Bring your dead batteries back to life

[Raizinman]

I keep getting those spam emails that claim to be able to bring any battery back to life. Car batteries, computer & phone batteries, deep cycle, golf cart, fork lift and more. It then goes on to claim that it will recondition the battery to 100% of their original working condition. You only need things you already have around the house. The price on the website is $79 but on sale now for $39. So simple a 7 year old kid could do it?

I once heard that if you jolt a DC battery with AC, it then might accept a DC charge? Is this what they are claiming? I don’t think it is chemical issue, because many of the batteries they claim they can revitalize are totally sealed batteries? Any thoughts on what their gimmick is?

 

[steppinthrax]

The only batteries that I've ever been able to rejuvenate were lead acid batteries that you can access the electrodes. Pouring epsom salt down the holes can remove sulfidation on the battery plates. I've even heard of people replacing the battery acid.

 

[Linflas]

https://affiliate-marketing-scams.com/scam-alert/ez-battery-reconditioning-scam

 

[Raizinman]

In researching this all afternoon (yes, work is very slow these days) it appears the 'trick' is to reverse polarity with the charger for about 10 or 20 seconds and this jolt breaks down the sulfation. As for smaller batteries like AA, C, D etc. jumper wire them backwards to a small battery charger for a short period of time and then charge normally. Supposedly it will then accept a charge. Never heard of this but there are people on the Internet who swear by it.

 

[Naer]

Bill gates is on atot?

 

[SKORPI0]

Lead-acid car battery maybe, small AA/AAA/etc. batteries I don't think so.
If it was possible, I wonder why there are no places/car shops offering this kind of service.

 

[Red Squirrel]

There's certain things you can do that will help them, but you can only go so far. If the plates have physical damage you're not going to magically fix them. Some methods of pulse charging may shake sulfation off, but sulfation is kinda a form of plate damage, like rust, but by shedding it you can expose new plate surface that can then be usable. But that only goes so far too.

Lead acid tend to be the best as far as longevity if you take care of them, some cells in telcos can last like 25 years or more. Gel cells and other sealed types not so much.

 

[skull]

Lead-acid car battery maybe, small AA/AAA/etc. batteries I don't think so.
If it was possible, I wonder why there are no places/car shops offering this kind of service.

Theres a battery place by me that remans car batteries. $25 for a reconditioned battery, had great luck with them too. Best of all the place sells all OEM parts for fords and GMs.

 

[Raizinman]

Theres a battery place by me that remans car batteries. $25 for a reconditioned battery, had great luck with them too. Best of all the place sells all OEM parts for fords and GMs.

One of my first jobs was at an automotive battery reconditioning company. What they would do is offer other shops like K-mart, Sears, etc. two dollars more than the core. So if they were getting $2 from the smelter, we would offer them twice, being $4. We had a van running from shop to shop to shop picking up batteries. Then we would throw the batteries on pallets charging them in series (not parallel) 30 batteries to a charger. They would charge for about 2 days. Then they would cool for about 2 days. Then we would load test them. About 1/3 of all the batteries would test good and would be sold individual for anywhere from $19 to $39 with a 1 year warranty 30 days free replacement.

Too often someone will replace the battery due to dirty battery terminals, a bad starter, a bad alternator, or an electrical problem. Most months we would sell 300 to 400 used batteries. The profit was phenomenal. It also helped that this shop was located in the inner city.

To call the above a reconditioned battery is probably a stretch, but to take the battery apart, test, and replace bad cells or whatever cannot be profitable for $25. It needs to be done with quantity and to quickly weed out the bad batteries.

 

[skull]

One of my first jobs was at an automotive battery reconditioning company. What they would do is offer other shops like K-mart, Sears, etc. two dollars more than the core. So if they were getting $2 from the smelter, we would offer them twice, being $4. We had a van running from shop to shop to shop picking up batteries. Then we would throw the batteries on pallets charging them in series (not parallel) 30 batteries to a charger. They would charge for about 2 days. Then they would cool for about 2 days. Then we would load test them. About 1/3 of all the batteries would test good and would be sold individual for anywhere from $19 to $39 with a 1 year warranty 30 days free replacement.

Too often someone will replace the battery due to dirty battery terminals, a bad starter, a bad alternator, or an electrical problem. Most months we would sell 300 to 400 used batteries. The profit was phenomenal. It also helped that this shop was located in the inner city.

To call the above a reconditioned battery is probably a stretch, but to take the battery apart, test, and replace bad cells or whatever cannot be profitable for $25. It needs to be done with quantity and to quickly weed out the bad batteries.

Interesting the place calls them remans, like they're actually remanufactured. Makes more sense now, thats most likely what they do. They're good about warrantying them too.

 

[disappoint]

Lead acid battery desulfators usually use high voltage (~30V to 50V) impulses to desulfate the plates. Not in reverse polarity though.

DIY Desulfator: http://www.instructables.com/id/Desulfator-for-12V-Car-Batteries-in-an-Altoids-Ti/

 

[BrainEater]

Car batteries and computer batteries are totally different animals.
Lead acid desulfanation is a lot different than say 'whisker popping' on a Ni-Cad....
Phone and computer batteries are mostly lithium types now.
---
As far as car batteries goes : buy a high quality battery....don't bother with trying to fix a shitty one...It's messy and dangerous.
I use an Optima yellowtop (6 years now). Maintenance free , runs upside down no problem , 1000 CCA at -25.