FIAMM Industrial Batteries
December 2012
FIAMM AGM Valve Regulated Recombination Batteries: FLX Series- Engineering Manual
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9
5 MAINTENANCE AND TESTING
FIAMM
FLX
Series batteries are maintenance-free with respect to the water additions, but it is important
to carry out few standard maintenance procedures to ensure the longevity and the reliability of the
battery.
Visual inspection
FLX
Series batteries should undergo a thorough visual inspection on a periodic basis to verify the
following parameters:
-Cleanliness of the battery and surrounding area;
-Signs of corrosion at the terminals, connections, or support structure (rack or cabinet);
-Block integrity (cracks, or excessive jar/cover distortion, or signs of electrolyte leaks or
seepage);
-Tightness of the terminal and intercell connections.
If any block shows physical damage it is recommended to immediately check the block float voltage
and/or temperature.
Cleaning
When necessary, batteries could be cleaned using a soft dry cloth or water-moistened soft cloth paying
attention not to cause any ground faults.
No detergent or solvent-based cleaning agents or abrasive cleaners should be used as they may cause
permanent damage to the battery plastic container and lid.
Voltage checks
All voltage measurements should be made when the entire battery has stabilized on float, at least 7
days after battery installation or after a discharge cycle.
Measure and record individual block voltages on float once a year. It is normal to have a spread of block
voltages up to
±
250 mV/battery, particularly in the first year of operation. No corrective action is
required in this case.
Maintaining a correct battery charging voltage is extremely important for the reliability and life of the
battery. It is advisable to carry out periodic checks of the overall float voltage to verify any possible
defect of the charger or connections.
Capacity/Power Test
It is very important to verify connections and potential voltage drops as high power discharge can be
dangerous if connections are improper or not in good condition.
Before any discharge testing, batteries should be properly prepared with a boost charge to ensure they
are in a fully charged condition. In order to take temperature readings of a battery, one pilot cell or block
should be chosen. The surface temperature of the container wall center of each pilot block should be
measured immediately prior to the discharge test. The individual readings should be between 59° F and
86° F. The temperature of the selected block should be considered as representative of the average
temperature of the battery. It is desirable that the average basal surface temperature and the ambient
temperature fall as near to the reference temperature of 77° F as possible.
In case of batteries having a capacity lower than 80% of the nominal rating it is advisable to replace
them within 12 months.
