Calcium Hybrid battery - Have I killed it?

**HangOver** · 29th November 2009, 01:42 PM

Quick question:
Does water kill Calcium Hybrid batteries?

Same question with an explanation:
I have a Calcium Hybrid AUX battery it hardly ever gets used so I charge it regularly.
I recently topped up the main acid battery with water (distilled or de-ionised or whatever its called from the car shop).
I had a quick check of the Calcium Hybrid battery and it looked a touch low so I added a bit of water to be on the safe side.

Since then the voltage seemed really low, like 11v or less.
So I put it on charge for two days then on trickle charge for about a week. After 4 hours standing it now reads 3v

Did I kill it?

Can I drain and refil with acid to fix it?
The batter is less than 2 years old.

**langy** · 29th November 2009, 03:19 PM

If you read up on 'lead-acid' batteries, you'll find that topping it up with distilled water should not have hurt it - to the contrary, it's a normal thing to do ( barring certain gel,sealed and special types).

Calcium hybrid only refers to the lead-alloy makeup of the metal part of the interior of the battery - no difference in how it stores electricity.

You might be able to rescue the battery by a drain/flush/refill - but at a guess one of it's 'cells' has shorted - by itself - and it's a goner.

**HangOver** · 29th November 2009, 04:09 PM

thats what I thought but just odd how its died so quick and "seemed"shortly after the water added.
thanks

do you think I can use pool acid as its just sulphuric same as lead acid?

**langy** · 29th November 2009, 06:57 PM

Have a search around - there are a few 'battery rejuvenators' around in liquid form. I'm not sure whether that sort of battery use sulphuric or hydrochloric acid, and in what concentration - have a look at the contents label on a battery refill (Supercr++p have them) . Since it's only a 2yo battery, it might bounce back, you never know.

**nsgnomad** · 29th November 2009, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by HangOver

thats what I thought but just odd how its died so quick and "seemed"shortly after the water added.
thanks

do you think I can use pool acid as its just sulphuric same as lead acid?

No you can DEFINITELY NOT use pool acid. Pool acid is Hydrochloric acid where battery acid is sulphuric acid. totally different, and you would kill your chances of saving the battery if you tried to use pool acid in it.

Be careful
Roger

**Ferret** · 30th November 2009, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by nsgnomad

No you can DEFINITELY NOT use pool acid. Pool acid is Hydrochloric acid where battery acid is sulphuric acid.

Without getting into arguments about what kind of acid to put in the battery, pool acid is not necessarily hydrochloric acid. I use sulphuric acid in my pool. Sulphuric acid is sometimes preferred for pools because it 'fumes' much less than hydrochloric acid.

Whether you can use pool sulphuric acid in a battery is another question. I image you can, provided you make sure it is the right concentration, pool acid probably is not. Whether it will help your problem, I don't know. Battery failure often involves break down of the electrode plates so somehow I doubt adding fresh acid is going to help.

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