Monday 29 June 2015

How Often Should Jet Ski Batteries Be Replaced

It’s warm outside, and you are ready to go have some fun on the water. You get out the Jet Ski, try to fire it up and nothing happens. Your battery is dead. Is it time to replace it? Figuring out when to replace your Jet Ski battery is not always easy. It helps to learn a bit about how this battery works and what signs to look out for that tell you it is time to get a new one.

Jet Ski batteries are like car batteries in how they operate but not in how they are charged. Your car has an alternator that will provide a consistent charge to your battery when the car is running. The Jet Ski, though, doesn’t have an actual alternator. This means your battery can lose its charge more easily. You don’t want your battery to ever be drained because this will affect its overall life span. You’ll likely be able to recharge it, but it won’t ever have the same power as it did before. 

Like any battery, if it is not keeping a charge or its charge is weak and you have tried recharging it without good results, then it probably is time to buy a new one. In addition, if you want the best performance, you may want to replace the battery more often just so you always have that top power coming from it. Overall, though, it is a good rule of thumb to replace the battery when your warranty ends.

Of course replacing your battery is not something you want to have to do too often. That can get costly. So, in order to keep your battery in the best possible shape, you need to properly care for it. This means that you need to avoid things that will ruin your battery. One of the biggest issues is corrosion. Watch for signs of corrosion, which usually shows up as a white residue on the battery terminals. To avoid this, remove the battery from the Jet Ski when it is not being used and store it in a cool, dry place.

Sunday 28 June 2015

Why You Should Consider Solar Power for Your Home

A lot of people these days are turning to the energy from the sun to power up their homes. Using the energy from the sun offers many benefits to both you and the environment. Not only that, but they are simple to install and don’t make any noise while operating.

Save Money

The cost of solar batteries and solar panels up front may seem like a lot. However, the amount of money that you save long term will more than pay for the costs you encounter in the beginning. Once you have your panels installed, your source of energy will be free. Because you can rely on the sun to rise each day, you know that your source of energy is renewable. Even though you won’t be able to get energy from the sun during nighttime or cloudy days, you know that there is a sunny day just around the corner. This can save you a lot of money on batteries, electricity bills, and other types of rechargeable batteries.

Does Your Battery Have Enough Juice for Slide Outs?

An RV with multiple slide outs turns “cramping” into “glamping.” Make sure your battery has enough amps and hours before your trip, however, so that you don’t get stuck at the campsite.

How to Keep Your Truck Battery in Good Shape

Taking good care of your truck is important to help it last for a long time. There are many components to your truck, but one that may be somewhat neglected compared to the other parts is the battery. There are a couple of simple ways you can keep your batteries in good shape, which can save you money, time, and prevent a stressful situation later.

Clean the Corrosion

You don’t want any corrosion anywhere on your battery. You can prevent this by cleaning it with a special product that you can purchase at an auto parts store. If you can, get it in a spray form, as it will be easier for you to clean. Remove the cables before cleaning anything, and make sure to remove the negative cable first. Take special care when doing this. Then you can use a brush along with your spray to clean off any corrosion that you may see.

Optima Batteries Named The Official Battery Of Svra For 2015 Vintage Race Season

This year, vintage racing fans and entrants will see OPTIMA Batteries’ marketing presence prominently displayed in the paddock at most....read more

What You Should Know About RV Batteries

If you are in the market for recreational vehicle (RV) batteries, you should be familiar with the main types and their uses.

  • The starter or chassis type of battery doesn’t have a lot of power and is used mainly to start the engine, just like the one used in your car. By design this battery is intended to give a surge of power and then be immediately recharged.

  • Deep cycle batteries must completely discharge before they can be recharged. These are commonly used in campers and trailers which have separate electrical systems in the coach and in the main engine. These batteries have thicker lead plates than the starter kind, so they continue to provide power for a long camping trip in the woods. They power the lights, water pump, furnace, and any other 12 volt appliances in the coach. Some of these batteries are flooded cell, but more expensive varieties will use gel instead.

  • The RV marine battery is a sort of in-between of the other two kinds. Cheaper than a deep cycle because it is made in a similar way to a starter, it nonetheless has better performance than a starter.

Beats for the Beach



Provide the soundtrack for any beach party—from day into night—with a solar powered stereo and LED light. This DIY project can easily be made from a cooler, the right battery and an old stereo.

Should You Buy a Used Battery?


 

Batteries are expensive and you will likely be tempted at some point to buy a refurbished one. As a general rule it is not advisable, and here’s why:

  • You probably won’t know the history of how the battery was used by the previous owner. How was it stored? How often was it used? New batteries come with warranties so you know they will at least last as long as expected or you get a free replacement. 

  • Over time batteries lose their ability to hold a charge, so even when fully charged up an older battery won’t last as long. For the ones you recharge often, like cell phones, this can become a problem if you end up needing to charge it several times a day at inconvenient times.

  • They are designed to be charged only a certain number of times. Older batteries, such as NiCad can also suffer from memory effect, which means they will only charge up to the last point they were charged, whether or not that was to full capacity. 

Wednesday 24 June 2015

Taking care of car battery

Learn about some common fixes to car battery-related issues and some simple things you can....read more

How to Recognize a Worn-Out Battery

Batteries can only be charged so many times over the course of their life, and over time they lose the ability to hold that charge. That means that as a battery gets older, you will be recharging it more often. If you intend to keep your electronic device, look for these signs that your battery needs replacing.

  • When you are charging it more often but it takes a shorter time for it to finish charging, it means the battery’s capacity and power is weakening.
  • If your computer shuts down or hibernates unexpectedly even if the battery meter claims it has plenty of charge, this is another sign your battery is going bad. This happens because the meter is using the limit of the last complete charge as the measure of a full charge, even if it isn’t.

Battery Recycling De-Mystified

From flashlights to musical toys, a family can go through a lot of batteries. It turns out that recycling them instead of sending them to a landfill is easier than you may think.

Tuesday 23 June 2015

Reasons to Invest in a Jump Start Kit

There is little more frustrating than having to be somewhere at a specific time, jumping in your car, and the car won’t start. If you’re lucky, your car died in a populated place where maybe someone has a jumper cable that they can use to help you get your car going again. What do you do if your car has died in your driveway and none of your neighbors are home? What if you’re all alone in a parking lot? What if your car is parked so awkwardly that there is no feasible way to hook up a traditional jumper cable between your battery and another car battery? That’s when you need a jump start kit.

Jump start kits are basically portable batteries that you can hook up to your car to give it some extra juice to get started. This means you don’t have to rely on anyone else to get your car started for you. The kit usually comes with clear instructions on how to use it. As long as you keep the kit in your car and fully charged, you should be able to start your car yourself. It doesn’t matter if there are hundreds of people around or you’re all alone.

You also don’t have to worry about where you’re parked when you have your own kit. Traditional cables require that the batteries of the two vehicles be within a certain distance. If you can’t get the cars very close and the cable isn’t long enough, you’re usually out of luck. Since you there is no reason to have another car help you jump start your vehicle when you have a jump start kit, it matters less where and how your vehicle is parked.

Jump starting a vehicle can be tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing. In fact, if you do it in the wrong order or attach the clamps to the wrong area, the car giving you the jump start could suffer some serious damage. It’s doubtful that you’re looking to ruin another person’s vehicle when they are just trying to help you out. With a kit, there is less chance of damaging your vehicle. Because you are not hooking up your car to another vehicle’s battery, you don’t have to worry about accidentally frying a nice person’s vehicle.

If you have ever suffered the stress of a dead car battery, finding someone to help you out, making sure your car was accessible, and worrying about performing the jump correctly, you could probably benefit from a jump start kit. To learn more about a battery store in San Diego, please visit this website.

Friday 12 June 2015

How to Use Jumper Cables Safely

You’ve likely been in a situation when your car wouldn’t start when you put the key in the ignition. It seems that this happens in the most inconvenient of times, like when you are on your way to work or headed to an important appointment. While this can be a pain, having a set of jumper cables can help prevent this from becoming a major headache. It’s a great idea to keep a set in your car for moments like this, whether it’s for your own car or to help jump start someone else's. However, it is important to make sure you know how to use jumper cables correctly. Using them incorrectly can be dangerous and sometimes deadly. Here are a few steps to make sure you are using your jumper cables safely and effectively.

If your car is dead, the first thing you are going to need is a second car to give your car a boost. Park the booster car so that the two vehicles are close to each other, and then turn the engine off. Be sure that the two cars are not touching. Take out the jumper cables and connect the red clamp to the positive terminal on the dead car’s battery, which has a plus sign by it. Connect the second red side to the other car’s positive terminal. Next, take the black clamp and connect it to the booster car’s negative battery terminal, which has a minus sign by it. Clamp the other black side to a metal surface on the dead car. A good place to do this would be on a screw or bolt. Make sure that the cables aren’t touching the engine on either vehicle.

Once you have the jumper cables properly connected, start the booster car. Let it run for a few minutes, and then try starting the dead car. After letting it run for a few minutes, disconnect the black cable from the dead car’s battery and disconnect the black cable from the other car. Finally, remove the red cable from the booster car, then do the same with the other car.

Following these steps exactly will help ensure that you are using jumper cables safely. If you follow these steps and your car still will not start, then it is likely that the issue is not with the battery. Calling a tow truck or mechanic would be a good next step.

Prevent yourself from getting stuck on the side of the road. Keep jumper cables in your trunk wherever you go. Not only can this keep you from being stranded, it can also be helpful if you need to help start up someone else's car. Visit this website for more information.

Red Top Power

These batteries both display a red top, which indicates a more powerful and longer lasting performance. Their sturdy plastic handles makes these batteries easy to transport wherever you need to take them.

How to Find the Right Golf Cart Battery


 

About once every two years or so, your golf cart battery needs replaced. Not all golf cart batteries are created equal, and the one you need depends on the kind of battery your golf cart takes. Here are a couple of ways to figure this out.

Check the Dimensions

One of the most important things you need to do is find out the size of battery that your golf cart takes. You won’t be able to use a battery that is not the right size. You should be able to find this information in your owner’s manual. If you cannot find your owner’s manual, take the old battery into a shop and they should be able to help you figure this out.

Determine How Much Power You Need

Another important factor is how much power your golf cart requires. If your golf cart is large and heavy, then it likely requires a battery that has more power. A normal battery likely will not be able to meet the demands of a golf cart that is heavier than average.

Consider Your Budget

While you want to be sure to get a good quality battery, you will of course have to consider your budget. The amount of money you are able to spend will help determine which battery is right for you. Thankfully, there are a variety of high quality batteries available out there for reasonable prices.

For more information on golf cart batteries in San Diego and which one is right for you, please visit this website.

OPTIMA Batteries Named the Official Battery of SVRA for 2015 Vintage Race Season

This year, vintage racing fans and entrants will see OPTIMA Batteries’ marketing presence prominently displayed in the paddock at most of the....read more

Thursday 11 June 2015

The History of Solar Powered Batteries


 

The sun is a powerful star that puts off seemingly unlimited amounts of energy. Because of this, it is a great source of energy for batteries. It is environmentally friendly and over the years, the conversion of the sun’s rays into energy has evolved tremendously.

Prehistoric Times

The use of solar technology is not a new concept. It has been used for thousands of years. In the beginning, solar energy was used to make fires. This was achieved by reflecting the sun through a magnifying glass. This was important for survival purposes, as well as for religious purposes. A few centuries later, it is believed by some that Archimedes was able to use bronze shields to reflect the sun on a boat of the enemy and set fire to it.

1800’s

In 1767, the first solar collector was invented by Horace de Saussure, a Swiss scientist. In the 1800’s, the research into solar technology continued by leaps and bounds. Scientists and professors were able to demonstrate how solar energy could be used to power engines, warm up food, and even a water heater at the end of the 19th century.

Photovoltaic Technology

In 1954, Gerald Pearson, Calvin Fuller, and Daryl Chapin invented the first solar cell that was able to convert large amounts of energy from the sun’s rays into power. These three American scientists were able to use their cells to get enough power to run everyday equipment. Today, solar power can be used to help power buildings, homes, factories, and homes.

For more information on solar batteries in San Diego, please visit this website.

Happy Face Battery



The size of this Optima battery shows you right away that it means business. This view creates an anthropomorphic look, highlighting an open "mouth". Combined with the bright yellow color, this makes the battery hard to miss when you need to locate it. 


The Evolution of Car Batteries

Vehicles have come a long way over the course of history. The car battery has also changed over the years; however it may not have changed as much as you think. Batteries have actually been around for quite some time. The oldest batteries date way back to around 250 B.C. In present day Iraq, these batteries could have been used for medicine, or for electroplating.

Dry Cell Battery

In the 1790’s, the first dry cell battery was introduced by the Italian Alessandro Volta. He was able to produce a positive charge using silver and a negative charge using zinc. The plates he used containing these elements produced electricity. Alessandro Volta is where the word “volt” came from.

Wet Cell Batteries

Lead acid batteries have been around since the 1860’s. It was introduced in France by Georges Leclanche and was the world’s first rechargeable battery. He did this by crushing manganese dioxide and carbon to make a positive charge, and zinc to make a negative charge. Over the years, constant improvements have been made, and around the world, this is still the most commonly used battery for automobiles.

Lithium Ion

Today, some of the vehicles on the road are electric vehicles. This means that instead of using gasoline, they are powered with recharging stations. Lithium ion batteries are a common type of battery used in these cars. The lithium ion battery is quite a bit newer in comparison to the other batteries mentioned, with it not being made available commercially until the 1970’s.

To find out more about car batteries in San Diego, please visit this website.

Taking care of car battery

Learn about some common fixes to car battery-related issues and some simple things you can do to ensure the battery runs longer....read more