[R-390] storage

[Todd Bigelow - PS]

Bob & group -

I need to be careful when I speak too much about the cold in Vermont, at least
this year. We have had the mildest winter *ever* so far. My house is rather
large(and old), has a fairly new furnace with 2 of the large oil tanks holding
about 550 gal. total. Normally I'd go through 1000 gallons or so(was 2000 when I
moved in - no insulation!), this year I'm still working off the original fill up
last August. But in the *normal* winter, sure - International Falls is in
Minnesota is about the coldest place south of YellowKnife and we're not far
behind them in temps. Nothing to see -35� as a low in January/February - even a
week or more at a time where temps never get above zero during the day. BRRR!
Buffalo NY. kicks butt for snow, though. If we get two feet, I think I've been
sent for - can't imagine getting 4-7 feet in a storm!

I've heard the same thing about killing a battery by leaving it on a concrete
floor. Other than the nasties that take place with copper pipes if you don't
isolate them from the concrete when you pour, I'm not aware of anything that
could do it. More likely, the battery has sat there for a while, gotten cold,
lost charge, someone goes to grab it to use and....no workie. I do know that a
cold battery doesn't have as much cranking power as a warmer battery (I've
tested this theory in the cold Vermont winters more times than I'd care to
admit), so maybe this is the real culprit? Leave a battery on a cold concrete
floor even in summer and you can cool it down a fair amount.

Unless there's some invisible force-field action taking place, I just don't see
it - especially with the new, 'sealed' batteries. The old batteries had little
screw-on caps with a vent that the electrons could use as an escape hatch, but
these new ones would have to rely purely on osmosis. I definitely would NOT
leave anything sitting over an unheated concrete floor on rubber feet, though -
it will most certainly rust and otherwise corrode with time.

Mr. Mike(the guy who asked the original storage question)lives down the road
from me about half an hour, now - ESE, right on the border with New Hamster. I'm
right in the center of the state, so he's approaching the banana belt where you
can walk around in shirtsleeves outside in winter. People probably store things
right out in their yard down there. I know I saw a few old pick up trucks and
some kitchen appliances...

73 de Todd/'Boomer'  KA1KAQ

Bob Tetrault wrote:

> I've gotta chime in here about putting batteries on a concrete floor. Think
> about it...How can there be a failure mechanism? Admittedly, concrete floors
> are usually colder and consequently, for the boys in Minnesota or Vermont
> (what say, Todd?) where it gets really cold, that can slow down the chemical
> reaction that produces electricity. But otherwise, since it IS a chemical
> reaction, where is the valence trail (for lack of a better word)across the
> concrete floor/battery case interface? This is, IMHO, unadulterated
> voodoo-grade yogurt. One of those myths propagated across generations from
> when Volta was first sticking pins in frog legs and Babylonians were
> stacking galvanically active metals for the tingle in their mouths.
>
> Call me stupid, but tell me why, and be "scientific."
>
> Bob