What is the shelf life of a sealed lead acid battery?

The shelf life of sealed lead acid batteries varies according to several factors

  1. Temperature: (The ideal temperature to store SLA batteries is 50 degrees Ferhnheit or less.)
  2. Capacity: (Was the battery fully charged when placed on the shelf and is it being recharged periodically?)
  3. Age: (All sealed lead acid batteries eventually exceed there life expectency.)

A SLA (Sealed Lead Acid) battery can generally sit on a shelf at room temperature with no charging for up to a year when at full capacity, but is not recommended. Sealed Lead Acid batteries should be charged at least every 6 – 9 months. A sealed lead acid battery generally discharges 3% every month.

Sulfation of SLA Batteries

If a SLA battery is allowed to discharge to a certain point, you may end up with sulfation and render your battery useless, never getting the intended life span out of the battery. Sulfation is when the electrolyte in the sealed lead acid battery begins to break down. Sulfur in the solution leachs from the electrolyte and begins to stick to the lead plates becoming Lead Sulfuric Crystals. The crystal build up on the lead plates keeps the plates from working as intended and also eliminates the needed sulfur in the electrolyte solution.

Storage Temperatures of SLA Batteries

The combination of these issues weakens the ability of the battery to accept and and deliver a charge. If you are going to store sealed lead acid batteries on a shelf without charging them, it is recommended you store the batteries at 50 degrees Fahrenheit/ 10 degrees Celsius or less.

Periodic Recharging of SLA Batteries

When storing sealed lead acid batteries for long periods, it is recommended that you top charge the batteries periodically. The top charge should be for 20 – 24 hours at a constant voltage of 2.4 volts per cell. 6 volt sealed lead acid batteries have 3 cells which amounts to 7.2 volts where as 12 volt sealed lead acid batteries have 6 cells which amounts to 14.4 volts.

Replacing your SLA battery

If your SLA battery has been stored for some time and is now not holding a charge then it is no longer serviceable and will need to be replaced.

Whatever the battery is, BatteryGuy can offer you substantial savings. To make it easy we’ve made it possible for you to search out your replacement in a number of ways:

  • With over 10,000 cross references you can find your replacement using the part number of the battery you have just removed.
  • By dimensions, voltage and Amperage if you can’t see any part number

To search online visit our how to find your replacement battery page or simply call us Toll Free on 800-572-1975.

See also How to store lead acid batteries.

Was this article helpful?

Related Articles

16 Comments

  1. santhosh kumar

    We have purchased lead acid batteries and kept unused in out store for 3 years.
    Storage is proper. Will it affect the performance of battery , when put in to service.
    Please clarify

    1. BatteryGuy Editor

      Unfortunately at this point they have been permanently damaged unless you have been top charging them approx. every 6 – 9 months. Here at our plant we recommend every 3 – 6 months they be top charged and marked with the date they were charged. If they have been in storage, even in an ideal temperature setting (68º – 78º) and not top charged, sulfation has occurred on the negative plates and will have had a detrimental effect on the battery now taking a charge.

      If you have been keeping them regularly top charged, you will more than likely still have batteries that perform just well, but are closer to the end of life and excepting less and less of a full charge.

  2. Dan Griscom

    The article says “it is recommended you store the batteries at 50 degrees Farenheit/ 10 degrees Celsius or less”; surely there’s a minimum temperature?

    1. BatteryGuy Editor

      Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries from manufacturers such as Power Sonic can be stored from -4º F to +122º F and operate normally. The answer to your question being -4º F is the minimum recommend storage temperature to store a Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) battery. Also of note – Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries can also be stored in extreme conditions down to -40º F and up to +140º F, but won’t except a charge/ cycle as designed in these conditions. In extreme conditions below -4º F and above +140 F, you may only be able to charge your battery up to say approximately 50% because of the extremes.

  3. Richard Ryan

    SLA batteries in cheel chairs only last up to 2 years. They seem tonstill have proper charge, but won’t operate chair at all well. This is with consistent charging with proper device.
    Without beating around the bush, can you give the main reason. I suspect buildup of gas in the gel.

    1. BatteryGuy Editor

      If you use the chair on a daily basis, then 2 years is probably about the average lifespan. These batteries are worked very hard and tend to degrade faster than something only occasionally used that is maintained properly. If someone didn’t use their wheelchair on a daily basis and unplugged the batteries when not in use, they could get approx. 2 1/2 – 3 years of life out of their batteries. You also don’t want to completely drain your batteries as this can really wear them down. It is best to start charging the batteries when it gets near 25% capacity.

  4. Bruce

    is it better to run a battery all the way down and then recharge it. or is it better to never run a battery all the way down

    1. BatteryGuy Editor

      In regards to Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries – You can cause permanent damage to some or all of the individual cells that are within the battery itself if it is discharged too deeply. Also, polarity can reverse in the weaker cells and cause permanent damage. If the batteries are recoverable, damage may have occurred that will never allow you a full charge again. You may only get 80% – 90% or less of the original charge. Manufacturers recommend they be charged once they reach 70% capacity.

  5. Ahmad Naweed

    Hi
    I have a question about VRLA batteries, please answer me
    can i use a VRLA trojan battery which is made on 10, 2018

    1. BatteryGuy

      As mentioned in the article the state of a VRLA battery that is a couple of years old depends greatly on the way it has been stored. A battery made in 2018 might be at or very near the end of its life if it has been stored badly or in close to ideal condition if it has been stored in optimal conditions.

  6. Actuarial Bob

    Your article was a problem for me because you make a mistake in the first paragraph. You said” Age: (All sealed lead acid batteries eventually exceed there life expectency.)“
    As an actuary, it’s impossible that “All” could live beyond their life expectancies. Come on, I don’t have to explain more……minimalistic point; who would expect all batteries to live longer than they expect?? LOLOL

    1. BatteryGuy

      Thanks for your comment – that has been corrected

  7. Steve

    I have a Coleman Quickpump rechargeable pump with a built-in sla battery. The charging and recharging instructions are clear but I’m trying to find out if the device can be safely stored in a container such as a lidded Rubbermaid type? Was considering storing with some inflatables.

  8. Michael Shurack

    I have a 240 gallon aquarium which is connected to a Hurricane Category 5 battery backup air pump which houses a Yuasa NP4-6, (6V,4.0 Ah) valve regulated sealed lead-acid type rechargeable battery. How often should I discharge the battery by unplugging the A/C electrical power and for how long should the battery be discharged? Also how often should the battery be completely replaced? This is vital because I have over $2,000 worth of African and South American Cichlids in the tank and I need to know that the battery will absolutely work if there’s a power outage either in the middle of the night or when I am not at home. Thank you for your expertise.

  9. Thomsom

    Is it good to remove the acid from the battery if you are not going to use them for a while

    1. BatteryGuy

      Absolutely not! This would cause corrosion of the plates and damage the battery’s performance.

Leave a Reply to BatteryGuy Editor Cancel Reply