So, what can you do? For starters, don't toss your golf cart's old battery into a bin with your household recyclables and leave it on the curb. The battery, also referred to as a lead-acid battery, contains about 21 pounds of lead, three pounds of plastic and one gallon of sulfuric acid. These items can be toxic if handled improperly.
If you are the do-it-yourself type, take your spent battery to a quality auto parts retailer that is committed to battery recycling.
Nearly 90 percent of all lead acid batteries are recycled. Almost any retailer that sells lead-acid batteries collects used batteries for recycling, as required by most state laws. Reclaimers crush batteries into nickel-sized pieces and separate the plastic components. They send the plastic to a reprocessor for manufacture into new plastic products and deliver purified lead to battery manufacturers and other industries.
Many states have regulations in place requiring battery recycling. (Thirty-seven states in the U.S. require lead-acid battery recycling; making retailers collect used lead-acid batteries from customers who buy new batteries.)
As neither sulphuric acid nor lead are exactly good for the environment you have to be careful when you dispose of old lead-acid batteries. Leave it for recycling. You can also leave your old battery where you buy your new one. If that should not be the case, contact your local municipality to check where you can safely dispose of old batteries. In the old days, when we changed a battery, we threw out the old one and never gave it a second thought. Today, we know better. We know that: ?Individuals who become poisoned by lead can experience symptoms including irritability, stomach aches, poor appetite, diarrhea, colic, distractibility, and lethargy; ?Lead acid typically consists of 40% sulfuric acid, a corrosive that can burn skin; and ?The improper disposal of lead-acid batteries can contaminate soil and water. The toxic metal is not able to dissolve in water or biodegrade, dissipate, decay, or burn, making it an extremely harmful hazard.
On a positive note it seems as if most people take this seriously. About 93% of all battery lead is recycled, making it the most highly recycled consumer product. Help in making sure we go towards 100%!
The batteries for your golf cart are something you should consider carefully ? remember that you will want your golf cart to last for the duration of the course, which could be quite a long walk. You do not want the batteries to run out before you have finished 18 holes, so you must make the choice carefully. The batteries for your golf cart are essentially the juice that keeps it moving, just like fuel for a car, and it is an important purchase if you want to enjoy your game.
What You Should Know About Batteries.
First of all you should know that the golf cart batteries are going to lose their charge quite easily even if they are just sitting in the golf cart in the off season. Because of this, you have to be sure that you are keeping your golf cart batteries charged up, even if that means coming in every few weeks to charge the batteries as they sit in your golf cart. This is important because the golf cart batteries will actually lose their ability to charge fully if you don't charge them often. You have to charge them even when you aren't using the golf cart.
Another important thing to remember is that it is important to keep your golf cart batteries clean. Under prolonged use, dirt and debris can quickly build up and damage the golf cart. Cleaning the batteries frequently will make sure that you can keep wear and tear down to a minimum level.
When you are buying golf cart batteries you need to pay close attention to the brand. There are simply some brands that are better than others, so you have to be sure that you have researched the different brands and that you know what is best for the place in which you live. There are some brands that are better for cold temperatures, and some brands that work well in extreme heat. You have to be sure that you are buying golf cart batteries that work well with the environment, because your golf cart is going to be used outside all of the time.
When you buy your golf cart batteries, make sure that they come with a warranty, so that you can be confident it will be replaced if it fails sooner than could be reasonably expected. Golf cart batteries are expensive, and the assurance of a warranty will give you peace of mind that you are getting a good, quality product for your money.
Both Ken Mackenzie & Darlene Berkel are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Ken Mackenzie has sinced written about articles on various topics from Finances, College Student Loan and Golf Guide. Ken Mackenzie is a Marketing and Public Relations Consultant with an interest in golf. For additional information on golf cart batteries including how lead acid batteries work; how to use a hydrometer; changing batteries and troubleshooting golf cart batt. Ken Mackenzie's top article generates over 8100 views. to your Favourites.
Darlene Berkel has sinced written about articles on various topics from Golf Guide, Health and Hawaii Vacation. Who else would enjoy a golf vacation? Visit and discover the best. Darlene Berkel's top article generates over 90500 views. to your Favourites.