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From what I have been told, do not store on concrete, block it up on wood.

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So, what's the deal with concrete?

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What I learned from a physics/chemistry teacher way back, two things.

First, when the battery runs over it spills on and makes a mess of the concrete.

Second, the battery is usually grimy & dust covered and often collects condensation being on a cool/cold floor. The slight amount of moisture will allow an extremely small amount of current to flow and discharge the battery. When its dead it is usually in January and the battery will freeze and split open, making the mess from point # one much, much worse.

Valid points? First one yes, 2nd is open for debate.

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Indeed. The debate includes some who firmly believe the "concrete can drain a [clean] battery" claim to be a wives tale.
Even so, some insulating wood sure isn't going to hurt anything...

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The old "don't store on concrete" originated YEARS ago when cases were made out of asphalt or some simalar material. Modern plastic cases don't have that issue. Concrete is fine to store them on.

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A charged battery is a happy battery. Sulfation is a natural part of the discharge process, but as long as the battery is recharged fairly quickly, the lead sulfate changes back into lead (this is why I recharge the battery in the race car at the track AND immediately when I get home). When the battery sits discharged for long periods of time the lead sulfate crystalizes and it becomes difficult for the charging process to convert it back to lead. Trickle chargers work well, but the battery will use water which causes the specific gravity to increase and as long as you can top it off the battery won't destroy itself (acid concentration gets too high). Batteries self discharge naturally, so some method of keeping them charged is a must; heat causes the battery to self discharge faster and will shorten the life of a battery. Batteries in Southern climates don't last as long as in the North even if they are properly cared for. An unattended battery sitting in a 100 degree shed in FL can discharge enough in 3 months to cause irrepairable damage. A battery's life is determined by the environment and number of cycles it experiences. The life of an unused lead-acid battery can be extended almost indefinitely by keeping it fully charged (not overcharging it) and stored in a cool dry place.

The only possible issue with storing on a concrete floor is the temperature difference between the slab and surrounding air. That could cause a temperature differential inside the battery which affects the charging process (easier to charge a hot battery than a cold one). I had this problem in Alaska at some outdoor sites; throwing a block of wood under the battery solved that problem. Probably not necessary in your garage, but not a bad idea.

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Hokum, pure hokum!

The lead-acid battery discharges over time ALL BY ITSELF. It is the nature of the lead acid battery. It loses a certain percentage of charge every month.
All the guesswork about the concrete floor or block of wood MAY HAVE BEEN VALID IN 1940. It isn't valid any more.

The problem with letting a battery sit untended is that over time,as the battery discharges, the plates get lead sulfate deposited on them. This diminishes the amount of surface area of the plates that is available to produce current. After a year or two sitting without use or charge the battery will be almost totally sulfated and won't store any energy.

You could hang a charged battery by nylon fishing line in zero relative humidity AND IT WOULD STILL DISCHARGE and after a year or two it would be completely sulfated and worthless.

"Battery rebuilders" manage to gain some life back from sulfated batteries by cleaning them out, replacing the electrolyte and running alternating current through them to get the sulfate off the plates. If the core battery was in pretty good shape a "rebuilt" battery can last a couple of years in daily use.

My late Dad's farm tractors had three long skinny batteries and he wouldn't trickle charge them over the winter. We would have to replace them almost every year. I'd hear the same sad song about "they don't make batteries like they used to".

Keep your batteries charged and they'll last a surprisingly long time.

R.

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Use a proper trickle charger that shuts off on a full charge and you're good to go.

Dave