Does a battery heat up ?

[Guest]

Hi,

I would like to hide my battery in a closed box (only showing + and - poles).
It is a standard battery with demineralised water, not AGM or GEL.

Can I do that ? or does the battery need an open box so that it can cool down ?

[Agemax]

it could do with a few ventilation holes as they can heat up slightly with charging, also dont forget a drain hole at the bottom to allow water to escape and another hole for the battery overflow pipe to go through

[Steve]

A battery does heat up when subjected to a heavy charge current. Once it is fully charge, the heat generated will be rather minimal, but it does live directly downstream of a major heat producer, the engine. The warm air flowing behind the battery would tend to heat the battery, too. You will need to dissapate that heat, as it is not good for a battery to stay very warm.

Not only that, but a "wet" battery produces rather toxic fumes as it charges.
Those need to be vented or you will have other problems to worry about.

If you feel that you must hide the battery in a sealed box, at least consider an AGM battery.
I don't think true "gel" batteries have the cranking capacity to handle motorcycle needs.

.

[Testarossa]

A battery does heat up when subjected to a heavy charge current. Once it is fully charge, the heat generated will be rather minimal, but it does live directly downstream of a major heat producer, the engine. The warm air flowing behind the battery would tend to heat the battery, too. You will need to dissapate that heat, as it is not good for a battery to stay very warm.

Not only that, but a "wet" battery produces rather toxic fumes as it charges.
Those need to be vented or you will have other problems to worry about.

If you feel that you must hide the battery in a sealed box, at least consider an AGM battery.
I don't think true "gel" batteries have the cranking capacity to handle motorcycle needs.

.

I just want to re-enforce what Steve is saying here. This is very good advice. AGM is the way to go in my book. Minimal chance of leakage, and tolerant of MC charging systems, which Gel batteries are not.

[Agemax]

A battery does heat up when subjected to a heavy charge current. Once it is fully charge, the heat generated will be rather minimal, but it does live directly downstream of a major heat producer, the engine. The warm air flowing behind the battery would tend to heat the battery, too. You will need to dissapate that heat, as it is not good for a battery to stay very warm.

Not only that, but a "wet" battery produces rather toxic fumes as it charges.
Those need to be vented or you will have other problems to worry about.

If you feel that you must hide the battery in a sealed box, at least consider an AGM battery.
I don't think true "gel" batteries have the cranking capacity to handle motorcycle needs.

.

i got a gel battery in my GS and have had no problems with it, smaller than a lead/acid battery but it spins the motor up easily

[Allie]

.

Not only that, but a "wet" battery produces rather toxic fumes as it charges.
Those need to be vented or you will have other problems to worry about.

When I was young we lived in a house next to a marina. Someone had left a battery charging on their boat with the cover put back on the engine compartment. There was an ignition and the resulting hydrogen explosion literally shook the ground, and half the marina was burned down. It was odd because at the moment of explosion my father had just come home from work and was getting out of his van in the driveway. As I watched his foot touched the ground just as the ground shook - impressive!

We went to see the source of the explosion and saw the boat burning way down the docks from us. It didn't look very threatening to me, but he said "We need to leave NOW." Thirty seconds later we looked back and where we were standing was completely engulfed in flames . Amazing how fast fire spreads through old wooden buildings.

[Steve]

i got a gel battery in my GS and have had no problems with it, smaller than a lead/acid battery but it spins the motor up easily

Are you sure it's a TRUE "gel" battery?

From the battery tutorial on batterystuff.com:
(I added the blue emphasis.)

3. Wet Cell (flooded), Gel Cell, and Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) are various versions of the lead acid battery. The Wet cell comes in two styles; Serviceable and Maintenance free. Both are filled with electrolyte and are basicly the same. I prefer one that I can add water to and check the specific gravity of the electrolyte with a hydrometer. The Gel Cell and the AGM batteries are specialty batteries that typically cost twice as much as a premium wet cell. However they store very well and do not tend to sulfate or degrade as easily as wet cell. There is little chance of a hydrogen gas explosion or corrosion when using these batteries; these are the safest lead acid batteries you can use. Gel Cell and some AGM batteries may require a special charging rate. If you want the best,most versatile type, consideration should be given to the AGM battery for applications such as Marine, RV, Solar, Audio, Power Sports and Stand-By Power just to name a few. If you don't use or operate your equipment daily, AGM batteries will hold their charge better that other types. If you must depend on top-notch battery performance, spend the extra money. Gel Cell batteries still are being sold but AGM batteries are replacing them in most applications. There is a some common confusion regarding AGM batteries because different manufactures call them by different names; some of the more common names are "sealed regulated valve", "dry cell", "non spillable", and "Valve Regulated Lead Acid" batteries. In most cases AGM batteries will give greater life span and greater cycle life than a wet cell battery.
SPECIAL NOTE about Gel Batteries: It is very common for individuals to use the term GEL CELL when referring to sealed, maintenance free batteries, much like one would use Kleenex when referring to facial tissue or "Xerox machine" when referring to a copy machine. Be very careful when specifying a battery charger, many times we are told by customer they are requiring a charger for a Gel Cell battery and in fact the battery is not a Gel Cell.

AGM: The Absorbed Glass Matt construction allows the electrolyte to be suspended in close proximity with the plates active material. In theory, this enhances both the discharge and recharge efficiency. Common manufacturer applications include high performance engine starting, power sports, deep cycle, solar and storage battery. The larger AGM batteries we sell are typically good deep cycle batteries and they deliver their best life performance if recharged before allowed to drop below the 50% discharge rate. The Scorpion motorcycle batteries we carry are a nice upgrade from your stock flooded battery, and the Odyssey branded batteries are fantastic for holding their static charge over long periods of non use. When Deep Cycle AGM batteries are discharged to a rate of no less than 60% the cycle life will be 300 plus cycles.

GEL: The Gel Cell is similar to the AGM style because the electrolyte is suspended, but different because technically the AGM battery is still considered to be a wet cell. The electrolyte in a Gel Cell has a silica additive that causes it to set up or stiffen. The recharge voltage on this type of cell is lower than the other styles of lead acid battery. This is probably the most sensitive cell in terms of adverse reactions to over-voltage charging. Gel Batteries are best used in VERY DEEP cycle application and may last a bit longer in hot weather applications. If the incorrect battery charger is used on a Gel Cell battery poor performance and premature failure is certain.

My guess is that you either have a sealed "wet" battery or an AGM.

.

[Agemax]

pretty sure its a proper gel battery, will post up a pic when i get time to whip it out