Deep-Cycle Flooded Battery

Flooded batteries are often the most cost-effective choice when compared to sealed batteries. When properly maintained, a flooded battery tends to provide a longer service life.

The lack of a sealed design also makes a flooded battery easier to troubleshoot. In the right conditions, a flooded battery can offer the most efficient option for applications that require a deep cycle battery.

A deep cycle flooded battery has thick plates that are submerged in electrolyte fluid. Battery acid bonds to the plates, creating a chemical reaction that passes through the battery. The fluid allows the battery to charge and discharge more efficiently.

Unlike a sealed battery, a flooded battery does not recombine gases internally. Gases are vented, requiring the need for maintenance to protect the lead plates from corrosion. However, a flooded battery can hold a very good rate of charge.

Deep cycle flooded batteries are among the most common types of deep cycle batteries. Flooded batteries are also available in a wider range of sizes and shapes to accommodate different applications. Certain types of vehicles are equipped with flooded batteries to power the starter and ignition system.

Also called wet cell batteries, flooded batteries are often used for reserve power for utilities, telecommunications, and grid energy storage. The affordability of flooded rechargeable batteries makes them an efficient choice for backup power supplies.

Applications include:

• Cathodic protection, which might include marine use (Other marine use, especially on a sailboat lacking power generation capability, generally smaller vessels)
• Trolling motors for recreational fishing boats and jet boats
• Industrial electrically propelled forklifts and floor sweepers
• Motorized wheelchairs
• Off-grid energy storage systems for solar power or wind power, especially in small installations for a single building or motorhome
• Power for instruments or equipment at remote sites
• Recreational vehicles & Golf Carts
• Traction batteries to propel vehicles, such as golf carts, and other highway electric vehicles
• Traffic signals
• Uninterruptible power supply ('UPS'), usually for computers and associated equipment, but also sump pumps