ready Power enjoy high reputations of being electrolyte efficient and needing fewer top ups.

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