Lead Acid batteries, can they be revived?

[aczlan]

ive heard of these methods also, but personally id take the $5/battery from the recyclers, add it times x number of batteries and buy a new one hehe

Depending on the battery, you might get more than that from a scrap yard (ie: $8-10 for a big battery).

Aaron Z

 

[Patf10]

Ive heard optima makes a charger that mas a restore option on it. I have hear it works decent. its a 200$ charger though.

 

[GManBart]

I just got a Noco Genius charger for a work application...they say it will recover mildly (whatever that means) sulfated batteries. They vary in price, but you can get one for $100 that has the recovery mode.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I just got a Noco Genius charger for a work application...they say it will recover mildly (whatever that means) sulfated batteries. They vary in price, but you can get one for $100 that has the recovery mode.

Or you can spend that $100 and get at least one good battery in the deal.

 

[GManBart]

Or you can spend that $100 and get at least one good battery in the deal.

For my own setup, the batteries are about double that. I'm getting one of the onboard smart chargers that will charge, recharge, maintain, etc...hopefully that will prevent sulfation in the first place. The fact that it will recover slightly sulfated batteries is really secondary.

 

[paulharvey]

Well, being that I have one that isn't currently in use (the heavy equipment battery) I think I'm going to open it up and see how bad the sulfur build up is, and possibly try the 10 spoons of Epsom salt in hot distilled water. I don't think I'll try the welder trick unless I can find someone who has actually tried it, and had results. Batteries have gotten expensive for something that doesn't last more than 3 or 4 years.

 

[GManBart]

Well, being that I have one that isn't currently in use (the heavy equipment battery) I think I'm going to open it up and see how bad the sulfur build up is, and possibly try the 10 spoons of Epsom salt in hot distilled water. I don't think I'll try the welder trick unless I can find someone who has actually tried it, and had results. Batteries have gotten expensive for something that doesn't last more than 3 or 4 years.

That's why I'm going to put smart charger/tenders on my truck, and both tractors....figure over time it might pay for itself by extending the life of all the batteries. I have a work vehicle, so my truck will frequently go a couple of weeks without being driven, and there are times when one of the tractors will sit for a month. At the least I'll know that they'll always be fully charged.

 

[crazyal]

I have a BatteryMinder (think that's how it's spelled). It works pretty good but it's not a miracle worker. At first I thought it was useless, tried to restore a couple of batteries that just wouldn't take a charge and it didn't work. I gave up on it and tossed it in the junk drawer. A few years later I thought I would use it on a weak battery because it was also a trickle charger. The first time I used it the battery was charged back up over night, removed the charger, and a few weeks later it was dead again. A month or so later I did the same thing but forgot it was charging and after a week I realized it was still charging so I removed it. After that the battery never gave me a problem for over a year (that includes starting a farm truck in the dead of a Vermont winter). Since then I have used it one a half dozen batteries and all are still working fine today.

I would suggest getting one and making it a habit of using it on batteries that don't get much use, maybe once in the summer and twice in the winter before they get to the point of failure. If you do revive a battery that was 100% dead or close to it you'll never get it back to it's full capacity so try not to let it happen.

 

[batwing]

Well, being that I have one that isn't currently in use (the heavy equipment battery) I think I'm going to open it up and see how bad the sulfur build up is, and possibly try the 10 spoons of Epsom salt in hot distilled water. I don't think I'll try the welder trick unless I can find someone who has actually tried it, and had results. Batteries have gotten expensive for something that doesn't last more than 3 or 4 years.

There was a guy who rebuilt batteries around here when you could take them apart, he would take good cells from one battery and replace the bad cells in another, If I remember correctly he would guarantee the battery for one year for 5 dollars. After the plastic case batteries came out he would empty the acid out put distilled water and Epson salt in hook charger up for twenty four hours to clean and soften the plates up then new acid. They usually did not last very lone.
Ron

 

[buickanddeere]

Lead acid batteries are only revived by draining the acid then refining the acid. Then drop the battery into a grinder. Separate the lead from the plastic. Re-cycle the plastic. Melt and refine the lead. Cast new lead plates and assemble into new plastic case. Add acid and charge.