"Roger Long" wrote in message
...
Charlie Morgan wrote:

. They also charge faster than flooded cells due to lower internal
resistance.

I hadn't heard that but can believe it.

The significant differences I'm aware of are the lack of convection
cooling when you try to charge them more quickly than a reasonable boater
would want to and the inability to tweak and replace the electrolyte after
they have been abused. Neither should be an issue with normal use.

I'm sure we'll hear from Larry shortly but I can't see any good reason to
be carrying semi closed containers of liquid acid around inside my
sailboat.

--
Roger Long

Everything I've read on battery maintenance says to NEVER add acid to the
cells -- only distilled water. Now granted, someone, somewhere, at some time
had to have put acid in those cells, and proper fluid level may give an
improper mix... maybe? Still, I think I'll stick with adding water only.

"KLC Lewis" wrote

Everything I've read on battery maintenance says to NEVER add acid to the
cells -- only distilled water.

Quite right. The semi closed containers I was referring to are the
batteries themselves. Checking the electrolyte and adding distilled water
is still an operation that involves (or should) goggles and acid in the
often confined and contorted spaces of a sailboat.