Letting an old battery sit (anywhere) will contribute to further decay and quicker failure. Concrete floor is the usual suspect because that's where most old batteries end up, so it always gets the blame. However, the concrete does not necessarily cause a battery to "drain" or go bad. Lead/acid batteries will last about four years if you take good care of them. When you take them out of a car, they discharge, corrode, freeze, and fail. It has nothing to do with the surface upon which they are sitting. Okay, if the car sits without running for an extended period, the idle battery will age disproportionately. Does anybody blame sitting in a car? Nope. Your teacher isn't lying, he's just passing along entrenched folklore. You're quick-witted to catch it, and will make a good trouble shooter. Don't be distracted by factors that have no bearing on the problem. Watch for the real problem and find actual evidence.
Now lets put some critical thinking to the idea that it can discharge through the plastic case when sitting on a concrete floor. If it did why wouldn't it discharge when sitting on a steel plate (the battery holder in your car) when it was damp outside or the car was driven through rain, etc. Plastic does not conduct electricity so no the battery will not discharge; this is an old wives tale. It is best to keep a battery that is out of a car in a cool environment as it slows down the chemical reaction in the battery and makes it last longer.
I recently heard a group of auto "experts" on the radio discussing this . . . . they all agreed that it is untrue, a myth, old wives tale, doesn't apply to modern batteries, etc. etc.
But those of us who have been around cars all of our lives believe it to be true.
Why take a chance: store the battery on a workbench instead of the concrete floor !!
in the days of old (6 Volt ) it was a true fact sitting the battery on concrete drained it quicker. due to the materials in the case being mosre conductive.. with the advent of modern plastics .. this age of conductiveness is gone
He is correct. Condensation moisture forming on the battery case will conduct voltage from the terminals to the damp concrete floor. It should stand on a shelf or at least on a piece of dry wood or plastic. He knows his onions, as we say.
Pay a little more attention in English class. Auto mechanic is 2 words and the correct spelling is LYING, not "lieing".
He is not lying, more of has been misinformed and believing an old myth. This rumor has been going around for a long time and has been proven to be false.
It's an old wives tail! He's wrong.
It's true, it can discharge through the plastic case.
hubble.
He says if you put a car battery on the cement floor it will drain the battery? Is this true or does he have a miss understanding of something?
