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Hydrometer anyone?

5

55 50 Ron

Well-known Member
Does anyone use a hydrometer to check batteries? I read somewhere that they are more accurate to check a battery's condition than by measuring it with a voltmeter.

And I see McMaster-Carr has hydrometers for about $11 which is way cheaper than a high quality multimeter.

I know my Dad had a hydrometer and used it, but then he never owned a multimeter! I now have that hydrometer and use it occassionally.
 
Hello 55 50 Ron,

Using an hydrometer will tell you the INDIVIDUAL CELL state of charge, useless test. Like checking one link in a chain. Use your volt meter across the battery posts to check its voltage potential. Load test it to check amp capacity, if it is a starting battery rated in CCC,

Guido.
 
I use one but more and more batteries you can't open up.

Those fancy expensive electronic testers are what you have to get for the sealed batteries.
 
They are pretty handy to find a bad cell in our golf cart. You are right in something that needs to start. I change battery at first sign of trouble.
 
I have not used on in years, always did in the old days, now I just load battery and look for voltage drop.
 
Hello VicS,

Like I said useless. You can check a cell with a volt meter. Fully charged cell should read 2.1 volts @ 80* F,

Guido.
 
This is in my opinion the best way to test base on a past experience with a bad battery. This is also what old school phone co. Employees went on.

Volt meter was showing more than 12 volts with a dead cell after charging.

I consider the hydrometer as the "last word".
 
Hello larry,

Read my replies, I can post also what text book is my source of them,




Guido.
 
That, and a volt meter will do a good job if you don't have a load tester. The thing about the specific gravity of battery acid and the voltage of a cell, or the voltage of a battery, is that they're one in the same. If you have 12.6V across the post, the specific gravity of the battery acid is good. Period. You can absolutely have a battery that the acid is good on and has 12.6V post to post, that will fail a load test. A load test is the only good way to test a battery.
 
So many batteries now are sealed, I just use a load tester. I used to use a hydrometer.
 
I use a hydrometer to tell the charge on my golf cart batteries. I have a manual timed charger and the hydrometer helps keep me from over charging.
 
So what will a hydrometer tell me that a load test won't? If it load tests bad or drains itself from an internal short it's of no use to me regardless of what the hydrometer says.
 
The hydrometer will tell you that you have a dead cell and which one it is

In my case I had a battery that was about a year old and the auto parts store kept charging and load testing and recharging and sending me out the door with the same battery. This happened about 3 times. Finally my uncle that had about 30 years with the phone co. set me down a gave me a class on batteries which I taught the next day at the auto parts store and I got a new battery free of charge.

Hydrometer ....... last word
 
Hello Guido...just kinda meant George liked battery questions,,nothing at all meant bad or mean to you or anyone...I probably should have typed it differently
 
It can't pass a load test and be bad. A load test is an actual test of a battery's capacity. If a 800 CCA battery can hold 9.6 Volts with a 400 amp load on it for 15 seconds, it is impossible for it to be bad.
 
Won't let me edit. There are batteries that seem to hold a charge for anywhere from a few days to a few hours, and then go dead. I've been around those batteries, but have never load tested them. I am fairly sure that it would act suspect during a proper load test. Even a fully charged new battery is quite discharged during a load test. Even a new 950CCA Group 31 load tested for 15 seconds at 475 amps would typically have to be recharged some before being able to be tested again.
 
I never had much luck with hydrometers. Especially since virtually all my batteries are sealed. Finally bought the bullet and bought a HF electronic tester. Is doing fine for my needs, once I learned to understand the data. Suprised how many times I use it considering that I maintain less than ten batteries.
 

hydrometers are for P---ys No real man uses one unless he's out to impress for his enjoyment... I happen to own the real deal a Refracto meter and not some HF P.O.S wanna be hydrometer,,, its is the real deal for checking antifreez tho :)

So many wanna be's out there and only a few that know what they are doing...
 
Hello Westga,


A 12 volt battery READING 12 volts is about 75% discharged. A fully charged battery reads 12.6 volts @ 80* F. So the volt meter was telling you that the battery needed to be charged, of it had a weak cell. Was the cell TOTALLY DEAD? . A fully charged cell voltage is 2.1 volts @ 80* F. 5 cells @ 2.1 volts each do not add up to 12 volts.

Guido.
 
Nothing wrong with using a battery hydrometer. It is just another tool like any tester. Most tests will tell you if a battery is bad but they won't necessarily tell you if it is good. I personally haven't had a good hydrometer for years but do have a good carbon pile load tester, not one of those fixed load testers that only draw like 50 or 100 amperes. It has a good volt meter on it also, not a red , white and blue good or bad meter.
 
Hello larry@stinescorner,

I went through this battery stuff many, many times on this forum, some people, regardless of their education, just don't get it. Its all in text books. I have a few from my school days. I mean the ones I used to teach at the local tech school. Batteries have been around a long time.
You my friend are not one of them non belivers. Just keep reading the replies, It will be entertaining for you. Heresays, wives tales, always done it this way, my buddy told me how he does it, I believe my mechanic becouse he is old school so far. I can produce text books and industry standards, I know even that won't work, as I tried it here already! I am like you in a way, something to keep me occupied and entertained,
Guido.
 
Hello Hobo,NC,

What? You use a thing that you look through and tells you about a battery state of charge? MAGIC! Can I
borrow it sometimes? These lithium batteries are hard to test and are giving me fits...HE! HE!

Guido.
 
Hello farmerboy,

Are you sure group 31 batteries are rated @ 950 CCA, I seem to recall 925 CCA?

Guido.
 
(quoted from post at 06:46:38 10/04/17) So what will a hydrometer tell me that a load test won't? If it load tests bad or drains itself from an internal short it's of no use to me regardless of what the hydrometer says.
Click to expand...

An hydrometer will test a single cell, kind of useless, while a LOAD tester will load test ALL the cells at the same time. Now you know,

Guido.
 
There are several different ratings for Group 31 batteries. I load tested on today that was rated at 1050 CCA. I've seen them rated 900, 925, 950 and 975.
 
Having worked with and around electric golf carts for more than 20 years. I am here to tell you you cannot accurately test golf cart batteries with a common load tester like you can automotive batteries. They need to be tested as a pack and then individually for voltage. It is very wise to test them with a hydrometer also. You can tell the state of charge for each cell with a hydrometer. Doing this test will let you sometimes shuffle batteries around to get the weak ones all together and the stronger ones in another cart. That will allow the batteries to all charge at the same rate. One weak cell in a pack will make the charger boil all the other batteries trying to bring the weak one up to par. Golf cart chargers depend on seeing the voltage rise over the rated voltage to kick the charger off. The multi meter is important in checking batteries and also the load tester, but when you really want to know the health of your battery, take a reading of each cell with the hydrometer. Gene Davis
 
Hello farmerboy,

Yep! I knew that, just testing you He! he!
I guess you also know that there are groupe 31 batteries that not the FLA type?

Guido.
 
Gene Davis I like your usage of a hydrometer in conjunction with volt meter and load tester. Good explanation.
 
It was said a hydrometer checks it chemically and a voltmeter checks it electrically. Easy way to find a dead cell .
 
(quoted from post at 09:38:27 10/04/17) Having worked with and around electric golf carts for more than 20 years. I am here to tell you you cannot accurately test golf cart batteries with a common load tester like you can automotive batteries. They need to be tested as a pack and then individually for voltage. It is very wise to test them with a hydrometer also. You can tell the state of charge for each cell with a hydrometer. Doing this test will let you sometimes shuffle batteries around to get the weak ones all together and the stronger ones in another cart. That will allow the batteries to all charge at the same rate. One weak cell in a pack will make the charger boil all the other batteries trying to bring the weak one up to par. Golf cart chargers depend on seeing the voltage rise over the rated voltage to kick the charger off. The multi meter is important in checking batteries and also the load tester, but when you really want to know the health of your battery, take a reading of each cell with the hydrometer. Gene Davis
Click to expand...

Point taken and I can see it well on a GOLF CART (multiple batteries etc). No one dislikes unhooking all the batteries on a golf cart and checking them more than I do. Problem is a voltmeter and a load tester has always worked for me even on a golf cart. The battery terminal ends need to be serviced anyways I don't need to waste time verifying what I already know and that's all a hydrometer test does.

The problem with testing is if the bat cranks the engine folks will play it out till it want that's the test for most folks. Then there are times when you have a issue it passes a load test and a quick charging system test in the end you throw a battery at it only to find there is an issue somewhere else. That issue most always never gets addressed till all else fails.
Battery testing is the base line of all tests you use first on all starting/charging problems. It’s the first test performed all of the time… If the voltage test low the battery has been charged and the top charges burnt off you recheck it and the voltage is low it fails a load test WHY would you waste your time with a hydrometer. What is it going to tell you that you already don’t know?

If you need conformation then by all means have at it…
 
Well my point was if you use a volt meter and it reads say 13.1 volts and the loads test shows you have a good battery you probably have a good battery. Then lets say you drive into town and then only to find out you have a dead battery. You may have lots of things you can do but what I would do is get back home and recharge the battery and get my elcheapo hydrometer out and check ALL of my cells and See what I have.

I don't spend but maybe 10 minutes with my hydrometer every 30 years.
 
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