Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] battery acid?

["Rick" <pkcir@mhcable.com>]

If it is acid won't a pinch of baking soda make it bubble?
Rick
----- Original Message -----
From: "Alec Smyth" <Asmyth@changepoint.com>
To: <personal_submersibles@psubs.org>
Sent: Sunday, February 15, 2004 4:20 PM
Subject: [PSUBS-MAILIST] battery acid?


The batteries have been mounted in Solo a couple of weeks now, and to my
alarm I'm noticing a small amount of liquid collects under them. Is there a
quick home test to find out whether this is battery acid? I did get a little
on my fingers and it did not burn at all, even though I didn't bother to
wash it off. Also it does not seem to affect the epoxy paint in spite of
multiple days' exposure. But on the other hand some plastic cable ties that
it fell on seemed to dissolve a bit. The latter could be my imagination.

The batteries in question are AGM technology Lifelines. They are upside
down, but these batteries are explicitly approved for mounting in any
position. What I'm thinking is that I might have cracked one by torquing
down too hard with the mounting hardware.  That would be really bad, not
only because of the expense of the battery (they are 4D batteris, big ones)
but also because of the hassle of getting them in and out.

Any thoughts or theories would be very welcome!

Alec