It is important to understand why an industrial motive power traction battery used in electric material handling equipment needs watering, when and how it should be watered, what proper watering means to the battery and what advantages the Water Miser Battery Cap offers over other alternatives.

Electrolysis and the Gassing Process
One of the main processes responsible for both the loss of electrolyte level as well as the loss of electrolyte itself is electrolysis. Electrolysis results from an electrical current being passed through a medium, in this case the electrolyte, creating a chemical change. This chemical change, in turn causes a battery to "Gas".

Gassing of industrial lead-acid motive power traction batteries is basically a function of, and directly related to, voltage and the unused portion of current being supplied by the charging equipment and subsequently not being utilized by the cell(s) via the positive and negative plates.  This electrical disassociation or decomposition of the electrolyte into hydrogen and oxygen is a direct result of the surplus charging current.

Gassing generally begins, when the voltage of the cell(s) reaches approximately 2.3 volts. During this early stage, the gas is composed of nearly equal parts of oxygen and hydrogen. As the charging progresses, and the voltage rises to 2.5 volts per cell, the gas now will have a ratio of two (2) parts hydrogen and one (1) part oxygen.  

As the battery gasses during the charging cycle, as previously mentioned, two basic factors are involved in the loss of electrolyte level within the battery cell(s)

Note on Explosions - It is extremely important to note that during the recombination of hydrogen and oxygen, this intermediary gas is extremely flammable. It must be noted that any open flame or spark, regardless of how it is generated, can be the catalyst to trigger an explosion.

For this reason, open flames of any kind in a location where batteries are being charged, should not be permissible, and sufficient ventilation should be in place to assure that the hydrogen level remains well below four percent (4%)

Evaporation from Internally Generated Heat - Internal Heat is generated and rises slowly throughout the normal discharge of the battery during the required work cycle - this has to be accepted.

The Work Load - Directly affects the amount of heat generated. Light loads, short runs and frequent periods of inactivity will be responsible for less heat buildup than heavy loads, long runs, high vertical lifts and constant activity. The temperature rise will be greater as the rate of discharge is increased.