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Industrial Battery Testing Solutions

Acutest Marketing
May 21, 2025
Standards / Regulatory Compliance
Megger Industrial Battery Testers

🔋 Why Battery Failures Matter – And How Megger Industrial Battery Testers Can Help

Today, we rely more than ever on batteries to keep our systems running. From data centers to hospitals and renewable energy, battery backups are critical. But when batteries fail, the consequences can be serious—and expensive. That’s why using the right tools, like industrial battery testers and megger battery testers, is essential to keep things working smoothly.

Replacing batteries is costly, and downtime can cost even more. Regular testing helps catch problems early. There are two main ways to test batteries:

  • Impedance testing – Done while the battery is online. It helps spot weak cells before they fail. Many industrial battery testers and megger battery testers are built for this.
  • Battery discharge testing – Done offline to show how the battery performs under load. It gives a real-world picture of how the system would behave in an outage.

In floating battery systems, earth faults are a concern. Tools like ground fault tracers—often included with megger battery testers—help track down problems quickly.

 

📈 The Growing Need for Battery Testing

Batteries are no longer optional—they’re a core part of modern life. One hour of downtime in a data center can cost over £80,0000. To avoid this, regular checks with industrial battery testers and megger battery testers are key.

Understanding why batteries fail helps you stay one step ahead. Let’s look at common battery failures and how the right testers can help prevent them.

 

🔋 Common Lead-Acid Battery Failures

  • Positive Grid Corrosion – Caused by heat and overcharging. Industrial battery testers catch these issues early.
  • Sulphation – Happens when batteries sit unused. Megger battery testers can detect it before lasting damage sets in.
  • Internal Shorts – Can happen suddenly. Regular testing with megger battery testers helps find them early.
  • Dry-Out (in VRLA batteries) – Loss of electrolyte raises resistance. Industrial battery testers show performance drops.
  • Thermal Runaway – Overheating danger. Megger battery testers spot early warning signs like rising temperatures.

 

🔋 Common Lithium-Ion Battery Failures

  • SEI Layer Build-Up – Causes heat and voltage issues. Industrial battery testers track these changes.
  • Lithium Plating – A safety hazard. Megger battery testers help catch it early.
  • Uneven Ageing – Different parts wear out unevenly. Industrial battery testers keep systems balanced.
  • BMS Failures – Can allow overcharging or overheating. Megger battery testers offer an extra layer of protection.
  • Inter-Cell Connection Issues – Cause heat and resistance. Megger battery testers detect them quickly.

 

🛡️ The Best Way to Prevent Battery Problems

Most battery failures don’t happen without warning. Regular testing with industrial battery testers and megger battery testers can catch issues early, before they cause trouble.

Benefits of regular testing include:

  • Better reliability
  • Longer battery life
  • Improved safety
  • Lower overall costs 

 

Industrial Battery Testing Schedule

Standard Battery Testing Requirements Summary

The tables below summarise the testing requirements and schedules from the following standards:

  • IEEE Std 450-2010: IEEE Recommended Practice for Maintenance, Testing, and Replacement of Vented Lead-Acid Batteries for Stationary Applications
  • IEEE Std 1188-2005: IEEE Recommended Practice for Maintenance, Testing, and Replacement of Valve-Regulated Lead- Acid (VRLA)  Batteries for Stationary Applications
  • ANSI/NETA MTS-2015
  • NERC Standard PRC-005-6: Protection System, Automatic Reclosing, and Sudden Pressure Relaying Maintenance.

 

I = Indicates recommendations by IEEE Standards

N = Indicates recommendations by NETA Standard for Maintenance Testing Specifications

P = Indicates NERC PRC-005-6 requirements

 

LEAD ACID BATTERY - MONTHLY

LEAD ACID Monthly
ACTIVITY VLA VRLA
Float voltage measured at the battery terminals I   I  
General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation I N I N
Charger output current and voltage I   I  
Crack in cells (evidence of electrolyte leakage) I   I  
Evidence of corrosion at terminals, connectors, racks or cabinets I N I N
Ambient temperature and ventilation I N I N
Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature I      
Battery float charging current or pilot cell specific gravity I      
Unintentional battery grounds I N   N
Electrolyte levels I N    
Cell-to-cell and terminal connection resistance   N6   N6
Structural Integrity of the battery rack   N   N
Verify tightness of accessible bolted electrical connections5   N6   N6
Perform a thermographic survey under load7   N6   N6
Verify presence of flame arresters   N    
Verify existence of suitable eyewash equipment   N   N

 

LEAD ACID BATTERY - QUARTERLY/TRI-ANNUAL

LEAD ACID Quarterly/Tri-annual*
ACTIVITY VLA VRLA
Float voltage measured at the battery terminals I P I  
General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation I   I  
Charger output current and voltage I   I P
Crack in cells (evidence of electrolyte leakage) I   I  
Evidence of corrosion at terminals, connectors, racks or cabinets I   I  
Ambient temperature and ventilation I   I  
Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature I      
Battery float charging current or pilot cell specific gravity I      
Unintentional battery grounds I P   P
Electrolyte levels I P    
Voltage of each cell I   I  
Specific Gravity of 10% of the cells of the battery I2      
Temperature of at least 10% of cells I      
Temperature of the negative terminal of each cell     I  
Cell/unit internal ohmic values     I P10

 

LEAD ACID BATTERY - YEARLY / 18 MONTHS

LEAD ACID Yearly/18-months*
Activity VLA VRLA1
Float voltage measured at the battery terminals I N P I N P1
General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation I     I    
Charger output current and voltage I     I    
Crack in cells (evidence of electrolyte leakage) I     I    
Evidence of corrosion at terminals, connectors, racks or cabinets I     I    
Ambient temperature and ventilation I     I    
Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature I          
Battery float charging current or pilot cell specific gravity I          
Unintentional battery grounds I          
Electrolyte levels I          
Voltage of each cell I N     N  
Specific Gravity of 10% of the cells of the battery I          
Temperature of at least 10% of cells I          
Temperature of the negative terminal of each cell       I N  
Specific Gravity of all cells I2          
Cell condition I   P      
Cell/unit internal ohmic values   N P4 I N P
Cell-to-cell and terminal connection resistance I N P3 I N P
Structural Integrity of the battery rack I   P     P
AC ripple current and/or voltage imposed on the battery       I    
Performance or modified performance capacity test of entire bank I8 N8 P4 I9 N9 P10
Verify equalising voltage setting is in accordance to battery’s manufacturer recommendation   N     N  
Verify all charger functions and alarms   N     N  

 

NiCad BATTERY - QUARTERLY/TRI-ANNUAL

NiCad Quarterly/Tri-annual*
ACTIVITY    
Float voltage measured at the battery terminals I  
General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation I  
Charger output and voltage I  
Electrolyte levels I P
Unintentional battery grounds   P
Crack in cells (evidence of electrolyte leakage) I  
Evidence of corrosion at terminals, connectors, racks or cabinets I  
Ambient temperature and ventilation I  
Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature I  
Verify Station DC supply voltage   P

 

NiCad BATTERY - SEMI-ANNUALLY

NiCad Semi-annually
ACTIVITY  
Float voltage measured at the battery terminals I
General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation I
Charger output and voltage I
Electrolyte levels I
Crack in cells (evidence of electrolyte leakage) I
Evidence of corrosion at terminals, connectors, racks or cabinets I
Ambient temperature and ventilation I
Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature I
Voltage of each cell I

 

NiCad BATTERY - YEARLY / 18 MONTHS

NiCad Yearly/18 months*
ACTIVITY      
Float voltage measured at the battery terminals I N  
General appearance and cleanliness of the whole installation I N P
Charger output and voltage I   P
Charger float and equalising voltage levels. Adjust to manufacturer’s recommended settings.   N P
Verify all charger functions and alarms   N  
Electrolyte levels I    
Crack in cells (evidence of electrolyte leakage) I    
Evidence of corrosion at terminals, connectors, racks or cabinets I    
Ambient temperature and ventilation I N  
Pilot cells (If used) voltage and electrolyte temperature I N  
Voltage of each cell I N5  
Intercell connection torque I    
Condition and resistance of cable connections I N2 P
Verify tightness of accessible bolted electrical connections by calibrated torque-wrench3   N2  
Perform thermographic survey4   N2  
Structural Integrity of the battery rack I N P
Verify existence of suitable eyewash equipment   N  
Verify application of an oxide inhibitor on battery terminal connections   N  
Perform internal ohmic measurements   N  
Perform load test   N6  
Measure battery system voltage from positive-to-ground and negative-to-ground   N  
Performance or modified performance capacity test of entire bank I7 N6  

(correct as of MAY 2025 - to see the Megger Battery Testing document click here)

 

Final Thoughts

Battery problems don’t have to catch you by surprise. Whether it's slow damage like sulphation or fast failures like thermal runaway, most issues are avoidable. With the help of industrial battery testers and megger battery testers, you can spot problems early and take action before it’s too late.

In our next post, we’ll explore the top tools and techniques for battery maintenance. Knowing how batteries fail is important—but knowing how to stop it is what really matters.

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