Miners lamp battery assistance.

[Retired LTC USAR]

I have acquired an old miners lamp. The water has evaporated out of the battery. I filled it with distilled water, but it will only generate about 6 hours worth of light (should be at least 8 hrs).

Any suggestions/ideas to recondition the battery?

 

[Alpo]

Like this?

Mining Lights and Hats | National Museum of American History

With that old of technology, I'd assume it's lead/acid. Maybe replacing the electrolyte would help. Try testing it with a hydrometer and see how much acid is in the mix. Should be 35/65 acid/water.

Battery Basics: A Layman's Guide to Batte | BatteryStuff Articles

 

[zzzippper]

Ah, memories of toasting ants with my grandpa's old carbide lamp!

 

[NCTexan]

This was one of the most obscure topics that I've seen posted here in the Lounge... and we get some pretty obscure ones at that.

I love the breadth of interest and knowlege of the members of this forum.

That's why I jumped into this topic. Waking this morning, I was never expecting that I'd learn more about miner's lamp batteries.

 

[Coldshooter]

You might take it to a good autoparts place and see if they can test and make suggestions. All my miners lamps run on carbide I'm not sure about this high tech electricity.

 

[gm272gs]

I'm thinking that an old battery- that was dry - and now gives you 6 hours of use (in lieu of 8) is about as good as anyone could expect.

 

[msinc]

Sounds like you got a Wheat light battery??? They were still in use when I worked in the mines. Is it red plastic and does it have two little windows with holes to put the acid??? If so that is a 4 volt Koehler Wheat battery. If the head piece has what looks like a key slot for the charger you have a 5100. If it has a clear red ring on the lens and a slide on type charger it's a 5200.
As far as the battery goes they always said you could get 14 hours out of them but I never had one do it. Also, it matters what bulb you use. In the 70's/80's those lights got popular with coon hunters. Later in the mid 80's several companies offered brighter bulbs. You got less run time with the brighter bulbs. The standard bulb should be a BM30.
I would suggest you draw out the water and get the cells as dry as you can, then inject some electrolyte. There used to be some outfits that offered more powerful electrolyte that was supposed to be for rejuvenating cold ar batteries. If you can find some of that it's even better as it is nothing more than stronger electrolyte.
I am curious which light you have...let us know if it's something different than what I described.

 

[Retired LTC USAR]

msinc: you got it right.........exactly what I have. Where can I get the electrolyte?

 

[BaaBaa]

All my miners lamps run on carbide I'm not sure about this high tech electricity.

I'm with you, My first thought on this was did he replace the carbide Glad to read further that the problem is solved.

 

[msinc]

msinc: you got it right.........exactly what I have. Where can I get the electrolyte?

Autozone has it. Just about any car supply outfit should have electrolyte. You need {but you must already have one} a fill bottle with a long thin tube to get the electrolyte into the Wheat battery. I don't know if you can still get that booster stuff any more, I haven't heard mention of it in a while.
I wouldn't count on getting new battery performance though. That battery is probably at least 20 years old. They were tough for use in the mines and would last a very long time. Not that the battery cover or "housing" as it was called is an accurate indicator of age but the last of those type batteries had a black plastic housing. The housing is the part that goes on the top of the battery. the most commonly used type was nickel plated brass. The later metal housings had a Canada certification on them as well {should have a maple leaf engraved on it.}
Also the head piece factors into the age...the 5200 was the newer style and the last to be used with that type 4 volt battery.
Koehler still makes the Wheat light for the mines but the newest one is cordless and an LED bulb.
Many coonhunters still use the old style head piece because the newer LED bulbs are so bright white it is hard to get a raccoon to look at it.
If the housing is in really good shape you are lucky...they got beat pretty bad in the mines. Actually so did the head piece but all of the parts were replaceable and had to be kept up with so many of them got updated to new parts. It seemed like the housings never got changed much. Post us some pictures of your light if you get a chance.

 

[rm31859]

I realize this is an older post but there may be someone else out there needing info on these old lamps and batteries. I am a retired disabled firefighter and I collect Fire dept items. I have a set of Koehler hand lamps and charger that came off of a fire truck. The lamps use these old Koehler Wheat model 5000 series batteries. If the battery has gone totally dry, the plates have probably welded themselves together and will probably never work again. You can try adding electrolyte and maybe it will work. Each cell holds 162 cc's of Sulfuric acid and distilled water diluted to 1.295 specific gravity @ 60 deg Fahrenheit. You can get electrolyte at an auto parts store but the SG may be different. Your best bet is a battery store that can custom mix the electrolyte. Right now as I post this, there is an ebay seller who has New Old stock batteries that will need to have electrolyte added to activate them. Stay away from used batteries.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I realize this is an older post but there may be someone else out there needing info on these old lamps and batteries. I am a retired disabled firefighter and I collect Fire dept items.

Welcome to the forum and thanks for chiming in.

 

[Dave.357]

I have thrown all the batteries away but if
You need any other parts message me.
I have complete lights minus batteries
You pay shipping and they will be yours

 

[Greyman50]

We used carbide “ miner lights” to blacken the sights on our 1911’s on the Army team. Long time ago.

 

[AJ]

We used carbide “ miner lights” to blacken the sights on our 1911’s on the Army team. Long time ago.

We used some like this and also larger versions.

 

[Greyman50]

Army just had the old fashioned ones, used to see them at gun shows and anyone under 50 had no clue, lol.

 

[smoothshooter]

Never heard of the kind that have a battery and use water.
Am very familiar with the carbide lamps, though.

 

[smoothshooter]

We used some like this and also larger versions.

I was issued one of them when I shot on the State High-Power Rifle team.
I had forgotten all about those.

I got interested in carbide lamps years ago.
The idea of mixing gravel and water together and getting fire was just too cool of a concept for me to pass up so I got one of the head lamps.