battery desulphators do they work?

[matty879]

has anyone ever used one of these devices,i have been toying with the idea of getting one just to see if they do work,i have a load of scrap batterys at home which really need weighing in,but if i can rejuvinate them,could probably sell them on gumtree,even give some away to fellow shiters.

now can anyone explain how they work in plain english as the sites that sell them dont really explain it too well,can they be used on totaly dead batterys with a charger attached,to force regeneration.any help or comments appreciated.

[hauserplenty]

In a lead-acid battery, the lead is in the acid when it's charged. As it's discharged, the lead attaches to the plates. If they sit discharged for too long, the lead hardens and will not return to the acid. You can simply charge, then discharge any battery with a headlamp several times, and if you have a battery tester which tests it under load, it will tell you which ones are still good. My guess is that a desulfator simply does the same thing you can do with a bit of MacGyvering but possibly much cheaper. I wouldn't buy one, just use what you already have and scrap the batteries which are too sulfated to be re-used. This process is also time-consuming since it's a good idea to re-test a battery which appears good after 24 hours to confirm. I've done this with a 10A charger and a 50W bulb, and it worked, (for a while) but it's a lot of effort for a battery which is often only marginal afterwards.

 

http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/sulfation_and_how_to_prevent_it

 

http://www.superstreetonline.com/how-to/interior-electrical/impp-1105-battery-desulfators-fact-fiction/

 

http://www.impactbattery.com/blog/2013/02/battery-desulfators-do-they-work/

[castros_bro]

As a very basic explanation the lead acid battery consists of  two plates one of lead and one of lead dioxide immersed in an sulphuric acid solution. Charging and discharging means stuff from one plate goes into solution and stuff is deposited from solution on the other plate.  With both lead and sulphate in solution there are circumstances when lead sulphate will form in large crystals in the plates, this lead sulphate crystals covers some of the plate and masks that area from the acid solution thus reducing the battery storage capacity. The pulse generating de-sulpherising chargers try to kick the shit out of the plate surface to displace the lead sulphate crystals with over voltage blips.   They can work BUT there is a difference between lightly bonded small lead sulphate crystals and vast aged bergs of lead sulphate adhering to the plates.  Buy one and start the Autoshite Battery Restorer Loan Scheme.

[Walter White]

I read a test of chargers that had that conditioning option in I think it was pratical classics. They were pricey though,around £100 in that test. They did revive one or two old batteries they had lurking under the workbench, so based on that I'd say they can work. I bet used regularly you could extend the life of your batteries so in the long term it might be worthwhile. I thought about getting one and still thinking but the price puts me off. I will probably wish I had when I need a new battery.

If you get one please post your findings.

[jonny69]

So, if I understand this correctly then, two things are going on. Once the plates have got a bit sulphated, this means that the plates are partially degraded by being covered in crystals, but its storage ability is also degraded by the acid quality (and quantity) being degraded. If you got a battery that was a bit iffy and tipped all the acid out (straight down the manhole, of course*) and replaced it with fresh acid, would you see any improvement?

 

 

 

 

 

*I'm only joking, naturally. Don't do this. It would be far more responsible to tip it out in the local woods where it's not going to hurt anyone.

[jonny69]

Reading up on this. So you could technically tip the depleted acid out, which will be mostly water by the time the battery will not hold a charge. Then 'wash' the lead sulphate crystals off the plates with nitric or hydrochloric acid, rinse the battery out and fill it back up with fresh sulphuric acid. Assuming the plates aren't too far depleted, chances are it'll hold a charge again with no problems. I have no evidence to suggest this will work, but that's how the chemistry works.

[Pete-M]

I've got one of the £40 Halfords jobs and it has brought a couple of dead batteries back from the dead for me so I can't knock it.

 

The other alternative is to go full Pajero and give your battery the short term Pikey fix: take battery out, block vents, turn battery upside down and give it a few half decent taps with a rubber mallet. That'll sometime shift the crap from a shorted out plate and restore life for a few weeks or months. It's nasty and a bit of the dangerous side (so I'm not recommending it to those of a nervous disposition) but it can get life back into a cabbaged battery for a short term fix.

[jonny69]

cabbaged

 

ROFL

[colnerov]

 Hi, you could try Batt aid tablets, we used to use them all the time to reclaim dead batteries. If you can get into the cells then you can over volt each cell to wake it up, then the tablets and charge as normal. We had about an 80% success rate. -

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/GRANVILLE-BAT-AID-CAR-BATTERY-TABLETS-PROLONGS-LIFE-REVITALISES-OLD-BATTERIES-/281200167399?hash=item4178d609e7:g:XBAAAOxyM89SdXKM

 

 Colin

[matty879]

cheers for everyones input,ive decided to just go and buy one,after all,its only the cost of a cheap battery,and if it works for say 25% of the batterys i have,it will pay for itself as i wont need to buy new batterys for my projects,and if i can revive one of my motorcycle batterys,its paid for itself straight away,i will update this thread with my findings.

[GrumpyCat]

Can a battery that has been flat for a number of years ever be reclaimed?

[cobblers]

No it's fucked.

[matty879]

Can a battery that has been flat for a number of years ever be reclaimed?

ive read that if you have a tiny amount of voltage it can be possible,ive got just the battery to try that on

[Walter White]

Does it work then Matty ?