The evening world., 1922-04-21
Bv Can't. Robt. Scofield Wood


with four palms; formerly Commander
137th Squadron, Royal Air Forces.)
JoTTINos ON STORAGE
BATTERIES.
A storage battery like most every
thing else responds very favorably to
careful treatment and consideration.
Its usefulness Is prolonged and never
goes out OF service except for re-
charging when accorded proper treat
ment. In other articles we have dealt
rather exhaustively with the various
types of storage batteries, their con-
struction, operation and uses. This
article win be devoted to the maintain
ence and care OF the storage battery
used for f1lament lighting.
The single element that needs re-
placing most frequently Is a small
quantity of distilled water once every
two weeks. Remove the vent cap from
each cell and pour in just enough dis
titled water to cover the plates. Be
sure not to overfill the cells as this
will lead to all sorts OF trouble. In the
hrst place it will cause the acid to
bubble out and destroy the rug, car
pet or hoor on which the battery Is
resting and secondly will damage the
battery itself by causing short cir
cults.
Use only distilled water. The ordi-
nary drinking water will not do as 1t
contains many mineral salts and other
matter that are injurious to the bat
terry. Under no circumstance add acid
and do not probe down into the bat
terry with metallic tools. There is no
necessity for sticking screw driver
down the vent hole and 1t Is very
p1 n N
IL Is always advisable to use nom
metallic vessels for storing and handling
the distilled water. Glass containers.
such as Mason jars or milk bottles.
which are inexpensive. can be used for
this purpose with the best results. While
on the subject of filing II should always
be remembered that the solution must
never be permitted to drop below the
top Of the plates.
II one cell requires more water than
n the others it Is probably leaking. in
which event new jar should be In
stalled Immediately.
Next in the order of recurring adjust
ments necessary on the siX-volt storage
battery Is "chdrging" or rather Gre
charging" A battery under ordinary
usage should be recharged at least once
a month. II, however. 1t Is subject to a
great deal of service hydrometer tests
should be made every day or so. When
tho specific gravity falls off to 1.1OO on
\ the graduations Of the hydrometer scale
or when the voltage per cell on dls-
charge falls to II volts, 1t Is time to
recharge.
II vol, have a charging device, merely
connect the positive terminal OF the
battery to the positive charging terminal
and make the necessary negative con-
nections, Then start recharging at am
pero rate not higher than starting rate
which YOU will f1nd on the lead name
plate which is attached to all batteries.
when the battery Is bubbling freely and
the hydrometer reading Is about lila
or the voltneter reading In the neighoor-
hood of 2A volts per cell the current
should be reduced to finish rate ana dis
connect All three batteries should show
uniform bubbling. II close watch ls
kept on the recharging operations the
reduction to finish current should DC
made lust before the hydrometer SHOWS
y LBS or the voltme- er reads 30 VOLTS
DER cell and the charging over the resi-
of the route be just nursing process
until the proper readings are obtained
Never permit a batter in the course OF
recharging to become overheated. De-
q crease the rate of charging II necessary
Never subject storage battery to ex-
cessiye cold. Remember that battery
when discharged will freeze much
quicker than a fully charged battery
The freezing point OF discharged pat
terv Az in the neighborhood of 10 degrees
above zero and that of a fully charged
one At about 30 below zero Fahrenheit
Freezing will burst the jars and spill
the battery apart.
~ Just a little care which really takes
lass time than the reading OF this arti-
ele will insure your batteries agalnsi
disaster and your pleasant radio eve
ninEs against curtailment-
THE FUTURE.