Battery Storage Question
 

A contractor was at the house yesterday doing some woodworking and noticed my boat and car batteries stored on the concrete floor of my garage. He told my wife that it is not a good idea to store batteries on a concrete floor. I have never heard this before and can't imagine why it would be a problem.

Anyone have any insight or should I ignore his advice?

I have heard the same thing before from a friend of mines dad that used to restore very early Ford Model T's and A's but I can't remember the reason/explaination for it, but ever since ( about 18 years now) I always put a piece of plywood under the batteries I keep on the garage floor. I'll see if I can find out more unless someone here turns up with better info.

Always heard and did the same, but I can't remember why either.

Me too...but what do I know :)

Battery Myth #2 Storing a battery on a concrete floor will discharge the battery.

There is not currently a strong reason for avoiding contact of a battery with a concrete floor. The battery's contact with the concrete should not create a problem with the material in today' s batteries. If the battery is not clean, but has a surface layer of acid or grime which is conductive, the battery can be expected to self-discharge more rapidly than if it was clean and dry. Many years ago, the batteries were constructed with a wooden case around a glass jar with the battery in it. Any moisture on the floor could cause the wood to swell and possibly fracture the glass, causing it to leak. Shortly after the introduction of "Hard Rubber" containers, which were somewhat porous and of a less than ideal design, there was a chance of current to be conducted through the container of a high carbon content if the moist concrete floor permitted the current to find an electrical ground. These are two of the older reasons for not storing batteries on a concrete floor. There is no reference to avoiding storage on concrete floors in the Battery Service Manual published by the BCI. Their suggestion is appropriate for the current state of the art batteries built by reputable battery manufacturers

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