General Complaints From Users and How to Handle Them
1. Pilot balls do not come up.
This condition may be caused by
(a) Battery discharged. (b) Weak electrolyte caused by spillage in shipment. (c) Defective ball.
Question the user to determine whether the ball will not come up if the pilot cell is bubbling freely. Weak electrolyte or a defective ball will require a service trip to determine the one which is responsible for the ball not rising. (See page 470.)
2. Lights dim-must charge daily.
This condition may be caused by
(a) Discharged battery. (b) Loose dirty connections in battery or line. (c) Low cells in battery.
The user should be questioned to determine whether the battery is being charged sufficiently. In case the user is positive the battery is charged, the next probable trouble would be that there were some loose or dirty connections in either plant or battery. Have the user check for loose connections. Should it be necessary to make an inspection trip, instruct the user to give battery an equalizing charge so the battery will be fully charged when the inspection is made.
Low cells can be checked by asking the user if all of the cells bubble freely when equalizing charge is given. In case user claims several cells fail to bubble, an inspection trip would be necessary to determine the trouble. (See page 470.)
3. Cells bubbling when on discharge.
This complaint would indicate a reversed cell. (See page 483.)
4. Cells overflowing on charge.
This would mean that the cells were filled too high above water lines.
5. Engine cranks slowly but does not fire.
This would indicate over-discharged battery. Explain to user how to start plant under this condition.
6. Plant will not crank.
This might be caused by
(a) Blown battery fuse. (b) Battery over-discharged. (c) Loose or broken connection on battery or switchboard.