Posted 2006-04-20 8:02 PM (#40757) Subject: Battery acid on trailer
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303 Location: Grapeland, Texas
Hi, I am new to this site, it is great, very addictive.
Anyway, problem is I bought a used trailer with bad batteries and they boiled over when I hooked it up to electricity and the acid ran down the front of the trailer. Any suggestions on how to clean it up? Thanks!
Posted 2006-04-20 10:35 PM (#40762 - in reply to #40757) Subject: RE: Battery acid on trailer
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
Originally written by longearsrule on 2006-04-20 8:02 PM
Hi, I am new to this site, it is great, very addictive.
Anyway, problem is I bought a used trailer with bad batteries and they boiled over when I hooked it up to electricity and the acid ran down the front of the trailer. Any suggestions on how to clean it up? Thanks!
Wet down the area and sprinkle baking soda on it. It will nuetralize the acid.
Posted 2006-04-21 8:29 PM (#40808 - in reply to #40757) Subject: RE: Battery acid on trailer
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by longearsrule on 2006-04-20 9:02 PM
Hi, I am new to this site, it is great, very addictive.
Anyway, problem is I bought a used trailer with bad batteries and they boiled over when I hooked it up to electricity and the acid ran down the front of the trailer. Any suggestions on how to clean it up? Thanks!
Hi and welcome.
I doubt that the batteries "boiled".
It is more likely that they were topped up before charging and overflowed.
It is a common mistake to fill a flat battery and then charge it.
Anyway, hose it off well and you should be all done.
Baking soda if it makes you feel better about neutralising the acid, but it isn't necessary if you hose it off well.
Posted 2006-04-21 10:07 PM (#40811 - in reply to #40757) Subject: RE: Battery acid on trailer
Regular
Posts: 70 Location: Spanaway,Wa
Water will only was the acid off it won't stop the chemical reaction that has already started. One of the best ways to treat battery spills is to make a paste of bakingsoda and water. Just smear it on and let it sit a while. Then flush the area well with clean water. If it's on a painted surface it may need a quick poof can job immediatly to keep it from rusting.
Posted 2006-04-21 11:06 PM (#40812 - in reply to #40811) Subject: RE: Battery acid on trailer
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 303 Location: Grapeland, Texas
I did the baking soda thing, twice. It is on aluminum, can it be buffed out someway also?
Don't know if they were over filled or what, I didn't do anything to them except to plug the trailer in to charge them up. Sure messed up a nice trailer. New batteries are doing fine. Thanks for the input.
Posted 2006-04-22 2:48 PM (#40822 - in reply to #40812) Subject: RE: Battery acid on trailer
Expert
Posts: 2689
Originally written by longearsrule on 2006-04-21 12:06 AM
I did the baking soda thing, twice. It is on aluminum, can it be buffed out someway also?
Don't know if they were over filled or what, I didn't do anything to them except to plug the trailer in to charge them up. Sure messed up a nice trailer. New batteries are doing fine. Thanks for the input.
In the hour or more that it took you to post here, get a response and execute it - the acid was essentially GONE, i.e. the reaction had run it's course.
Spattering baking soda on the area initiated a new reaction (Alkali on Aluminum), so you probably now have more mess than if you had just hosed it off. I don't remember which salts of aluminum turn the surface black or white. For mere APPEARANCE you can probably do a fair/good job by brushing it out with a stainless steel wire brush or FINE stainless steel wire wool (and elbow grease). Stainless brushes are cheap at a local welding supply shop, they're probably one of the cheapest items there. AVOID regular steel brushes or "Brillo" pads.
Battery acid on trailer
