Battery Basics

What Is a Battery?

What a battery is, how it works, and the main battery types - explained by Western Electrical battery experts.

Lead-Acid Battery

How lead acid batteries work: construction, working principle, main types and key technologies, explained in plain English.

Types of Lead-Acid Batteries

Main types of lead-acid batteries explained: flooded, AGM, GEL, OPzV and OPzS designs for starting, motive and standby applications.

VRLA Batteries: Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid Batteries Explained

How VRLA batteries recombine gas internally: AGM and GEL designs, key advantages, limitations and their main standby and deep-cycle applications.

Battery Terms, Definitions and Glossary

Complete A-Z battery glossary with clear, plain English definitions of lead acid battery terms, from AGM and CCA to VRLA.

How to Handle Lead-Acid Batteries Safely: A Practical Guide

How to handle lead-acid batteries safely: hazards, protective gear, first aid and the meaning of every standard battery warning label.

Battery Self-Discharge Explained: Rates by Type and the FIFO Rule

How fast each lead-acid battery type self-discharges, and the first in, first out rule that protects stored stock.

Series and Parallel Battery Connections

How series and parallel connections change voltage and capacity, and the matching rules that keep a multi-battery setup safe.