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What is the difference between New Batteries Vs Reconditioned Batteries? Whether it is a car, golf cart, or hybrid vehicle, they all need batteries to run. Accessories From headlights to radio, all of them operate on a battery.
So, it is quite common that the battery’s performance reduces after certain runs. But replacing the battery with a new one every time it is down may empty your pockets. Instead, reconditioning the dead battery with minor repairs can save you lots of money.
The life span of a reconditioned battery is similar to that of a new one. It saves money and helps the environment because the battery is not disposed of.
The batteries contain harmful substances like lead, mercury, cadmium, etc. These chemicals enter the soil, contaminates it heavily, and end up appearing in the water supply inviting many health issues.
You don’t have to quest for professional help for reconditioning. You can do it by yourself by taking the necessary precautions.
Access Now: Dead Simple Trick To Bring Any Battery Back To Life
What Is Battery Reconditioning?
A car battery contains lead acid. Every time the battery discharges or operates, some lead sulfate crystals are formed around the battery plates or terminals. The build-up of these crystals over a period is known as sulphation, and it affects the charging or discharging capacity of the battery. Sometimes the battery also dies because of this.
A battery reconditioning implies restoring it to full charging capacity by cleaning any blurs or splashes on the components. The electrolyte has to be replaced with a newly prepared one after cleaning the battery cell.
Safety Measures to Follow Before You Recondition A Dead or Old Battery
Keep yourself safe while reconditioning the battery by going through the following instructions:
- Any acid leak from the battery or the electrolyte can be harmful to the skin, eyes when it accidentally comes in contact. Severe damage occurs to the clothes or garments by contacting the electrolyte.
- To protect your eyes from flashes or sparks, grab a pair of goggles.
- Use rubber gloves to protect yourself from electric shock or any unexpected dangers.
- An apron not only saves your clothes but also protects your body from any spills from the battery.
- Always recondition in a properly ventilated space to prevent inhaling poisonous gases that come from the battery. Arrange a water source nearby to access in case of flames or explosions.
A Step-By-Step Guide to Safe and Successful Battery Reconditioning
The tools required for battery reconditioning are:
- Rubber gloves, apron, goggles
- Toothbrush or metal brush or sandpaper
- Distilled water
- Baking soda
- Epsom salt
- Voltmeter
- A head screwdriver
- Load tester
We have provided you the detailed procedure of reconditioning a battery below:
Clean the Terminals
Both the terminals of the battery should be clean and free from corrosion. Due to continuous operation, a salt build-up occurs across the terminals.
It is slightly acidic. We should neutralize the acidity with a base and clean the terminals. Hence prepare a baking soda solution that is basic.
Mix the baking soda and water in the ratio of 1:1 until you get a thick paste. Take a toothbrush, dip in the solution and rub the terminals.
For cleaning heavily corroded terminals, metal brushes or sandpaper can be used. The process neutralizes acidic nature and removes any scales present on the terminals.
Measure the Voltage Across the Terminals
The process can be done with the help of a voltmeter. It contains two wires in red and black colors. Connect the red wire of the voltmeter to the positive terminal of the battery and connect the black wire to the negative terminal of the battery.
Check the voltage in the voltmeter. If the voltage is above 12.6 volts, the battery condition is good. Otherwise, it needs to be reconditioned.
Replace the Existing Electrolyte Solution
The old or leftover electrolyte solution has to be replaced with a fresh one. Open the battery caps with a screwdriver. Slowly lift the battery and pour the electrolyte into the bucket. Add baking soda solution to the bucket to neutralize the electrolyte.
There is a chance of spilling electrolyte across the bottle caps while emptying the battery cell. Clean the spills, if any exist. Now, fill the battery cell with baking soda solution, shake it and leave it for 1-2 minutes. Pour the fluid into the bucket. It removes any leftover electrolyte in the battery cell.
Prepare the Electrolyte
Prepare an Epsom salt solution by mixing the Epsom salt with distilled water. Dissolve 120 grams of Epsom salt into 1 liter of distilled water. Warm it up slightly to ensure the proper dissolution of the solution. Fill the battery cell with the freshly prepared electrolyte solution.
Check the Voltage Again
Charge the battery using a battery charger. Connect the red wire of the charger to the positive terminal of the battery and the black wire to the negative terminal.
Let it charge for 24 to 36 hours with 2 amps and 12 volts current. After 24hrs, disconnect the charger and check the voltage. If the value lies between 12.4 and 12.6 V, the battery is said to be reconditioned.
Perform A Load Test
Now that the voltage measured is within limits, the battery has to be subjected to a load test. A battery load tester can be availed from any hardware store.
The battery should withstand 9.6 V for 15 seconds to pass the load test. If it fails in the load test, you have to discharge the battery, charge it again, and test for a high CCA (cold cranking amps) rating. A higher CCA rating implies good battery condition.
Battery Reconditioning Frequently Asked Questions:
What Is the Lifespan of a Reconditioned Battery?
Depending on the type of battery, the average life span of a reconditioned battery is between 2-3 years.
What Are Some Other Ways of Reconditioning A Battery?
Some of the other ways of reviving a battery include:
- Jumpstarting your car with the help of a good car
- Deep cycle charging: the deep cycle batteries are designed to withstand repeated charge and discharge cycles. They contain a thicker battery plate and dense electrolyte material.
- Electrolyte solution replacement and
- Replacement of battery cell
How Many Times Can You Recondition A Dead Battery?
It is not that you buy a battery once and use it for a lifetime by reconditioning. You can recondition a battery up to 4 or 5 times. After that, batteries usually get worn out and have to be replaced.
Can We Wrap A Battery with Aluminum Foil?
When we wrap an aluminum foil, the foil gets heated up due to its conducting nature of electricity. Sometimes it can catch fire due to excess heat. If the above two don’t happen, the battery simply discharges in less time when the foil is wounded around it.
How Do You Know That Battery Contains Deposits or Sulphation?
If you observe the battery is taking a long time to charge or if it doesn’t charge at all, the reason can be due to corrosion.
Salt crystals deposit on the terminals, battery caps, and the battery plates inside the cell, and this process is known as sulphation. These crystals hinder the battery charging and discharging processes.
How Do You Recondition Other Batteries?
Hybrid vehicle battery: the battery of hybrid vehicles can be reconditioned with the help of distilled water. Remove the battery caps and fill the battery cell with distilled water. Recharge it using a battery charger for about 1 hour.
If bubbles start appearing, it indicates that your trail is working. If not, exchange the terminals and check again. A reconditioned hybrid vehicle battery can last up to 5-6 years.
Laptop Battery: the batteries in a laptop are Lithium-ion batteries. They can be easily reconditioned at home without any assistance. First, ensure that there is no leakage from the battery. Take out the battery from the laptop and place it in a tightly sealed plastic bag.
Place the bag in the freezer and leave it for 12 hours. Now, remove the battery from the bag and place it back into the laptop. This method can be used multiple times but ensure that the battery is free from any physical damage before following this method.
Another way of reconditioning a laptop battery is, charge the laptop up to 100%. Leave it for 2-3 hours. Discharge it to 0%. After it switches off, leave it for 5-6 hours and then charge it again. Now the battery will work like a new one.
Conclusion
More money can be saved by reusing the batteries. Also, it is a good option than buying new batteries every time a battery fails. The best part of reconditioning a battery is that the battery functions as a new one and can last up to two to three years.
Even if you don’t know how to recondition a battery, you can do it by learning it from courses like the EZ battery reconditioning program. The course will give you better knowledge about battery reconditioning to let you perform the task without any hassle.
However, if the battery has bulged, leaking or contains any other physical damage, reconditioning is not advisable. You have to replace the battery with a new one.
