:   Why does a lead acid battery discharge and become dead (totally unuseable)
: when stored on a concrete floor?  

It could be that you stored it somewhere that it could become covered
by moisture or damp air, which would short out the terminals.

The same thing happens to my car (Citroen 2CV) -- damp gets under the
bonnet (US: "hood") and shorts the spark-plugs to earth so it won't start.

The solution (for the car) is to clean the plug leads and spray with
WD-40 (moisture repellant).  If damp *is* the problem, then storing the 
battery off the ground may help.  I'm not sure if spraying with WD-40
would be safe since it is very flammable (high percentage petroleum).

Just a thought...

Chris
