Table of Contents
Advertisement
Chapter 12 Helpful information
What can go wrong with batteries? (continued)
Condition
Sulfation of plate
Excessive gassing
Drying out
Battery disposal
Batteries that are replaced can still contain a significant amount of hazardous waste, including
the electrolyte and lead. Therefore, you must comply with EPA guidelines for the disposal of
all UPS batteries. There are essentially two main categories of disposal, one for spent batteries
and another for spills. The primary ways to handle these two categories are:
Spent batteries:
Send to secondary lead smelter for recycling.
Spilled batteries:
Place neutralized leaked material into sealed containers and dispose of as hazardous waste, as
applicable. Large water-diluted spills, after neutralization and testing, should be managed in
accordance with approved local, state and federal requirements. Consult your state
environmental agency and/or the EPA.
Recycling:
One of the most successful recycling efforts in the world is for lead- acid batteries. According
to Battery Council International, more than 96 percent of lead-acid batteries were recycled
between 1997 and 2001. Many states require lead-acid batteries be recycled, and several
options exist to dispose of used batteries, including:
Check your local phone book for a local recycler, or search for a recycler at
•
https://www.earth911.com
Some automotive stores accept batteries for recycling.
•
Many municipalities have dump or recycling locations that will accept batteries for
•
recycling. When disposing of batteries in this manner, be sure to get a dated receipt
clearly detailing what batteries were dropped off, including quantities with the
recycler's full name, address and phone noted in the unlikely event you get audited
Battery maintenance for extended life
Quantifying the combined effect of the four factors that affect battery life discussed in the
previous page is difficult. You need a way to determine when a battery is near the end of its
useful life so you can replace it while it still works, before the critical load is left unprotected.
238
Cause
Sitting discharged for an extended period, not on charge or being
undercharged
Often due to high temperature or overcharging
Excessive gassing, high temperatures or overcharging
6U Rack or Tower UPS RT8kVA and RT11kVA IUOMG
Advertisement
Table of Contents
