U.S. Battery debuts electrolyte sensor

U.S. Battery has unveiled the Sense Smart electrolyte sensor valve, a single replacement valve with a built-in probe and LED indicator that lets operators know when a set of batteries require watering. Flooded lead-acid batteries lose water from normal evaporation and charging. Adding a Sense Smart electrolyte sensor valve into one of the batteries in the vehicle's battery set can monitor the electrolyte levels of the entire pack.

"Many industries have switched to battery powered vehicles for their fleets, and know that flooded lead-acid batteries are the most cost effective method to power them," said Don Wallace, U.S. Battery CMO/executive vice president. "The problem is providing proper maintenance to all those batteries can be overwhelming and time consuming. The Sense Smart valve takes the guesswork out of battery watering maintenance, which when done routinely, can dramatically improve battery life, save time, and substantially reduce annual operating costs."

According to the Battery Watering Technologies, the manufacturer of the valve, the Sense Smart valve is the only valve of its kind with a built-in processor and probe that triggers an LED indicator light, mounted to the battery pack, and tells operators if the battery set needs water.

A solid green light indicates the electrolyte level of the set is okay. A solid red light tells operators to add water after the next full-charge. A blinking red light indicates the electrolyte level has been low for more than 10 days and requires immediate attention.

The Sense Smart electrolyte sensor valve (TBU 1000) replaces one cell vent cap on a single battery of a connected battery set, and doesn't require drilling or calibration. An optional system (TBU 2000) includes a dash mounted LED indicator with a 6-foot wire lead. The Sense Smart valve fits a variety of 6-volt, 8-volt, and 12-volt batteries and works with all BWT single point watering systems.