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The complete guide on how to recondition batteries at home, Batteries are absolutely critical to every imaginable modern electronic device nowadays.
From the iPod to your digital camera, your remote control to your cars, you simply cannot ignore battery power anymore in your day-to-day lives.
Who would have thought that something so simple as a little box or a power source would change the face of electronics, at least at the consumer level?
However, despite all their convenience, it is almost inevitable that you will have to eventually throw them away and just replace the dead batteries with new ones.
It’s not just an inconvenience but a financial burden, especially for most people living on a tight budget. Is there a better way to be able to reuse them rather than throw them away?
This is where the idea of battery reconditioning comes into the picture. Reconditioning is basically a way wherein you can rejuvenate or revitalize dead batteries that have lost all the power they once had.
It is a practice that has been around for quite some time now and is highly used by those in need to prolong battery life on all types of electronics.
In fact, millions of people have already reconditioned their batteries and have saved a ton of money in the process. Battery reconditioning is an art that is seldom talked about and is a valuable skill that any homeowner and DIY enthusiasts need to learn.
Access Now: Dead Simple Trick To Bring Any Battery Back To Life
Why Recondition Batteries in the First Place?
Reconditioning batteries is really something that everyone should learn because of its many positive effects.
You must try to master this practice so you would have your own set of fully functional batteries in case you needed. Some of the most obvious reasons to recondition batteries would be:
1. Saving money:
Battery reconditioning will certainly save you a great deal of money. If you are not already aware of it, batteries, especially car batteries, are very expensive.
Car owners can avoid buying a new battery if they are at least familiar with reconditioning techniques. If you take detailed training, it won’t cost you more than $100 to enjoy your car for another year or two.
In addition to saving you money, battery reconditioning will also help you get rid of the guilt you feel when you throw away potentially good batteries.
2. Being Eco-Friendly:
Reconditioning batteries also means being eco-friendly. Instead of purchasing new ones, you’ll be able to completely rejuvenate the old ones so you can use them again for totally free.
Reconditioning batteries also helps reduce the number of electronic wastes and hence promotes green living. And to be honest, who wouldn’t like to be a little more environmentally conscious?
3. Practical Applications:
Aside from home, you may also be able to use the learned battery reconditioning knowledge to help your business or to earn some extra money.
For instance, you may be able to recondition batteries for neighbors or friends and make a little cash on the side. This practice is not limited to professional use as you may also be able to administer the knowledge to family members or friends.
4. Learning a New Skill:
Lastly, one of the best things about battery reconditioning is that it can teach you a new skill that will be really valuable to you, especially if you are the DIY kind of person.
There are plenty of DIY websites and forums that are useful to both the newbies and the pros out there. The same goes for learning a new skill with the help of instructional videos on YouTube.
Why Do Batteries Degrade?
Batteries are organic, and over time, like any organism, they grow older, and the chemical processes occurring inside begin to weaken. Batteries are composed of either lead, nickel-cadmium, or lead-acid.
When you feed electric current to them, they become charged as the hydrogen is released or oxidized within them. It is this same chemical reaction that causes the batteries to degrade in the long run.
The electrolyte, which is basically composed of sulphuric acid, is necessary for the chemical reaction to occur. As the battery wears out, it leaks sulphuric acid, and this can compromise and corrode the battery terminals.
The reason why the acid is leaking is that the battery casing or the casing around the plates are all weak because they are badly made or old. Automotive batteries are a perfect example of lead-acid batteries that degrade over time.
The reason they do is because of the sulphuric acid and the chemical composition of the plates. The solution to the problem is the reconditioning of the batteries, which involves cleaning, charging, and testing.
Caution in Reconditioning Batteries
Despite the many benefits that reconditioning batteries could bring, caution must still be observed in reconditioning batteries.
For one, the chemicals that are inside batteries are harmful to humans, especially if they began to leak.
Furthermore, you must always remember that batteries are potentially explosive. If done improperly, you may end up causing explosions of huge magnitude, which may lead to injury and fire.
To avoid such incidents, you should follow the proper steps for reconditioning your batteries. The first step to reconditioning batteries is to know how old they are.
You must also know the level of damage that they have undergone, but of course, this will only apply to simple battery replacement rather than battery reconditioning.
In most cases, you will only replace a battery that has completely died or is unstable to charge. For instance, if your laptop battery is swelling and leaking acid, then you should just replace it altogether.
To know if you can recondition batteries or not, you should first take a look at the state of your dead battery.
1. Excessive Leaking
If you are to replace a battery that is leaking consistently and is corroding your terminals, then you should probably just replace it altogether.
The acid is rather toxic and is known to cause severe burns anytime you come into contact with it. And you really wouldn’t want to get hurt while reconditioning, right? This is one of the biggest reasons why your batteries would have to be disposed of.
2. Replacing the Plates
If there is no previous leaking, the next step you should take is to check if you need to replace the plates. The plates of the battery are where the chemical reactions occur, and as such, their deterioration can cause up to 30% battery life reduction. The process of testing the plates is not that complicated, provided that you have the right tools.
3. Testing the Battery
Once you’ve tested and replaced the plates, you can now finally test the remaining battery. Testing involves many steps, including charging the battery and discharging it.
There are a lot of commercial products available you can use for your battery test, but if you have a multimeter at home, you can always test the battery’s ability to discharge using the multimeter. It is better that you know these things first before you attempt to recondition batteries.
Moreover, batteries should also not be reconditioned more than three or four times, as this could wear out the battery, and therefore the benefits of reconditioning batteries would diminish every time you do this.
How to Recondition Car Batteries
Reconditioning car batteries can be considered the most obvious way to effectively bring back car batteries that were considered dead or weak.
Even though car batteries now may last longer than many other types of batteries, it eventually will decrease their performance to a level that you will want to throw them away.
But before you take the obvious actions, do consider the fact that car batteries don’t come cheap and often cost more than your average household battery.
Depending on your needs, you may want to think of other ways to fix your car batteries instead of just tossing them away.
If you are on a limited budget and really want to save your money or just a concerned individual who wants to save his hard-earned money from going to waste, car battery reconditioning can be a good option for you.
Reconditioning your car battery can extend its life by almost a year or maybe even two years in some cases. That means you don’t need to spend heavily on a new battery right now. Another benefit of reconditioning a car battery instead of throwing it away is keeping the environment clean.
Car batteries contain an acidic electrolyte solution that consists of lead and sulfuric acid that poisons groundwater and soil. You can prevent that by reconditioning the battery and using it for as long as it can last.
All said and done; the question now is how you will recondition the car battery. Here’s everything you need to know.
Things you need
- Goggles
- Funnel
- Disposable rubber gloves
- Toothbrush
- Battery terminal cleaner
- Flathead screwdriver
- Mask
- Baking soda
- Voltmeter
- Battery reconditioning charger
- Distilled water
- Bucket
- Apron
Steps to Recondition Car Batteries
Step 1 – Safety Equipment
Wear gloves, goggles, masks, and aprons before you start reconditioning the battery. Also, don’t forget to make a solution of water and baking soda to neutralize any sudden splashes and spills.
Step 2 – Removing the corrosion
Start by removing the corrosion in the terminal of the battery. Take two portions of baking soda and one portion of water to make a paste-like solution. Use the toothbrush to apply this paste to the battery terminal gently.
Once you apply the paste, rub the terminal slowly. This should get rid of debris and corrosion on the battery. Alternatively, you can use sandpaper or steel wool if the corrosion is too stubborn.
Step 3 – Reading of the battery
Once you finish removing the corrosion, your next job is to take the voltmeter and take a reading of the battery. Make sure you connect the cables to the right terminals.
Otherwise, you won’t get an accurate reading. The black wire goes to the negative terminal, and the red one goes to the positive terminal.
If the reading is 12.6 V or higher, it means your battery is still in good shape. On the other hand, if the reading is less than 12.6 V, then you would need to recondition the battery.
Step 4 – Remove the battery caps
Remove the battery caps with a flat head screwdriver. Keep the battery caps in a pouch or container so that you don’t lose them. Now, lift the battery slowly.
You will notice the old electrolyte solution. Pour it into a bucket. Don’t throw this solution away. Take 500 grams of baking soda and pour it into the same bucket to neutralize the solution.
Step 5 – Solution preparation
Prepare a solution with water and baking soda with a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio. Mix them well and fill the battery cells with this solution. Fill the cells to their brims and lock them back with their respective caps.
Make sure the caps sit tightly because you will need to shake the batteries gently. Shake the cells for at least one minute. Now, take the caps off and pour the baking soda solution into a bucket.
Step 6 – Replace the electrolyte solution
In this step, you need to replace the electrolyte solution with a solution of Epsom salt. Pay attention to the proportion here: either dissolve 120 grams of Epsom salt in one liter of distilled water or take one molar concentration and mix it with a liter of distilled water.
Make sure you mix the salt thoroughly. The solution shouldn’t have any solid particles in it. After making the solution, fill each cell of the battery and cover them with the caps again.
Step 7 – Recharge the battery
Your next job is to recharge the battery. Put the reconditioned battery in slow charging mode at 12V/2amps. It will take approximately 24 to 36 hours to charge the battery completely. Take the voltmeter and test the voltage again once the battery finishes charging.
If you see a reading between 12.4 and 12.6 V, then consider yourself successful in bringing the battery back to life. It should last for a couple of years more. If you face any issues with the charge drop, you can follow the same steps again to recondition it.
Step 8 – Battery load test
The last step involves a load test for your reconditioned battery. Get a battery load tester from the nearest hardware store. The battery should maintain a 9.6 V reading for at least 15 seconds at half the CCA rating to pass the test.
Epsom Salt Alternatives
Many people complain that Epsom salt isn’t easily available near them and if there are any alternatives to it. Well, you can use copper sulfate.
It is a blue powder that dissolves in water quickly. Just replace it with Epsom salt and follow the other steps as given above.
Another good alternative to Epsom salt is aluminum sulfate. Mix it with distilled water in a 1:1 ratio.
Use of Gatorade Or Vinegar
Many people suggest that you should pour Gatorade or vinegar as filler for the battery’s electrolyte solution. Don’t make this mistake.
Vinegar forms lead acetate inside the cells and will deteriorate the normal functioning of the battery. If you don’t have baking powder, just pour distilled water into the cells. Don’t go about adding Gatorade or vinegar to them.
Also, don’t make the mistake of overcharging your battery. Once you finish reconditioning, charge the battery for 24 to 36 hours and not more.
Following these steps should get your car’s battery up and running again. A new battery may cost around a hundred bucks, depending on the brand.
You can save that money for now by reconditioning the old battery. Make sure you get all the supplies mentioned above first before you start reconditioning the battery step by step.
Things to Avoid While Reconditioning Car Batteries
Reconditioning your car battery may seem pretty simple and easy to do. But insist on doing it at a slow and steady pace. Don’t rush through the procedure and end up making mistakes along the way that you might regret later.
Make sure you wear all the necessary safety gear and follow the steps mentioned above. Some people also like to fancy a bit with battery reconditioning; they mix baking soda and water to create a thick foam and then hold the electrodes until the battery reaches full capacity.
However, this is a very risky method and one where you are likely to compromise the life of the battery and the car itself.
Therefore, it is not recommended to try this method at all. It is always better to stick to the principles if you wish the enjoy the satisfaction of a healthy and responsive battery for a long time to come.
Battery Reconditioning Essential Equipments
AstroAI Digital Multimeter, TRMS 6000
Features of this Multimeter are also combined in a creative manner that is not available in other products. It can measure currents from 400mA to 600V in DC mode (TRMS) and from 10A to 600V AC (RMS), so you can be sure you have the right measurements.
It also has an automatic range, which makes it easy to find readings without constantly changing the range manually. The built-in fuse tubes are both explosion-proof and double protected, so you won’t lose any data if your multimeter is suddenly knocked off of or out of a circuit.
Further, it comes integrated with a large backlit LCD for easy viewing, and boasting its unique feature set is suitable for a wide range of applications such as power supply, electric equipment, cable and wire tester, etc.
FOXWELL BT705 12V 24V Car Battery Tester
Adopted with a large digital LCD, clear text messages, and detailed test information, the BT705 analyzer makes accurate readings and test results.
It diagnoses both discharged and charging batteries in seconds, encouraging customers to extend their cars’ lives and reduce or avoid costly auto repairs.
Equipped with a DC load test that checks the health of the starting system, the BT705 can generate 100% accurate results within 3 seconds – that’s twice faster than other current battery testers in the market, making sure customers are never left waiting for confirmation.
Moreover, the BT705 analyzer adopts premium quality parts and built-in safety protections (including overheating alarms and reverse polarity protection).
So it will provide users with the ultimate experience at all times. It’s the perfect battery analyzer for use at home and shop. Several additional intelligent features, such as cold-cranking Amps calculation, a load gauge to determine battery power and pulse, provide continuous and more comprehensive test information.
The smart tool also features multi-function modes for testing a variety of other devices, including cranking voltage, alternator decision, as well as a smart test that makes it easy to diagnose problems with the charging system and starter, opening up a world of possibilities for users.
ANCEL BA101 Professional Load Tester
Its load test provides more accurate measurement for testing the cranking performance of a battery than the voltage test alone.
The analyzer also reads voltage, current, battery state-of-charge, cold-cranking amps, internal resistance, and open-circuit voltage. It offers automatic charging current detection for lead-acid batteries, making it a perfect battery analyzer.
Moreover, it has a compact, splash-proof design and lightweight with a flexible 3-foot long cable. It’s a handy and safe battery tester for professional use and a must for any garage, auto-shop, and workshop.
If you need a battery tester for testing the batteries of your cars, motorcycles, trucks, and other electrical equipment, you won’t go wrong with this one.
It’s designed for both beginners and professional techs and is very reliable, durable, and accurate, with a built-in temperature sensor, reverse polarity, and overload protection.
It’s a great battery tester with high quality and reliable performance, and it’s fit for every workshop. Further boasting a test range of 100-2000 CCA, it’s an asset in the field. It’s also very economical.
LubriMatic 75-030 Professional Grade Automotive Battery Filler
You will no longer be inconvenienced by spills, drips, or stains all over the engine access areas. With these features and more, it’s easy to see why more professionals prefer the LubriMatic 75-030 Battery Filler.
You will want a model you can rely on for your frequent and regular fluid transfer needs. The LubriMatic 75-030 Battery Filler is built to last and will perform as well on your 10th filling, as it did on your first.
The fill mounts on a standard 2-quart container and is capable of transferring fluids at maximum capacity (400 cc / 16 fluid ounces per minute).
This is double the capacity of the average battery filler on the market. It works on all antifreeze and transmission fluids, for those business, industrial, and automotive shops that transfer these fluids often.
Whether you’re a professional or an enthusiast, the LubriMatic 75-030 Battery Filler deserves a spot in your toolbox. It’s one of the highest quality battery fillers on the market, at a price you won’t mind paying.
Battery Tender Junior 6V ( Battery Charger and Maintainer)
It is the standard trickle charger for all batteries in cellular towers, and that should tell you something. Built tough with top-grade materials to help in evil conditions like severe cold.
This is the original full-sized Battery Tender, the one that has been keeping your batteries fully charged and happy for over 10 years now, with over a million in the field.
It’s considered the best battery charger made by anyone, anywhere. Designed to work in extreme weather conditions, it’s a solid and rugged little workhorse with long-lasting, reliable circuitry to protect your battery from being overcharged.
Guaranteed! But if something were to ever go wrong, simply call the factory here in the USA, and have it directly addressed. Backed with a 5-year warranty and includes heavy-duty, positive locking, corrosion-resistant connectors that connect the charger to the battery, and a 12′ output cord.
Also, for those of you in the sustainability business, this charger has a unique setting that allows it to be used as a voltage-sensitive, floating charger that can add charging power to naturally energized lead-acid battery banks.
How to Recondition Hybrid Car Batteries
Hybrid car batteries are mainly lead-acid batteries, although a few hybrid cars have nickel-metal hydride batteries. A lithium-ion battery is also a possible option, but it seems that lithium-ion isn’t very common for hybrid car batteries.
Depending on what type of hybrid car you own, it is likely that you have a lead-acid type of battery pack. So, here’s what you will need to recondition hybrid car batteries.
- Distilled water
- Voltmeter
- Battery charger
- Syringe
Steps to Recondition Hybrid Car Batteries
Step 1 – Remove the battery
First, carefully remove the battery along with the protective rubber that is fitted on the caps. This step is crucial because some of the battery electrolytes might have leaked.
And you don’t want will be getting it on your hands. Furthermore, it is the electrolyte that corrodes the battery terminals.
Step 2 – Remove the caps
Depending on your car, your battery could have six or seven caps. In case you are not sure how to remove them, here’s a clue; the first cap is on the bottom right, and the middle left cap.
You must loosen all caps before removing any because they must be loosened evenly. Another thing you need to be careful with is not to accidentally drop them.
Once you’ve removed the caps, clean the outside of the battery with a soft towel to avoid any accidents.
Step 3 – Fill the battery
Fill the battery with distilled water and recharge it for around one water. This is important to remove all traces of acid from the battery.
To determine if you’ve not removed enough acid, you can use a voltmeter to check the battery’s state before and after water filling. As mentioned, if there’s still some acid in the battery, the voltmeter will show a voltage difference.
You will know that the process is working if you see bubbles forming on the holes. The lifespan of a reconditioned hybrid car battery ranges from six to seven years.
How to Recondition a Laptop Battery
Laptop batteries are usually proprietary units meaning one battery could only be used on a specific brand, meaning it is not universal.
This is why you should make sure that you know what type of battery your laptop has before attempting to recondition laptop batteries because unlike car batteries where anyone can remove the battery without any problem.
Laptop batteries have become very sensitive, and it would be a good idea to either take it to a professional or at least let someone who knows how to recondition laptop batteries do it for you so that it would remain safe and would serve you for a long time.
And unlike car batteries, laptops are powered by lithium-ion batteries, which are known for their long life and ability to endure a high number of charge cycles. To recondition your laptop battery, you will need the following:
- Plastic bag
- Freezer
- Remove the battery from the bag and place it on the plastic bag. Make sure that the bag is tightly sealed.
- Place the battery in your freezer for 12 hours.
- After that, you may remove the battery from the bag and then charge it.
Another method you can try is to fully charge your laptop’s battery, remove the battery after charging, and then plug it only when you will use your laptop.
How to Recondition Lead Acid Batteries?
- First, carefully remove the battery, the protective rubber, and the caps. Note that you cannot replace them until the end of the process.
- Fill the battery with distilled water. Battery problems are often caused by low distilled water on batteries.
- Use a voltmeter, and if you see that your battery has 13 or 14 volts, this means that your battery has charged.
How to Recondition Ni-Cad Batteries?
- First, create a battery holder and a switch, then connect them to the capacitor.
- Stick the wires to the cylinder and then connect them using the battery holder and switch.
- Make sure that your wires are not touching any materials that carry electricity and that they are also insulated.
- Put an alkaline battery into the capacitor and the NiCad battery onto the holder.
- Flick the switch, check the LED, and then repeat the process once. At this point, you should receive a noise, which means that the sulfur crystals are destroyed. If you hear this, your battery can be used again.
Conclusion:
While reconditioning batteries could certainly help in making them useful again and even prolonging their life, you must always observe caution when doing them to avoid any disasters that a battery could cause, such as leakage or explosion.
However, if this is done properly, you can use your old batteries again and save a lot of money and time. You could even use this skill to make a profit by selling reconditioned batteries or helping people recondition their own for a fee.
Thanks for reading through the entire area of my write-up. I hope I had the power to share good concepts concerning the subject. There are many points to get from replacing batteries.
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They have an outstanding understanding of products, and therefore the instructor is obtainable in any way times if you need any sort of aid.
The knowings you obtain from these training courses are often used and also made profitable if you like. I have other posts that you simply can inspect to find out more.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is It Possible to Recondition Batteries?
Yes, it most certainly is possible to recondition batteries. In fact, many people have learned how to recondition batteries and are now able to use them for many more years without them losing their charge.
If it sounds like a far-fetched idea to you, but you know that the cost of having to replace your dead batteries is definitely something you can’t stomach. Then reconditioning might actually be the solution that you’ve been looking for.
Can You Put New Acid in an Old Battery?
The conventional ways of reconditioning batteries do not require you to use new acid at all. With the right kind of equipment, it is actually possible for you to recharge and rejuvenate your old batteries.
This is much more cost-effective than disposing and replacing your batteries altogether. And to answer your question, yes, you can put new acid in an old battery.
What Happens if a Battery Is Low on Water?
Batteries are powered by electrolytes that are sulfuric acid. The demand for the battery will determine how much water will be needed to fill it up, and each battery is different in this aspect.
By feeding additional water to the battery, you will essentially rejuvenate it and increase its power and strength. This is what happens if a battery is low on water.
