Explaining Battery Terminal Corrosion and How to Avoid It

A car battery with terminal

Battery terminal corrosion is not a pretty sight. The flaky green or blue powder that seems to appear on top of your battery often indicates that it’s time to change your lead acid battery.

But what is this green powder on top of your battery terminals and why is it a cause of worry? We answer all these questions in this blog.

 

What is Battery Terminal Corrosion?

When acidic gases and fumes from sealed lead acid batteries escape, SLA battery terminals become corroded. The flaky powder that you see on top of the top of terminals is the metal that has been eaten away by the toxic fumes.

In most sealed lead acid batteries, terminal corrosion is a common occurrence. Therefore, it’s recommended that for deep-cycle vehicles that require a prolonged charge, one must opt for lithium batteries.

 

Causes of Battery Terminal Corrosion

Here are some of the causes of battery terminal corrosion.

 

Overcharging

Overcharging your seal lead acid battery can cause the fumes to leak. This leakage eventually damages the terminals.

 

Maintenance Mistakes

An electric vehicle owner may mistakenly pour more water on the terminal during battery maintenance. This water, if not immediately dried away, can cause the terminal to corrode.

 

Weather Conditions

Extreme heat or cold temperatures can also cause a battery terminal’s corrosion.

 

Storage and Placement

Storing your batteries near electronics or in damp places can cause your battery top to rust up.

 

Person placing lithium batteries

 

How to Fix the Corrosion at Home

You can try the DIY home remedies such as lemon hack to fix battery terminal corrosion. But these hacks can also clean the battery but not rectify the damage caused by toxic fumes.

Ways to Avoid Battery Terminal Corrosion

Want to prevent your golf cart from getting damaged by a corroded battery terminal? Here’s what you should do.

 

Switch to Lithium Ion Batteries

Lithium ion batteries in addition to numerous other benefits are immune to terminal corrosion. This is because the mechanics of a lithium battery and its composition make it unlikely for any toxic gas to pass or impact the battery’s terminal.

 

Adequate Maintenance

Timely maintenance of lithium batteries can also help you avoid any issues of rust or corrosion. However, it’s to be remembered, that lithium ion batteries are extremely robust and do not have any such issues in the first place.

 

Durable and Long Lasting

More and more movable machinery now comes with built-in lithium batteries. This is because of the durable nature of the battery system and its capability to last over two decades with minimal maintenance and intervention. Lithium batteries are designed to last longer than their counterparts, hence no more worry of terminal corrosion!

 

Buy Lithium Batteries Today

If knowing about battery terminal corrosion has made you keen to buy lithium ion batteries then get in touch with us at Ezeal. We provide custom battery packs, built-in batteries, and same-day delivery of all our lithium ion battery products across the US.