In this article on Basement Watchdog Battery Alarm Add Distilled Water, I am going to talk about:
- How to add distilled water to Watchdog Battery?
- FAQs
- End-Note
Table of Contents
Basement Watchdog Battery Alarm: Add Distilled Water
The control unit of Basement Watchdog features a series of warning lights that indicate potential problems.
And Water is one of the warning lights & alarms among them. When you see this warning light on the controller, understand you need to add distilled water to the battery.
Adding distilled water to Watchdog battery is super simple. Just follow the below step-by-step instructions and fill each cell of the battery correctly- with distilled water:
1. Detach the charger from the power outlet (wall outlet).
2. Push in the tabs on the front and back, lift up the cover and take it out of the battery box.
3. Using a non-metallic material aka a piece of cardboard to fan the area around the top of the battery so that you don’t inhale the gas like hydrogen that may emit from the battery.
4. Unfasten the wing nuts, pull out the battery cables, and take out the fluid sensor from the battery.
5. Now, remove the battery caps and add distilled water to each cell. If the distilled water is out of stock or not available, you can use tap water with a low mineral content. However, it’s completely abandoned to use well water.
Pro Tips: Never add excessive acids. Fill each cell of the battery to level 2 as you see in the following diagram.
6. Once you add correctly add distilled water to each cell, replace the battery caps. Put the fluid sensor back into its place- in the 2nd cell from the positive post.
You can easily locate the hole as it’s marked with an arrow. Reconnect the battery cables- attach the black wire to the Negative post and the red on to the Positive post.
Fasten the wing nuts and tighten them up.
7. Replace the battery cover in its place. Finally, complete the task by plugging the charger back into the wall outlet.
FAQs
Does sump pump battery need distilled water?
Yes, sump pumps, in most cases, battery backup sump pumps need distilled water. You must maintain the right level of distilled water in each cell of the battery to let the battery perform like a charm. If the water gets evaporated, the controller unit will light the Water alarm.
How do I know if my battery needs distilled water?
Most battery backup sump pumps like the Basement Watchdog feature a series of warning lights. Once the level of distilled water in each cell of the battery gets lower, the control unit will glow an indicator called Water. It indicates you need to add distilled water to your battery.
What happens if distilled water is low in battery?
If the level of distilled water in the battery gets lower, the electrolyte will go out of balance. In other words, the battery will become acidic and cause sulphation in the battery plate. As a result, no current will flow through the electrolyte to power up the system.
What can I use instead of distilled water in the battery?
If distilled water is not available, you can use tap water that contains lower minerals. Never use well water in the battery cell.
End-Note
Glowing Water alarm on the control unit means you need to add distilled water to your Basement Watchdog battery. And adding distilled water to the battery is not rocket science. In this guide, I broke down 7 easy steps to add distilled water to the battery. Follow those seven steps and have the battery filled up successfully.
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Eric Alvarez is the head of content on LilDutchUncle.Com. He is an HVAC guy based in El Paso, Texas, United States. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from the University Of Texas at El Paso. Years of experience in the HVAC field have taught him many lessons, not the least of which is that the value of quality and knowledge far exceeds any promised initial savings. He has a good standing reputation for superior skills in heating, air conditioning, hot water tanks, and indoor air quality systems.
