Home Improvement Stack Exchange
Home Improvement Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [battery]

152 questions
27
votes
6 answers

How to prevent batteries leaking out in devices?

Is there a common method of preventing batteries from leaking out and destroying the device? Why does this happen in the first place? I have laid another head lamp to waste because it was sitting in my truck unused for several months. Could it be…
amphibient
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1 answer

FirstAlert smoke detector low battery warning continues after opening battery drawer and replacing batteries

Note: I'm creating and immediately answering my own question because I wasn't able to find documentation of this solution online. My condo is equipped with a FirstAlert 7010BSL smoke detector (technically mine is a 7010BSLA model; it appears…
Reign of Error
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12
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4 answers

I turned a breaker off, and now the security alarm system won’t stop beeping

I turned off a breaker for about an hour. I then heard a low beeping noise, not the full-blown alarm siren. I turned the breaker back on, but the beeping persisted. We called the alarm company. They told us the police were never notified and that we…
YesterdaysTools
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8 answers

Easy way of generating a 50-150W load @12V

I need to test a battery for its remaining capacity and to do that, I need to generate a constant load to be able to measure how long it can sustain that load. I tried using a 330W load (290W shoe heater + 85%-ish efficient inverter), but I found…
oligofren
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8 answers

Are deep-cycle batteries for off-grid power tolerant of temperature changes?

I have a small shed that is off-grid and needs occasional lighting. During the day I can open up the doors and have sufficient light, but during the winter when I am out there more in the evening, I need occasional light. Ideally I would like to…
user2259438
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8
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4 answers

What should I do with leftover sulfuric acid from a sump pump battery backup?

In our new house, we found that a previous owner installed a sump pump battery backup unit, which is nice. The battery in the system is like a car battery, but it's the kind where you initially add sulfuric acid to, and then periodically top off…
The Other Steven
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6
votes
6 answers

Sump pump automated battery backup

I have 1/3 horsepower sump pump currently plugged into my home's 120 volt outlet. I have a 105 amp hour 12-volt battery and a 1200 watt pure sine inverter ready to go when the power goes out. The only issue is if the power goes out, I would need to…
Justin Todd
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5
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3 answers

UPS / Battery Question

I have two Cyberpower 1400va (900 watt) pure sine wave UPS systems. They are over 5 years old and the lead acid batteries inside them are shot. The units use two 12v 8AH SLA batteries in series and for what they cost to replace I could almost…
EZ CAPS
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5
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2 answers

Is a charged mower battery which reads under 12 volts in need of replacement?

I have a John Deere D110 that last ran around two weeks ago. I went to start it last night and nothing; it wouldn't even crank and the starter wasn't even clicking. I thought it might be a completely dead battery, so I left it plugged in to a…
Zach Nicodemous
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5
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12 answers

How to make a cap to cover the battery terminals of Ryobi batteries?

Ryobi batteries have a protruding part with battery terminals on it. Here's an example of what the battery looks like. I'm worried that if the battery is stored in a carrying bag with lots of metallic tools, that several tools could touch each other…
juhist
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5
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3 answers

Will neodymium magnets harm my power drill battery?

I glued some magnets onto my power drill battery to use for storing drill bits on - but will the magnets affect the battery life?
skybreaker
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4
votes
3 answers

Why have cordless tools changed the battery style?

I was looking for replacement batteries for my cordless tools (drill, light, sander) and have been unable to find any. My current battery is the style with a neck that inserts into the tool, but all the newer tools have batteries without a neck that…
Rodney
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4
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3 answers

How can I use cordless drill batteries in projects?

I found this project on Make for an automatic ball thrower for your dog, and am in the process of wrapping it up. For power, I'm using a cordless drill battery. (Specifically, a Ryobi lithium one+ 18v battery) I've seen a lot of projects out on the…
Saint Domino
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2 answers

Can a completely evaporated deep cycle battery be brought back to charge?

The battery fluid on my sump pump Marine Deep Cycle Battery dried up to be completely gone. I've replaced it with distilled water. Will the trickle charger bring it back to life, or am I in the market for a new battery? UPDATE: the battery did not…
Paulb
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3 answers

How to change battery in garage door keypad?

One of the keys on the keypad for my garage door somehow got a key stuck temporarily and drained the battery. That was easily fixed, but now I am trying to replace the battery. The pictogram seems pretty obvious as to what to do: (for…
Michael
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