BU-805: Additives to Boost Flooded Lead Acid

Know how to extend the life of a lead acid battery and what the limits are

A battery leaves the manufacturing plant with characteristics that delivers optimal performance. Do not modify the physics of a good battery unless needed to revive a dying pack. Adding so-called “enhancement medicine” to a good battery may have negative side effects. Many services to improve the performance of lead acid batteries can be achieved with topping charge(See BU-403: Charging Lead Acid)

Adding chemicals to the electrolyte of flooded lead acid batteries can dissolve the buildup of lead sulfate on the plates and improve the overall battery performance. This treatment has been in use since the 1950s (and perhaps longer) and provides a temporary performance boost for aging batteries. It’s a stopgap measure because in most cases the plates are already worn out through shedding. Chemical additives cannot replace the active material, nor can cracked plates, corroded connectors or damaged separators be restored with an outside remedy.

Elevated self-discharge is a common failure mode with older batteries. With the shedding of the active material to the bottom of the container, a conductive layer forms that gradually fills the allotted space in the sediment trap. The now conductive liquid may reach the plates, creating a soft short. The shedding also causes the internal resistance to increase, reducing current handling.

Extending the service life of an aging battery can be useful as additives are cheap, readily available and worth the experiment for a handyman. These salts may reduce the internal resistance to give a sulfated battery a few extra months of life. Suitable additives are magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt), caustic soda and EDTA (EDTA is a crystalline acid used in industry).

When using Epsom salt, follow these easy steps to treat most starter batteries. Heat about 250ml (8 fl oz or a cup) of distilled water to about 66ºC (150ºF), mix in as much Epson salt as the water can absorb (a few tablespoons) and stir until dissolved. Avoid using too much salt because heavy concentration increases corrosion of the lead plates and the internal connectors.

When pouring the warm solution into the battery, the electrolyte level will raise. Do not remove electrolyte, and only add as much additive as the battery can take. Be careful not to overfill. Do not place un-dissolved Epsom salt directly into the battery because the substance does not dissolve well. In place of Epsom salt, try adding a pinch of caustic soda. Charge the battery after service. The results are not instantaneous and it may take a month for the treatment to work. The outcome is not guaranteed.

Batteries have improved, and additive treatments may be most effective with older battery models, expanding their life by a few months until a replacement is on hand. Modern batteries already include additives that reduce sulfation and corrosion. Industrial users seldom rely on remedial additives to prolong battery life as the system becomes maintenance prone.

Last Updated: 2-Nov-2021
Batteries In A Portable World
Batteries In A Portable World

The material on Battery University is based on the indispensable new 4th edition of "Batteries in a Portable World - A Handbook on Rechargeable Batteries for Non-Engineers" which is available for order through Amazon.com.

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David

To Keith, man thank you for your short story of the experience you had playing with that battery. You made me laugh my ass off and I appreciate it. I wish nothing but great luck and success for you in all your experiments. Lmao, and my e-mail if you feel like it is moserdavid28@gmail.com. Don't hesitate to holler at me man. Take care

David

To Keith, man thank you for your short story of the experience you had playing with that battery. You made me laugh my ass off and I appreciate it. I wish nothing but great luck and success for you in all your experiments. Lmao, and my e-mail if you feel like it is moserdavid28@gmail.com. Don't hesitate to holler at me man. Take care

Keith

Hello, I often read too much and have information overload in my mind which causes indecisiveness because of the many different factors that go along w a subject or topic or constructing things. So cuz time constraints w work and life and a gf I tend to make a quick decision on things. This quick decision was adding Epson salt directly into the flooded LA car battery I had. I think I may have or had a parasitic load on the battery due to my ignition system staying in a position that kept the starter energized. Or something. That part is still unknown. What is known is my successful or so far successful at bringing a flooded LA battery back from holding no charge. I bought a battery maintainer which I’m not happy with. It was a battery tender and maintainer 1.25 amps 12 volt. Bought it for my SLA batteries I had just bought 100amps 12 volts times four. Yes I know not the right thing to use but at the time I had little knowledge in lead acid batteries. Actually charging batteries in general. Typically people who don’t get all into it or who don’t care why or just accept battery decline and pre mature death and buy a new one usually just buy a charger if they even take that step, but buy a charger that say smart charger. Or revitalize or bring back to life or some dumb sales gimmick. The little I knew which is leaps more then the average person in relation to batteries in general, but I knew lead acid like to have a constant high state of charge. Therefore I did not concern myself w amps or stages. Or pulse or boost or desulfate or happy ending w reach around. It didn’t matter. But money became tight. And I refuse to throw anything away I know I can fix which leads us to the epson salt and the piece of crud tender I had. The tender charged the flooded battery to 14.5 and then a float charge of 13.5. I believe at first it did float 13.1-13.3. Which it was give me one or two starts for my truck. So obviously something wasn’t right. Why the explicit was it saying it’s charged and yet I get crap energy from it. On top of that in the very beginning it would say charged but lose the charge over night. So long story short. I whipped out my lifepo4 12 volt charger. Which is also a piece of crap for charging lifepo4 from what I’ve been reading a constant over charge is not good for lithium chemistry. What the crap did I know. But I did read about some epson salt and maybe that would work w the lead acid battery tender. I shook the battery. Mixed it up that way. Prob used the way wrong epson salt cuz later after reading the ingredients it read fragrance added. Ehh whatever. I didn’t give the cells too much salt. I gave the one cell that I thought was the worse of the 6 the most. Shook it up. Still not making magic. So here enters the constant 14.5-14.6 volt charge of the lifepo4 charger I had. Let me back up. So when I had starting trouble in my truck I just jumped it w one of my 20volt drill batteries. Worked alright. Did it again. Same result. Did it again and no go. Turned out to be a starter problem. Anyways. I had read to open the caps to release gas or vent it better when charging the flooded lead acid. So I did that. Did that for awhile. Might still do that. Might. Not. Won’t side track just yet on that. So as I was jumping my truck w the 20volt during the no go time I had left the battery from the drill on there longer. To try and get it more charged. And what I saw were little bubbles coming up from the cells. Thinking I was totally f’n the battery up I removed the 20volt drill battery and tried starting the truck. Nothing. Cuz the starter. Anyways. Fast forward. To the lifepo4 charger. Epson salt added. Attached the lithium charger. And sure enough the bubbles came back. So I’m like. F it. What’s the worst that can happen. Leave there for some time. Use it as well. Starts up the truck fine. But loses charge still. I take the bastard into my room and charge it. Open a window and turn on fans and my diy zeolite/coco activated carbon air filtration system. W m12 or some ish filters. That’s another story. Another time. Anyways. I leave the bastard charging on the constant 14.5-14.6 charge. I’m also smoking in the room w it. Knowing the full danger of hydrogen being released from the reactions going on inside the battery cuz I started reading about what to do to bring the battery back. I did see the flame act funny time to time when using it and at those times I left the room and aired it out. I live dangerously. Anyways. I charged this guy on and off for about 7-10 days. When it get hot I’d rest it. Or I’d put the crap tender on it and let it float. My dumbass even scraped the plates inside the cells w my dmm leads. I’m an electrician so electrical stuff doesn’t scare me anymore. But reading later about how easy lead toxicity and exposure is w these batteries does and did scare me. So I didn’t f w the plates anymore. I did scrape them tho. And my leads got corrosion now on then from the sulphuric acid. I later read not to add epson Salt. So that want and urge to add more was now gone. Until I read this article now. But anyways. The electrolyte went from cloudy from the Salt I reckon to clear. And the bad cell I added the most salt too took the longest. But became clear. The bubbles became less. And the gunk in on the plates became less. I’m writing this experience mostly because I never write anything but this past day I have done it twice now. So I figure keep it going. Maybe help someone. Maybe get a laugh or a shrill. Anyways. I know now that in need to give the battery a charge w current up to 10% of the total amps. And then at about 70% charge or whatever then reduce the current and keep the constant high voltage charge until 100 percent lowering currrent along the way. Basically. Current charge the. To voltage charge. Then to either w float charge or to an equalizing over charge to help break up those pesky crystals. Or so I think now. I have four sla batteries I’m messing w now. They didn’t hold up as well as I’d like this last power outage. That’s another story for another time. Something along the lines of break in period. Probably sulfates from improper storage practices. Etc. anyways. Back to the flooded la. What I noticed. Is this. As I desulphated it the float charge would increase every time. So what I believe happened was. Due to poor flooded la battery care the battery lost its ability to hold a charge even tho It was reading 13.4 volts when I charged it in the beginning before the epson salt and the high voltage constant charge. So it confused me. Don’t let it confuse you. It’s just sulfated. And I recommend getting a power supply you can adjust the current and volts on. It’s better then trusting a “smart” charger. Every battery is made differently. Go off of manufactures guidelines and adjust your power supply accordingly. From the amount of reading I’ve done people still argue what the best way to charge a lead acid battery. Flooded or sealed. Or agm. Go off the manufacturer’s guidelines. Do a constant charge to what it says. And then float it to what it says. May not be fancy but it will keep the battery working a long time. Just keep heat away from it and keep flooded flooded. Laters.

Thejamal Padmapriya

Dear Sir,
I am a srilanken,how I can get BU 805 additive.Is that desulphating .
Thank You
Thejamal

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On March 17, 2019, Mark wrote:
I travel for work and am sometimes gone for months. (I now disconnect the battery and hook a solar panel to trickle charge) I have come back and had my battery stone dead. I would hook up a pretty heavy duty charger I have and the battery would not draw 100ma of current. After adding epson salts charging current would slowly come up and after charging for a couple of hours at 20 amps I could start the car again. If I used the car every day it would start no problem. If it sat a week it was dead. I think at the end of the day I cam to the realization that it was just best to throw it out, buy a new one and not let the same thing happen.
On July 24, 2018, James Carter wrote:
Quick question, can I use an epsom salt that has additives like mint oil or would it cause damage? I didn't notice the additives when I bought it and live very far from any store so I'm hoping I can use what I have.
On July 16, 2018, Jatin wrote:
Hello john How r u I want to know more about these epsom salt.plz contact me at my mail id
On July 4, 2018, Sam wrote:
has anyone heard of:" Batteryvitamin extends battery life using physics, not chemistry. It establishes a metal ion selective barrier on the negatives, which operates at a nanoscale level and projects corrosion resistance onto the positives via the intervening battery acid electrolyte. This process is described briefly on this page and in detail on other pages of this website." http://www.batteryvitamin.net/about
On June 7, 2018, Aaronson123 wrote:
CHARGING AT 25Volt and 7A..thats the dumbest thing to do! This is for Bobo. are you trying to make a bomb? Crazy
On April 25, 2018, mark wrote:
been reading on here for ages, i have just washed a battery out with epsom salts warm water rinsed it out 3xs, i will put correct solution in electrolyte ,trickle charge for two days, then report back,it was a new battery for a mx5, but only drove it twice as it is a project car,fully drained and would not charge
On April 14, 2018, Robby wrote:
Here is my tiny real world experiment. I had two batteries on their last legs. One was a duralast in an expedition which was failing to hold a charge for more than 10 hrs sitting unused. One was a lawn and garden battery from walmart I believe, It was completely dead last year and It wouldnt charge , had already been replaced but was still sitting on a shelf in the shed. The expedition had not been driven for about 6 weeks. Both batteries read zero volts and my bottom dollar harbor freight "smart charger failed to even recognize them as batteries. The duralast battery; I drained off and added 6 Oz Epsom salt solution in the concentration mentioned in this article per cell. I attempted to charge it at different settings. I turned it on at 50 amps 6-8 times and the charger would shut off almost immediately. I turned it on at 10 amps and the charger would come on and stay on for progressively longer periods starting at about 2-3 minutes and ending at about 15-20 min. Then I put it on a two amp charge which again would stay on about 20 min. I would then discharge for 5 min using the headlights and put it back on 2 amp charge. The charge times got progressively longer and when it would stay on for 6 hours, I then let it rest. Two days later it was able to start the car just barely. Currently it will hold its charge for a couple of days sitting and still start fine. The headlights will discharge it to a point that it cant start the vehicle within 10 minutes. So for this battery, well, currently i can drive on it again. Ill try some more 2amp charge cycles and see if I gain any further improvements but id consider it revived only enough to be on life support. The lawn and garden battery; I completely emptied it and replaced the electrolyte with epsom salt solution. Hooked it up on 2 amp charge. It seems to be completely revived. Though I have not done any time measured discharge exercises with it yet and I honestly have no use for it so not sure what ill do with it except to play with and see what its real performance is. My conclusion so far........ I can say that the solution at least made the completely dead batteries conductive enough to be recognized as batteries by the "smart" charger. Worth doing? Maybe if all you have is a smart charger. I think any rejuvenation (not a lot) in the duralast that had seen daily use was simply due to low current charging and discharging, but it did make that possible with my equipment. The lawn battery that was dead mainly from disuse..... I have yet to determine but I think it may be a viable solution for such a case.Though I would probably go 50/50 or 75/25 original fluid to epsom solution next time. I mainly went 100% just to see what would actually happen. I dont know if I would bother if I had a charger with leads that went hot without detecting a battery. Or a spare battery to hook up parallel to fool the smart charger for a cycle. Whether the epsom does anything but make the dead conductive again I have yet to conclude.
On March 28, 2018, Mike J wrote:
Dear sir(s), i have a motorcycle battery that has a "clear" case , any way i did the epsom salt trick & it worked, However,it left behind residue which i would like to remove, is it possible to refill the battery with electrolyte and a pinch of caustic soda , drain, and refill until the residue is gone? your thoughts.....Thank You ....Mike J
On March 24, 2018, Paul in Phoenix wrote:
After receiving an email notification that someone replied to me on this site, I visited today for the first time in almost a year to see what was written. I see that people who are looking for a silver bullet cure are still giving John Fetter a hard time. Let me just say that I took Mr. Fetter's advice and am pleased with the results. I'm not into very short-term solutions like epsom salts or other "magic recipes" that may result in a temporary spike on a volt meter but in reality cannot be relied on to keep the application running consistently. My advice is to buy the best quality battery you can, keep it watered (if a wet battery), and keep it constantly charged. Over the past year I've seen great improvements from this advice, which is from Mr. Fetter. I suggest you avoid the messy, extremely short-lived recipes that do not produce consistent results. Thanks again, John.
On March 3, 2018, Don McDouall wrote:
A long time ago (1956) I had an old International truck. This particular day I left the lights on and the 6 volt battery was dead flat. I took it to the nearest garage and asked for it to be charged. The old man thought I was mad, as he said this battery was made in 1938. So was then some 18 yrs old... I finally assured him it was working just a day ago, he clicked the terminal with some wire and got a spark, shook his head and put it on the charger. I came back next day and picked up that 6 volt battery fully charged. Years later about 1990 I use to treat batteries by emptying them out and the filling them with a chelate same substance used by the medical profession to remove toxic minerals from blood. This was again removed and the original electrolyte replaced... It have batteries about another 6 months life. Readers might like to try it. cheers from downunder
On February 22, 2018, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - You can't close the door in the face of the readers of this page. New visitors to this page would definitely have read through the comments on the way down before venturing to post their first comment. Returning visitors are more likely to zip down to the bottom than to go through all the comments. On Jan 25 you said, "I wasted a lot of time reading your crap." You have posted an admission and a denial. You're the same Mike, Mike.
On February 21, 2018, Mike wrote:
I just looked back to Feb of 2016. Just as you are not the only one in the world named John, I am not the only Mike. That is not me. I have no more to say. I will no longer continue with this conversation. John, my suggestion to you is to go outside for awhile. There are real live people. Try to interact. I will not allow you to draw me into this worthless argument. Good luck.
On February 21, 2018, Mike wrote:
You are really out there.
On February 20, 2018, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - You were a scientist on a battery rejuvenation mission two years ago, (Feb 28, 2016). None of my postings could possibly have influenced any of your scientific work. Would you not rather like to discuss your successes?
On February 20, 2018, Mike wrote:
Your response says it all.
On February 20, 2018, John Fetter wrote:
Mike thrives on ad hominem, (argumentum ad hominem or argument against the man), attributing to his opponent some negative personal characteristic, the disparaging nature of which detracts from both the topic of debate and the veracity of the argument. Put another way: by saying something derogatory about one’s opponent – and unrelated to the discussion at hand – an ad hominem attack misdirects debate, turning attention away from an argument and towards the character of the person making it. One can see almost immediately the possible benefit of any ad hominem attack; in particular, the benefit to someone who is advocating a weak argument: The more outrageous – and thus distracting – the ad hominem attack, the less likely their opponent or the audience will be to focus on the superficial and brittle structure on which their actual case is built. Instead, attention will be drawn to the subjective nature of the insult hurled. It is deliberately employed by those unable to conjure up a plausible counter-position, one reliant on evidence or logic.
On February 18, 2018, Mike wrote:
John, you have lost all credibility by trying to disprove myself and others of our experiences. Why do you say obviously I am in the battery game. You seem to jump to conclusions that fit your needs. I am retired from the restaurant business if any one cares. You making references to what business you think I am in just makes you sound dumber.I had given you the smart guy award but now think it is time to revoke. You have tested positive for stupidity, why don't you do us all a favor and stay off this page.
On January 26, 2018, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - You're obviously in the game of selling battery cures and anecdotes. If epson salts worked, there would be battery service outlets serving epsom salts cures to customers everywhere - but there aren't any.
On January 26, 2018, Mike wrote:
My wifes car battery died. Would not take a charge at all. I spent too much time reading this forum. I did the epsom salt thing. Trickle charged. Battery has been working for the last month. For the do it yourselfers, this seems to me to work. John Fetter, you win the smart guy award. If you are not in the battery industry, then you must just want to sound smart. I wasted a lot of time reading your crap. I do not know why you try to tell everyone smart crap. If your battery is dead, try to use the epsom salt trick. If there is life left, this works.
On January 25, 2018, Carl in Lake Zurich Illinois wrote:
Is it possible to vacuum out the flakes at the bottom of the cells to stop soft shorts?
On January 9, 2018, john in edmonton wrote:
today's batteries are made with lead and zinc for a reason being- a short life to sell more batteries. original batteries were made with nickel and iron. If you can find one today you will be in luck. jay leno has a 1910 car with the original battery in it and it still works like new. battery companies do not want people to know this because this knowledge would bankrupt most of them. another scam!
On December 4, 2017, Don in Gainesville wrote:
I have been reading a lot on this site. I have 2 universal sla 12v 26AH ub12260. They are both dead. I was able to get the cover off one and found some caps. I did not see any fluid covering the plates. Perhaps that is normal because it is SLA. It seems that 2 cells are dead. It measures about 9V. I can put my charger on it, but after about 3 minutes it stops and flashes a light saying which means that the polarity is reversed. I guess it does not like the 9v when it should be about 12.6V and shuts down. It is an intelligent charger. I was just about to go to dollar general and get some epsom salts to put in 2 oe more of the cells. I had added water and waited a day and it still won't charge with this charger. Perhaps I need to use a constant current source. It seems that John Fetter does not think that epsom salts will do any good. However I watched this 6 parts of videos and saw someone restore 2 batteries with it. He also had a custom charger. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqfaziZE1XM
On July 31, 2017, Mohammed Saif wrote:
Does Citric Acid Add Suitable for Sulfation Removal in Lead-Acid Battery?
On May 26, 2017, Paul in Phoenix wrote:
John - Thank you.
On May 25, 2017, John Fetter wrote:
Paul - John Willis took out patent US 5,945,236 on Battery Equaliser. The liquid described in the patent is an electrolyte additive for lead-acid batteries comprising a mixture of aluminum sulfate, cobalt sulfate, copper sulfate, magnesium sulfate, cadmium sulfate, sodium sulfate, potassium sulfate, and deionized water. If you believe that this mixture is good for your battery, go ahead buy it and put it into your batteries. I believe there isn't one person with a reasonable understanding of lead-acid batteries who would approve of doing this. John Willis contacted me once, by email. He apparently did not agree with my views and he threatened me. If you want a lead-acid battery to last, keep it charged at 13.5 volts, instead of open circuit. Make sure it is watered.
On May 24, 2017, Paul in Phoenix wrote:
Thank you for maintaining this excellent site. It is much appreciated! Very recently I purchased a "smart" charger for charging/maintaining auto starter batteries. I just paid another $130 for a large battery with 165RC that two of my pickup trucks came with. The frustrating part is that the original batteries were Panasonic and lasted 8 and 9 years. The replacements have been lasting 2-3 years. There have been no additional electronics added to the vehicles. When I bought the charger, the salesperson wanted me to buy a product called Battery Equaliser (liquid additive) and said it would double the life of my batteries. Even though the price seemed remarkable (it broke down to $10 per battery), I couldn't get over my thoughts of, 'why haven't I heard about this miracle product if it really works this well?' I did not buy the additive. John F., I'm asking you for your thoughts. I see from this column you think additive products can't revive dead/dying batteries, which seems quite logical. But what are your thoughts regarding this product as a preventative measure to add to new batteries? Also, what do you think about these relatively new chargers that promise to de-sulfate using "high frequency?" Thank you in advance. I live in an extreme climate where we have 30-40 days per year with temperatures over 110 F. But I'm tired of hearing that as the excuse for short battery life, because my factory Panasonics (from Japan) made it to 9 years. They must be doing something correctly.
On May 11, 2017, John Fetter wrote:
There are over 1 billion automobile batteries in use world-wide. It follows that if batteries can really be revived, there would be an industry worth tens of billions of dollars per year, operating via multiple service outlets located in all the major cities of the world. There aren't any. There are numerous battery manufacturers that have been in competition with each other for over 100 years. They are not in the slightest worried about extra competition. Belief is a powerful thing. Proof is an elusive thing.
On May 11, 2017, alvin wrote:
Dont believe on what others say... They dont want everyone to know that replacing epsom salt is a good idea... They just dont want to be bankrupt.... Battery company dont want to be bankrupt..... It will saves you money.....
On May 7, 2017, isaac wrote:
I've done this a few times and it has worked every time but once. In fact my current battery is about 5 years old. I took it to O'Reillys to have it tested/charged. Like always they said it was bad. I took it home added epsom salt solution, mixed really good and charged overnight. My battery is still going a year later. Neh sayers and doubters are free to just go buy another battery. Those people are not innovators or creators and contribute nothing to the development of the human race. It is us who TRY the things others only talk about that keep things moving forward.
On March 8, 2017, Michael Jurcisek wrote:
Dear Sirs; i did the epsom salt trick on my old motorcycle battery. My question is; can i dry this battery out and replace the electrolyte? .....Thank You.....Mike J
On March 5, 2017, Tony wrote:
Having read the article I found one fact missing. When the active material on the positive plate is used residue falls to the bottom of the battery case and can bridge the adjoining plates This causes the internal resistance to increase and the output voltage to permanently drop below its rating. Granted there is space between the bottom of the case and active plates but this is a common condition with older batteries.
On February 7, 2017, John Fetter wrote:
The high price of new batteries is what powers belief that batteries can be revived from the dead. There is no science, just a desperate belief.
On February 3, 2017, J hill wrote:
I have recently read that adding an ounce or 2 of 3% h2o2 to each cell of a battery can recondition a sulfated battery, Can someone tell me what the science is or (is thought to be) behind this claim.
On January 2, 2017, John Fetter wrote:
There is no scientific explanation. There are many patents for many different pulsing systems. Simple to search. Find the most recent ones and click onto the prior art references to read the patents that were taken out before. It becomes obvious each inventor in turn over many years believed his idea to be the first to work. After reading nearly seventy, I figured pulsing works in the inventors' heads, not in batteries. There is a simple rule in patenting. If there are dozens of patents, sometimes hundreds, the inventors are struggling and the idea does not work. A handful of patents, the inventors got it right.
On December 31, 2016, ronald doctors wrote:
I might have missed it in this interesting forum, but I have found that my Victor battery charger has a regen mod. It seems to work as I can do a full charge on a battery. Then do a 48 hrs regen and it will take additional charging. The regen mode has been promoted and known about for years. It puts a short pulse of high current into the cells ( disconnect it from the vehicle or you will have electronics breaking down!!). I have also done with batteries that were in the 10-11 volt region and about to be dumped. It certainly doesn't harm the cells. I haven't measured the pulses but I think it subject to a patent so a google search for a battery regneration method patent might be useful. Anyone have a scientific answer to this process?
On November 30, 2016, Tommy Laoh wrote:
It is very useful information. I would like to continue getting the information. Thanks.
On November 27, 2016, Franceco Bompan wrote:
I developed this protocol: Romeve sulfuric acid electrolyte. Fill with a solution of 0,5M ammonium carbonate and rest for several hours (use distilled water). Lead sulfate become lead carbonate (insoluble) and ammonium carbonate become ammonium sulfate (soluble). Remove ammonium sulfate solution. Fill with 50% solution of methanesulfonic acid. It dissolve lead carbonate in to methanesulfonic lead. Rest for sometime. Charge the battery. Remove the solution. Sorry if I don't get precise times, but depend on how much the battery is sulfated. This protocol is for battery experts. Fill again with sulfuric acid but add 0,01WT of EDTA.
On September 18, 2016, don Jen wrote:
Wow! Lots to read. I have a golf cart with 6 six volt batteries that are about six years old. The golf cart is used 30 or so times during the summer only for about 15-30 minutes at a time. The first couple of years i did not charge at all during the winter and it did not seem to freeze, as it seemed to hold a charge. During the past two years, I used a trickle charge during the winter to insure the batteries would not freeze. The don't show any sign of bulging and the plates look very good. The batteries seemed to be holding at just over six volts each but don't have the necessary power. Before throwing them out, I wonder if it is worth trying the Epson Salts and if so, what is the best procedure that seems promissing? Such as: remove liquid above the plates (to make room for the additive) add the Epson mix (still unclear about the mix) and charge each one individually with a standard 6v/12v charger for x amount of hours, over x amount of days, etc. Should the charging be done with the 6V charge only or would some overcharing for x amount of time with 12V provide any benefit. I do think that the plates, etc. in the batteries are in fairly good condition. Would the mesurement of the "specific gravity" of each cell proviide any useful information as it relates to attempting revival of the battery be of any use. I am guessing that John Fetter will likely believe that I am just wasting my time. Just trying to put out $600 right now when I might only use the cart for limited hours over the year and be ruining the new batteries. I know that I should have someone take care of the batteiries for the six months I am not available but it is not practical. I remember years ago that people were actually replacing the plates in batteries, but probably in Cuba or Dominican Republic where the "throw Away Society" does not exist.
On August 16, 2016, adams wrote:
Hi guys, please I need to known if there are another substance or substances that can substitute Epsom salt in restoring a worn-out lead acid battery of an Automobile? And if possible how it can be applied. It appears that epsom salt is not well know in my location, perhaps because nomenclature . I would really appreciate is anybody in d forum can help me out on this.
On June 16, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Ahsan - It seems that you proved that the stories about epsom salts are fairy stories. Your battery has probably died. Buy a new battery. You might find that the inverter/ charger is badly designed and is not recharging properly or overdischarging. Warning: The INEXPENSIVE inverters on the market today are pure garbage.
On June 16, 2016, Ahsan wrote:
Hi there. I have 1.25 yr old 165amp Lead acid battery for inverter. It had been provided about 4 hour back in first year of its operation. In recent two months backup was reduced to half an hour. Four days ago, i did put the solution of epsom salt & distilled water in the battery as per instructions provided on different websites. Right after addition of that solution, inverter display showing that battery gets charge in few minutes. And corresponding backup during loadshedding has also been reduced to just 2-3 minutes. In short, battery getting charging & discharging instantaneously. Is there something wrong??!! What should i do now??!! whether to wait for another Four days (as mentioned every where that battery start to respond to the solution of epsom salt in distilled water after 7-8 days) or something else to follow. Any one can help me in this regard Plssss......!!!???
On June 14, 2016, Noah T Williams wrote:
Don't know can't tell. Bought the golf cart used. All the batteries are Triton 105's no discernable dates on them. Two of them appear to be bulging and leaking around the top seal (not the fill holes) where the batteries were put together when made. I get about 6 - 8 miles out of a charge, a charge takes about 4-6 hours to accomplish. The charger starts out at around 20 amps, after about an hour it's down to 10 amps, then stays there for the remainder of the charge. I think the batteries are in pretty good shape except for the leak. I take care of that weekly, washing them down with baking soda and a paint brush, then gently hosing them off and blow dry with a leaf blower. I guess it's more of a "seepage" rather than a leak, because nothing drips on the ground.
On June 14, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Muhammad - What type of battery are you using? How old is your battery? How many cycles has it performed? Etc. It is impossible for anyone to give meaningful advice without such details. It is likely one of the cells of your battery has developed a fault, causing the voltage to fall prematurely and the inverter to kick out on undervoltage. You can damage your battery by treating it blindly with Epsom salts.
On June 12, 2016, Noah T Williams wrote:
To get to the meat of the matter: How much is too much epsom salt solution? I mixed 16 oz epsom salt with 1 gal water. In the first battery, first cell, it took 10 oz of solution to bring the level to the "fill line". Is this too much to add at one time to a cell? I would guess all the rest of the cells are probably the same. Should I have added 5oz distilled and 5oz epsom salt solution? Waiting to hear back before I do the rest of them. Thanks.
On June 11, 2016, Muhammad Ali wrote:
Hi Guys! Please help me about my battery problem two days ago my inverter's battery working properly in the hole day & night but in the first session of morning it's suddenly shutdown again on it from its on/off button when I am on my inverter it is load shedding hour but it's giving me 30 minutes backup firstly I think inverter "ll not charged properly which the cause of lower backup but it's not I "ll charged my inverter properly after this problem remain & inverter giving the 30 minutes backup again & again When I am searching the solution of my lower battery backup problem from Google then I saw the trick for lower battery backup which is Epsom Salt with distill water solution inserting in the all battery cell two days later my lower battery backup problem still remain it's not solved my problem. Now I want help from all educated & able persons who have solution for my lower battery backup problem Because guys I m very needy & job less person in these days so I can't afford a new battery My little children suffering in hot summer here in my country load shedding is a big problem in a single day 12 hours's load shedding which can my children faced So please please guys help me about this lower battery backup problem Regards. Muhammad Ali
On June 6, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Ferdie - Why didn't you finish your experiment FIRST and then tell us what happened?
On June 6, 2016, Ferdie wrote:
I'm from philippines. I have read a lot of stories about Epsom and battery rejuvenation. Out of curiosity, I've tried this Epsom solution to find out if this really works. Using a totally dead junk battery( Truck battery with 0 volts and will not really charge )First, I removed all the original battery solution out, rinse with pure distilled water, and finally fill equally each cell with Epsom salt mix and dissolved in a distilled water. Measured the battery voltage with the epsom salt solution. 0.5 volts initial charge. I decided to connect it to charger, 12.8 volts at 10 amps within 45 mins. checked the voltage: 4 volts, dropping gradually to 0.9 volt. Tried charging again with the same charger within 1 hr. Disconnected and show reading at 8 volts. The voltage remain within 6 hrs without load. Is it really because of the epsom salt colution? I think I need to continue with the experiment.
On May 28, 2016, Abdul Alim wrote:
I am sharing an experiment & wishing your opinions on it. We manufacture several types of small sized VRLA batteries. In a 12V small VRLA battery, if we fill standard electrolyte of 1.28 gravity (@15 deg C) it stands at 7AH. But if we prepare the electrolyte mixing 12gm Epsom Salt (MgSO4) per liter electrolyte & use this mixture at the same amount in that battery, that battery stands at higher capacity 12V 7.5AH. It is known that Epsom salt is usually used to revive a run out/ dead flooded lead acid battery. My questions are: 1. Will it be appropriate to enhance the capacity of new VRLA battery using Epsom Salt? 2. Will there be any effect on battery life? Does Epsom salt have corrosive effect on calcium lead? 3. What may be the effect on charge retention/ self-discharge when the batteries will be kept in retailer’s/dealer’s shop for months?
On March 2, 2016, Ayn R wrote:
MIKE My real name is Alisa Rosenbaum and I was born in St Petersburg, Russia. I am a writer and an inventor. Lead-acid batteries are falling out of favor under pressure from lithium ion, but still have a large following in my country. How can I contact you?
On March 2, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - I tried copying and pasting but it did not work, so I typed it out long hand. I noticed afterwards that there was a mistake in the lead dioxide reaction, so I corrected it. Did I obtain permission to reproduce information from a website? Did you obtain permission to reproduce information from a website? It is highly unusual for a genuine inventor to soapbox an idea. It something an agent provocateur is likely to do. One either talks about the experiment, or one does the experiment. I had a battery that had reached its sell by date, had some NaOH, realized this represented an ideal opportunity to first test each cell and thereafter to try six different concentrations of NaOH and then to restore and retest. The result of every experiment one conducts provides a key that might fit. This is not a random process. The experiments are carefully chosen. Occasionally the key fits, opening the way to commercial success. It is at this point the people with ability move forward and the risk averse do not - and talk instead about the irrelevance of success or the others that somehow kept getting in the way.
On March 2, 2016, Mike wrote:
Thank you Ayn. I had considered quitting my post because it would be easier to quit than to explain simple chemistry concepts to naysayers. Chemistry is not just a series of reactions. It is understanding under what conditions a reaction will occur. Just because an analyte can react, does not mean that it will react. There are several conditions under which a reactant will react in solution to include (not only): pH, ionic charge, concentration of reactants, solubility, and temperature. To copy and paste the summary of a peer reviewed article without understanding the design shows that you are not a scientist, for this is considered plagiarism and is a misrepresentation of the content. Anyone can google a reaction and paste it in a forum. Most reactions posted are under specific condition, such as an excess of a reactant (NaOH). There is a distinct difference between solubility and a reaction. I mentioned that I was looking to solubilize any lead sulfate present in my hypothetical battery cell. I specifically said that I had not determined the concentration of NaOH I would use. This is because a weak concentration of NaOH may be useful in solubilizing lead sulfate, whereas a strong concentration of NaOH may react with lead sulfate (and lead oxide). To make matters even more complex, the reaction rate of NaOH with lead oxide and lead sulfate will be different. To take into account my aim to solubilize lead sulfate in NaOH, you have to look at the the solubility of lead sulfate in NaOH and the reaction rates (and conditions) of both lead sulfate and lead oxide with NaOH. You have posted a series of reactions that can and will occur under certain conditions, which are laid out in the experiment that you copy and pasted from. In the article that I think you copy and pasted from, it states that lead oxide reacts in a 2M (molar) NaOH solution. A lower solution, such as 0.01M NaOH may not react at all with lead oxide; lead sulfate may be soluble in a 0.01M NaOH solution. The difficult part of chemistry is not in determining a reaction series. If you place most metals (lead) in a strong NaOH solution, it will react. An extremely weak NaOH solution will be very slow to react. In the event that NaOH reacts with lead, the rate will be different for lead (the interconnections), lead oxide (the paste), and lead sulfate (the unwanted precipitate). Researching the reaction rates (how quickly NaOH reacts with each) and reaction conditions (pH, concentration.....) will give me a baseline to determine the correct concentration and "soaking" time of NaOH in a possibly shorted/dead cell. After that, I am left to experiment until I find under what conditions my goal is achievable (NaOH concentration, time). I already know that NaOH can 1) solubilize lead sulfate 2) react with lead sulfate 3) react with lead oxide. My goal is to find a condition in which I use NaOH to achieve #1 but not #2 or #3 or #1, #2, but not #3. In any case, I find my time wasted attempting to defend a hypothesis that has not yet been tested and no experimental design has been presented. My time is also wasted trying to lecture the uneducated in the finer points of chemical reactions. Either someone is trolling for business or someone is not familiar with how chemistry works. Either way, I will refrain from responding, especially to naysayers, until I have an experimental design, or an academically relevant response is posted. As I stated before: I have no stake in this conversation or topic of interest, other than increased knowledge.
On March 1, 2016, Ayn R wrote:
In order to survive as an innovator/inventor you must believe in yourself and what you do. You must have laser focus. Invention without innovation is only dust in the wind. You must self actualize and be able to shrug off the nay-sayers. It’s easier to say it can’t be done and do nothing than to challenge the establishment. It’s safer to hover on the sidelines and then point fingers when success is not achieved than to pitch in to help. Your ego can be sizable, it must be. You lose a piece of it every time you fail at something. You have to re-inflate it whenever you succeed in order to survive the journey which is full of assorted failures, each of which teaches you something new.
On February 29, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - Sorry. I made two mistakes. The second reaction should be: PbO2 + 2NaOH = Na2PbO3 + H20. The products of the reactions are: Na2PbO2, sodium plumbite and Na2PbO3 sodium plumbate.
On February 29, 2016, Mike wrote:
It seems you have resorted to attempting to attack my character instead of addressing my original question about increasing battery longevity. You are deflecting. This is a common tactic in lawyers and business people. Instead of relating to the subject matter at hand, they want you to look at something else, such as something that cannot be proven. This is a very unscientific approach, that is not based in fact. If you are John Fetter, who is the CEO of F & H, then you are a representative/salesperson of a product, Battery Vitamin. Please, continue to attempt to dig into my character. Hire a professional if you need to. I can assure you that anything you dig up will be honorable and you will only be showing yourself to be a scoundrel. I have absolutely nothing to gain in this perceived fight of yours, other than to gain new knowledge in how a battery lives and dies. Maybe I will get one of my possibly dead batteries to work, maybe not. If you are John Fetter, I would be wary of what implications you are making as a CEO/representative of a company on a public forum. I have never posted on this website as anyone other than "Mike" and I don't need to because I do not have an ulterior motive. If you are going to make unsubstantiated claims, I would advise you to at least come up with some numbers/graphs/pictures. Otherwise, you appear to be blindfolded, grasping at straws.
On February 29, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - The lead and the lead compounds of the plates will all react with the NaOH as follows: PbSO4 + 4NaOH = Na2PbO2 + Na2SO4 + 2H2O; PbO + 2NaOH = Na2PbO2 + H2O; Pb + 2NaOH = Na2PbO2 + H2. According to desulfation practitioners, irreversible lead sulfate crystals are large, but not infinitely large, hence the NaOH will migrate into the plates. The active material crystals in the plates are very fine. The NaOH will therefore dissolve the active material before the sulfate crystals. You'll end up with a battery case filled with stubs of lead interconnections and a bubbly solution of sodium plumbate and a little sodium sulfate.
On February 29, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - There are people who believe it to be important to take advantage of the miracle of the internet anonymously. No matter how expert their disguise, the type of IP and way they go about their probing forms a pattern and that pattern can be recognized. You said, "Had I looked you up before I posted, I probably would not have addressed my question directly to you.". It seems you were being economical with the truth. You did all your probing way before you posted your first comment under your new pseudonym on February 25. I am not a salesperson. I do not compete with others who sell sulfation cures. There is no product being offered for sale.
On February 29, 2016, Mike wrote:
EDIT: I said lead acetate instead of lead sulfate. Thinking about work, I guess. I have not decided to attempt to use Epsom salt because an intermediate in the reaction of Epsom salt with lead sulfate is NaOH, so I figure I would try NaOH directly.
On February 29, 2016, Mike wrote:
Solubility is taught in basic first year chemistry. Precipitates and shorted out cells due to lead sulfate crystals are of concern in battery chemistry. Lead sulfate is not very soluble in water and only slightly soluble in sulfuric acid depending on molarity. Lead sulfate and other lead compounds are soluble in NaOH solutions. In fact, there have been several peer reviewed studies published in using varying aqueous concentrations of NaOH to recover Lead from lead acid batteries. To remove the precipitates in a lead acid battery, I am considering the following approach if a find a shorted/dead cell. Remove fluid from cell, rinse with distilled water, rinse with NaOH, rinse with distilled water, fill cell with pre-prepared battery acid. Then attempt to charge battery again. The only things I have not decided are: The concentration of aqueous NaOH to make or the amount of time to allow the NaOH to soak in cell. I have not decided to attempt Epsom salt as an intermediate in reaction of Epsom salt with lead acetate is NaOH, so I figure I would try NaOH directly. I came to the site and read a bunch of conjecture on whether additives have any effect. I attempted to ask someone whether they would use any of the above chemicals if charging was not working. Someone decided to attack the validity of even trying. You only fail when you stop trying. Almost every breakthrough in science is because people wouldnt stop trying even after they failed. Imagine a world where we gave up on flight. As a scientist, I don't need someone to pay me to experiment.
On February 29, 2016, Mike wrote:
Thank you bertie for using a health related analogy. It allows me to use one of my own without appearing to go too far off topic. Granny is 50 years old and is having a heart attack and is not functioning properly. Mike is asking if there is anything he can give her to keep her alive, such as an aspirin (Epsom salt). Mike also wants to know if her heart is opened up and any blockage cleaned out, if she may live (rinsing a cell to remove precipitates). Mike knows that Granny has a short life expectancy, especially after having a heart attack. Mike does not expect her to have a full life or to somehow magically become 20. Mike would like Granny to live another 5 years (10% of her life) until her affairs are in order. John C wants to know if putting Granny on a diet and a little exercise will extend her life.
On February 27, 2016, bertie wrote:
Gentlemen This is what it sounds like. Granny's died. John C and Mike would like someone to tell them how to give her heart massage to revive her just long enough to say goodbye. John Fetter does not understand.
On February 27, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - I am a hands-on investigator and will physically look at every angle to find out what is really happening. I discovered that the majority of battery back-to-life cures do not work but that it is, nevertheless, sometimes possible to revitalize lead acid batteries. I posted some comments on this subject on BU 804b, specifically Oct 20, 2012 (4:08am) and Feb 9, 2013 (12:35am). One should stick to science and technology in this type of discussion. Adding sodium hydroxide to a lead-acid battery seems a very peculiar thing indeed for a qualified chemist to do.
On February 27, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - Your sole objective was to throw a silly idea forward and to pick an argument with me.
On February 26, 2016, Mike wrote:
John F- I hope you won't mind me pointing out that the word "Assume" is used quite frequently in the mathematical and scientific community as a hypothetical term. Hypothetical situation being the basis for scientific experiments, of which you claim to have been a participant in several. An easy google search of your name brings me to a website called "batteryvitamin.net" Had I looked you up before I posted, I probably would not have addressed my question directly to you. You are a sales person or at least a representative of a company that sells a product/service directly related to battery life. I can not expect to receive an unbiased opinion or advice from you based on your conflict of interest. I would not ask a salesman if his competitor's product was effective. Looking back over your posts, I see that when anyone offers anecdotal evidence that conflicts with your point of view, you directly attack the person or the validity of the result as an anomaly. I can see from your website, that you attack the validity of peer reviewed research while displaying your own research as more valid without peer review. You are selling a product and it behooves you to come to a website and attempt to bludgeon/tear down any other product or school of thought that could be seen as even marginally successful. I am a chemist that has zero experience in battery chemistry/physics besides the brief exposure to batteries/electricity in first year physics. I do not have a claim to stake, I was just interested in how battery chemistry works and why they fail. When I see a problem, I try to think around it. I do have several most likely worked out batteries in my RV and boat. I don't really need them, and when I do, I can afford to buy a new one. Not everyone can. If there are simple ways to extend the life of an already faulty battery by even a 10% margin, it does make a difference. I attempted to ask you whether there were other means that could extend the life of a battery and what you would do. I assumed (philosophically) that your participation in almost every article thread on this website was due to your scientific and possibly humanitarian interest. I was wrong, your participation in this discussion is due to your business interest. Therefore your contribution is moot and I pass.
On February 26, 2016, John C wrote:
Mike, go ahead and give up on this site....I'm not interested in a miracle or snake oil or a pHD in batteries. .All I wanted was for someone to suggest that I leave my golf cart on the charger all the time, or to discharge the batteries down before recharging, using electrolyte in lieu of water to top them off, or whatever would make them last as long as possible - not bring them back from the dead (only one person has been able to pull that trick), or make them last forever. Just what is the best maintenance strategy for your deep cycle batteries...
On February 26, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - I hope you won't mind me pointing out that the word "Assume" tilts your question in a philosophical direction. You appear to be suggesting that you are entitled to receive advice on how use the least expensive materials (that sadly have no credible track record) in an attempt to revive what appears to be a worked out battery. I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be happy to give you the kind of formation you have prepared yourself to receive. I pass.
On February 26, 2016, Mike wrote:
I didnt ask a philosophical question, it was a technical question. Your disdain for any solution other than "you should have taken better care of your battery" or "put your battery on a specific type of charge for a long time" does not help the common layman in deciding whether to use an additive or not. I used "an imaginary problem" to explain to you and the common reader exactly what I was asking in the same way that an experiment design is carefully laid out such that certain parameters are being tested. Batteries are expensive to people in poverty. Epsom salt(metal sulfate), Drain Cleaner (NaOH), and water are not always expensive. You post a lot on every article on this site and could be seen as a subject matter expert. If you need your battery and you have tried everything else charge related, what is your alternative for short term recovery?
On February 26, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
Mike - Why do you risk getting bogged down trying to solve imaginary problems when there are so many opportunities to achieve something worthwhile in overcoming real problems?
On February 26, 2016, Mike wrote:
PS. I like when watching an apocalyptic movie or show such as The Walking Dead where gas hasnt gelled up and all the car batteries still work.
On February 26, 2016, Mike wrote:
Found this thread fascinating. I'm a little of a prepper and just wanted to understand a little more of the longevity and maintenance of lead acid. I have noticed in some posts on this and other BU articles that restoration is a thriving business that can at times give a battery a slight performance increase. John, I see that many of your posts are directly in favor of preventative maintenance and long charge recovery. Assume that there are no more batteries being made or that you are in a third world country where access and resources to a new battery are extremely limited. You have access to the sun, a solar charger with whatever amp and voltage capabilities you need, and chemicals such as metal sulfates and NaOH. You for some reason need this battery to work in the next 24 hours and it has not responded to your long charge recovery. Would you resort to an a) additive such as Epsom salt B) rinse whichever cells seem to not work with water or a NaOH solution C) continue your charge recovery? I only ask because some people may come to a battery information site not for snake oil, but because they may feel limited in their ability to go out and get a new battery. What is your recommendation to help with a battery? I myself have a couple of deep cells that I havent had time to experiment with but will in a month or two. I dont really need them for anything but I will probably try to rinse any dead cells with NaOH solution to dissolve any lead sulfate and reacidify and charge if I cant get the slow charge method to work in the name of science.
On February 1, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
It is amazing how entrenched the concept of bringing batteries back to life has become and how convinced people are that it can be done. Score board: Advertising 1, Science 0. Sorry John. There is probably no satisfactory technical way - but you can try returning them, ask for your money back.
On February 1, 2016, John C wrote:
J.F. - Now that I have your expert opinion on how I obtained the batteries, any constructive comment or suggestions on how to get the most out of what I have?
On February 1, 2016, John Fetter wrote:
John - It would seem the previous owner gave the very tired and practically worn out batteries an overcharge to give the cart at least some power to persuade someone to buy. The discoloration you see consists of positive active material and particles of separators that have been blown into the upper reaches of the electrolyte by violent gassing.
On February 1, 2016, John. C wrote:
Bought a used cart, 6×8v batteries. Noted that 3 have discolored electrolyte and sg varies 1225-1275 between cells. Ant suggestions on how to bring these 3 inline with the other 3?
On January 11, 2016, bertie wrote:
An advertising start to your new New Year job as a battery charger salesman Ross?
On January 11, 2016, Ross wrote:
It's a Projecta model. I've used it, seems to work.
On January 11, 2016, Ross wrote:
a farmer friend has a rejuvenating charger. it discharges the batt until the bad stuff is blown off the plates, the recalibrates the capacity and recharges it propperly. Can take several days to complete a cycle. It's a blax box with LEDs and some buttond to select modes and ranges, max current 16A
On November 13, 2015, driz wrote:
very interesting thread
On October 23, 2015, Steven Sutmiller wrote:
Helllo I have been wanting to start a car battery reconditiioning business for some time I have done hours of reading and research on line only to leave me more confused than ever so tell me can car batteries actually be rebuilt if so what is the best method and what do I need to get started.... thanks in advance sincerely Steven.....
On October 2, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
ViKARLL - No. The portions of the plates that were submerged in the steadily increasingly concentrated acid have likely become sulfated and this causes buckling due to the unequal rate of expansion of the sulfate.
On October 2, 2015, ViKARLL wrote:
Thanks john for your detailed reply. Are "buckled plates" a result of higher current draw only? If so I guess I can rule that out, since I have scarcely used this battery to extract power. But if it could happen due to no-load-neglect too, then the luck may not be on my side.
On October 2, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
ViKARLL - The links mean you can focus on the "bad" cell. Charge it via some low voltage lamps in series with one of the charger leads.(You can use a 12V charger with lamps to drop the voltage.) Adjust the current to very approximately 1.5A by series/ parallel connection of the lamps and selection of their wattages. Discharge with lamps at very approximately 5-10A. The lamps have tungsten filaments. Tungsten has the peculiar property of starting at low resistance at low voltage and high resistance at high voltage. In other words, they help to stabilize the current. Repeat until you see improvement or until it is obvious you're not winning. The cell might have buckled plates. You could try opening and repairing. This is what they used to do in the early days of lead-acid.
On October 2, 2015, ViKARLL wrote:
Many thanks John, for your prompt reply, and of course the advice, an easy way out, rather than messing around with chemicals. Do you think I should exercise a couple of successive charge / discharge cycles ? I have the option to load only the bad cell since these old stuff are kinder and have external links in-between cells. Thanks, again.
On October 2, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
ViKARRL - When the electrolyte level dropped, it left the tops of the plates exposed to air and this would have caused the exposed parts to become discharged by oxidation. The submerged parts became sulfated. You added all that the battery needed - water. Ignore what people try telling you about additives, etc. Leave the battery on a SLOW charge for up to three weeks. You will never get the battery restored 100% but you might get a working battery out of this. You can obtain slow charging by putting a lamp in series with the charger.
On October 2, 2015, ViKARLL wrote:
I notice that the beginning of this thread is quite old, but hope it is not too late to seek some advice from you gentlemen on the topic of battery desulfation, since the problem gets never old, though the thread is. About two years back, I purchased an old-style hard-rubber (probably the last to be manufactured in my country) EXIDE 6V, 90 Ah lead-acid battery for my classic car. I could not drive the car for more than two weeks thereafter, owing to some other problem. The battery lied there dormant for nearly two years. When I checked recently, I found that the electrolyte level has dropped to perhaps half. I have topped it with distilled water and charged it for 48 hours and the SG of two cells are normal now. But the third is still in the "Red" zone of the hydrometer, though the voltage of that cell reads 2.24 (sorry, I don't have a load tester) My questions are these; 1. Should I put some additive to that cell alone and recharge? 2. What should the additive be? Is it EDTA or Epsom? 3. If I manage to revive the battery, should I empty the whole cocktail and fill it back with electrolytic, proper? Cheers,
On August 27, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
I did not look at the "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia69Ow9DYLI" link at first, but curiosity got the better of me and I had had a look. What I saw was a long wire radio antenna which someone had connected, via a full wave voltage doubler rectifier circuit, to ground. There was a second antenna in close vicinity. It is very easy to explain what was going on. There was a radio transmitter connected to the second antenna. This was sending out a radio signal, (high frequency ac voltage), which was received and detected by the voltage doubler rectifier, (turned into dc), and the detected signal displayed by voltmeter and ammeter. Sorry. No free sky electricity.
On August 14, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
The early TV antennas in Australia were based on antennas used in Europe. The antenna wire was balanced 300 ohm impedance, the antenna element would have been connected electrically at its center to the frame and the pole, and if the pole was attached to the wall, that would have provided a "soft" ground connection, which is especially favorable to creating corrosion at the site of the mounting. The "soft" ground connection meant that the 550 kHz to 1600 kHz medium wave radio signal was able to get through to operate your crystal set. Benjamin Franklin obtained electricity from the air. It originated from the corona discharge caused by an overhead thunderstorm.
On August 14, 2015, Blue Koolaid wrote:
Maybe antennas in Australia are different To Africa, our antenna was attached to the Outside wall of the house, antenna wire Consisted of a flat twisted flex which Attached to the antenna via wing nuts. The antenna was definitely not In contact With the ground. Given that you've redetermined my question At hand, am I to assume you refute the notion Of free electricity from the air ? Cheers Blue Koolaid
On August 14, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
When you were ten years old the standard TV antenna in use was a Band I Yagi with a folded dipole element. The voltage distribution along a folded dipole has a zero voltage point at its resonant frequency at its center, which can therefore be clamped onto the frame of the antenna array, and thereby comply with the legal requirement for the antenna to be grounded at all times.
On August 14, 2015, Blue Koolaid wrote:
John, Your suggestion about galvanic reaction between the two different metals is plausible and I can understand how the geologists research can work by running current between the two points, and measuring resistance but in my case, the television antenna was insulated from the ground, yet I had spark between the antenna wire and the earth wires . Here is an interesting video I found on the subject. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia69Ow9DYLI From what I can see, I think I stumbled on a primitive version of the above circuit. The question remains, how is the electricity produced, it appears to me that the earth is charged as one pole, as it were, and the atmosphere charged with the opposite pole ? If that is the case, perhaps Earths Magnetic Poles play a role. Contributions welcomed. Cheers Blue Koolaid
On August 14, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
I believe you were measuring the potential difference between the corrosion activity of the aluminum of the TV antenna and ground and the iron of the peg and ground. The TV antenna and the peg could have been connected electrically to ground via all kinds of different metals, each in turn generating a potential at their junctions, with a number of positives and negatives in series, ultimately resulting in the voltage that you measured. The overall circuit would have created something of a loop antenna, which helped your crystal set to work. You appeared to have created a battery and an antenna in one. I don't think the electricity you measured was free. It came at the expense of the metals that were being corroded. A very interesting experiment that is closely related, would be to create two grounding points more than 10 meters apart, say 30 meters, and to connect some headphones to listen to the electrical activity that goes on in the ground. You can hear the mains electricity humming and you can hear switches and electric motors and all kinds of things. You can hear lightning even if it is over the horizon. Word of warning - disconnect when the lightning gets close. You can communicate via the ground. Two grounding points on one side, two on the other, positioned like a stretched out quadrangle. Connect the output of an amplifier at one side, listen on the other side. This idea was used as a field telephone circuit in WWI. You can perform certain types of geology. Find out what is underneath the ground. Use two grounding points spaced hundreds of meters apart. Use an aircraft type generator and overspeed it slightly. Use a matching transformer and drive a few kilowatts at just below 500 Hz into the ground. One can trace the ac magnetic field with pickup coils connected to decibel meters at the surface and spot all kinds of anomalies.
On August 14, 2015, Blue Koolaid wrote:
IS PLANET EARTH ONE BIG BATTERY? When I was a child around 10 yrs.' old I playing around with a vintage crystal set. You may recall that crystal sets worked best if they had an aerial and an earth connected. I connected the aerial to an old television antenna and an old steel peg became the earth. Whilst connecting those wires to my crystal set, I accidently touched the aerial and earth together and observed a small spark. Curios, I placed a multimeter across those wires and after adjusting it to the 12 volt range I read the meter . It was reading 4 volts DC .FREE ELECTRICITY !! As an adult I've come across lots of information about such things as:- Teslers Free Electricity story Pyramids as Power Stations etc Does anyone else have a contribution about this subject? Sorry if this is in the wrong category. Cheers Blue Koolaid
On August 1, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
Barry - Koolaid is basically right. The easiest way might be to simply buy what is actually labelled battery acid, which is usually 1.250 SG sulfuric acid. Empty your battery and fill it with this battery acid and put the battery on charge.
On August 1, 2015, Dr Jack wrote:
Ken You rewrote the most common letter of recommendation featured on desulfation websites.
On July 31, 2015, Ken wrote:
Adding Epsom salts worked for me. Two days in a row I charged the battery. Each morning it was dead. Added the mixture of epom salts and viola, it starts just fine the next day. If I get another few months I will be happy
On June 22, 2015, Blue Koolaid wrote:
Hi Barrie Best to discard residual electrolyte. They fill with a cocktail of 38% Sulhuric Acid and 68% tap water. Fill battery so plates are Covered and place on long slow charge. Distilled water will not result in quantifiable Extended life. Needless to say not all will agree. If you simply top up with acid or water, your electrolyte Ratio will be incorrect . Cheers Blue Koolaid
On June 22, 2015, Barrie Weston wrote:
I have a new battery 6v, which to acid was spilled by the carrier. Do I top up the loss with acid, or demineralised water ?
On March 24, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
Blue Koolaid - Luigi Galvani demonstrated what he called animal electricity on frogs legs. Alessando Volta realized that the muscle twitching was initiated by the metal probes that had been used by Galvani. In 1800 he succeeded in producing what he described as a wet battery - two metal probes in a wineglass filled with your favorite fluid. This led him to use salt water and eventually to build a vastly improved version with copper, zinc and sulfuric acid. The history of invention often repeats, sometimes runs in reverse.
On March 20, 2015, Blue Koolaid wrote:
Bertie, I would hardly consider this a technical forum Urine batteries are not a new idea. If you think I was taking the piss, check out these links. Theres plenty of anecdotal evidence to support the notion. http://www.dudeiwantthat.com/household/miscellaneous/urine-powered-batteries.asp http://revision3.com/diytryin/diy-aluminum-air-battery/ http://www.livescience.com/384-power-pee-runs-battery.html Draw your own conclusions. Cheers Blue Koolaid
On March 20, 2015, bertie wrote:
Blue koolade = Rod Rowan A pity you keep insulting people. This is a technical forum. If you know so much about batteries, why you are trying so hard hiding it? There are plenty of people interested in learning from you.
On March 20, 2015, Blue koolade wrote:
Are you seriously still here arguing about Battery reconditioning additives? You do realise that this forum will not give you any secrets and none Of this means anything right ? Newcomers...the best way to re-energise lead acid batteries is by taking a leak in them Best to do this in private otherwise passers by might wonder why you are standing over your cars engine bay Cheers blue koolade
On March 20, 2015, John Fetter wrote:
Naresh - Do what you want to do. If you believe, you believe. Alternatively, try putting in an equalizing charge.
On March 19, 2015, Naresh Tuladhar wrote:
Can anyone suggest that it is ok to mix Epsom salt solution in distill water to sulfuric acid filled lead acid battery for a repair as it is not holding the charge for longer period. By the way, it is a tubular battery of 150 Amp we are using in inverter,
On November 22, 2014, John Fetter wrote:
Peter - I am a visitor, have no connections, simply like to debate these issues. Thank you for your kind comments. Battery experts have known since at least as far back as the early 1940s that natural rubber is highly beneficial in lead-acid batteries, have never managed to figure out why. They improve the performance and the service life of batteries. However, natural rubber battery separators cost roughly three times the price of regular polyethylene separators. I simply chopped up some rubber separators, put the pieces in a bottle, added battery acid, after about a week shook the mixture, discovered that it foamed. I used that acid in a battery and found it dramatically reduced the end of charge current. I then tried the same with plain natural rubber latex gloves, got the same results. The benefit does not last. The chemical gets used up. Putting a quantity of rubber into the cells will resupply the battery. Obviously it leaches out slowly over time. The makers of rubber separators have published papers explaining all the benefits of rubber. They say it reduces antimony transfer. So I made two small identical electroplating cells with antimony metal positives. Put plain battery acid in the one, "doctored" battery acid in the other. They are right. The "doctored" cell gave significantly less plating. Rubber separators were long favored by Bell Labs, by submarine battery makers, golf-cart battery makers and some US stationary and motive power battery makers. No one uses them for car batteries. I can only suggest you try and see what happens.
On November 21, 2014, Peter wrote:
Mr. Fetter - Thank you very much for your first class website, hosting this discussion and especially for so freely sharing with unfailing civility your valuable knowledge gained from experience, experimentation, archival research & common sense. I have a boaters & DIY collection of large & small starter & deep cycle batteries and lost more than a few due to neglect, so I now also have a collection of large & small chargers... After having read through all the postings about the many additives considered, my take away question is simple -- did you just write (in May) that the life of a flooded cell battery could be extended by sprinkling in some ground- up natural rubber between the plates? -- or does it need to be incorporated into the plate structure during manufacturing? If the former is true, how much rubber is needed? As far as I can tell, the most common items made from 100% latex are gloves and pillows. Does the form of the latex matter? Thanks.
On November 19, 2014, Brad wrote:
TO: BJ How much Epson salt did you add? Did you dissolve it in the water first? So did you charge it with the salt water mixture in it? I assume you then drained it and added new acid? Thanks
On November 19, 2014, BJ wrote:
I have used Epsom Salt in several automotive and deep cycle batteries, One from my van that would no longer hold a charge more than a week, I drained it, Filled it with Epsom salts and distilled water and charged it at 2 amps for a week, That was 2.5 years ago and it has been in my Isuzu Rodeo since, It starts fine even in 0deg weather, I have 2 true deep cycle batteries that also had poor capacities, Both these are in my garage and are showing 12.5-13v ..They each ran a 5amp blower fan for nearly a day before I noticed a drop in rpms.....
On October 4, 2014, John Fetter wrote:
Brett - The stated cure became popular in the 1940s and 1950s, was sold as AD-X2. There were complaints. It was tested by the US Bureau of Standards. Their findings:. Batteries that had been (1) treated and then charged and batteries that had been (2) charged but not treated provided equally favorable results. Perhaps the reason behind the concluding statement of the article.
On October 4, 2014, Brett Stankiewicz wrote:
Thank you for building this web sight, you did an excellent job. This solution you are writing about you said water at 150 deg. mix 10 tablespoons of ebson salt, how much do I use of caustic soda and how much EDTA, Best Regards Brett
On September 18, 2014, John Fetter wrote:
William - 1. Ten- to twenty-year batteries can be built. After selling a handful to knowledgeable people, the rest will remain on the dealer's shelves, unsold. Batteries are a grudge buy. The majority of (automobile) battery users are surprisingly determined to buy the cheapest. They have a mindset that says all batteries are the same quality regardless of what is stated in the advertising, therefore there is no reason to pay more. Hence (automobile) battery life is determined by customer purchasing preference, not technical expertise. 2. Supermarkets, logistics organizations, manufacturers, etc. who use millions of forklift trucks world-wide and hence millions of very large (motive power) batteries, are the most cost conscious of all. A typical supermarket distribution center uses somewhere between 400 and 800 batteries, likely to cost a couple of million dollars. Battery life is critically important to their owners. Many have learned the hard way, over the years, that it pays to invest in equipment that helps to prolong the service life of their batteries.
On September 17, 2014, William wrote:
I have followed the thread , I agree with the rubber separator,electrical desulphation of cells plates. Has anybody with the wealth of battery knowledge tried building a battery with better design plates, plate separator, better acid(gel) and better cell to cell connection with Ten to twenty year life? If not we will continue to have a lot of junk as land fill for our grand kids.
On July 10, 2014, allen lagnado wrote:
i tried epsom - zilch what about emptying power then charging - pole with positive lead of charger and positive battery pole to - of charger that way all the negative plates will dissolve their sulfated layers ,empty charge again then same charging for few times then charge normally would this help?
On May 25, 2014, John Fetter wrote:
Craig - The earliest patent on rubber battery separators that I have been able to find is US Pat 761,345, to Theodore A Willard, issued on May 31, 1904 - who, ten years later, went on to invent the car battery as we know it today. Battery manufacturers have been using rubber separators ever since, especially in deep cycling batteries. Trojan Battery Co., for example, uses them in most of their batteries. US submarine batteries have rubber separators. The rubber releases a substance into the electrolyte very, very slowly. This substance migrates to the negative plates, attaches to the surfaces of the negatives and then acts as an ion selective barrier similar to a reverse osmosis barrier. The barrier prevents heavy metal ions from reaching the negatives and depositing as metal impurities on the negatives. The barrier does not attach to the surface but hovers above the surface, which means it is not destroyed by charging-discharging cycles. The barrier can be detected and can be measured with a digital multimeter and a reference electrode. The barrier reduces gassing, reduces water consumption, reduces positive grid corrosion and reduces self discharge. (It has no effect on sulfation. Only about 5% of lead-acid become sulfated, so this is not a big problem. The people who sell sulfation remedies claim the sufation figure is 80%.) Natural rubber works. Synthetic rubber does not. I suppose the rubber can be frozen with liquid nitrogen and then be powdered. I believe powdered natural rubber will extend battery life.
On May 25, 2014, Craig wrote:
John Fetter - Thank You for a great forum and good to great info! I really hope that is true about rubber being "the best (so far)" separator, and I deduced from your post that you tried it with rubber powder free natural rubber gloves - and are very impressed with the positive results? Didn't know it was already being used in deep cycle batteries. I have some electronics background & understand that 2 plates as close as possible without touching produce the most capacitance, but as they are brought closer together handle less voltage, because it will "jump" or arc - but in a 1.2 volt lead acid cell that's probably not a problem (until the plates warp, or bang into each other if the separator has failed/crumbled. I "assumed" they used a fibrous paper compound cause it would hold some electrolyte and be able to allow electrons to flow "through" it. But then I thought about the common "plastic" cap or mylar, etc. using this as it's "dielectric" and that these are good insulators like rubber, vinyl, etc. What I'm trying to ask is do the electrons/current have to go "around" the edge of the rubber (or any non-porus insulator) to get to the plate of opposite polarity? Is this also true for most capacitors (except maybe an air capacitor? Do we get better efficiency by using a rubber "grid" that lets electrons and electrolyte move easier between the entire surfaces of the plates? Is there any known way to "liquify" rubber, to be able to use that as an additive for existing batteries? Does "finely ground or powdered rubber" do anything to help an aging battery? I think they use powdered rubber to make flexible magnets also? Thank You Craig
On May 11, 2014, raj wrote:
what happen when we drink inverter acid?
On April 23, 2014, Oscar Ormond wrote:
Hi BigJonMX The problem with the battery in your 5 year old second hand Jeep is old age. Perhaps the continuous drain by the middle aged virgin computer with overclocking eventually acellerated sulfation
On March 9, 2014, John Fetter wrote:
Tim - Why don't you test the battery by putting on a suitable load and measuring the ampere-hours and then letting us know the result?
On March 9, 2014, Tim Stone wrote:
My battery, a small Duralast, read 11.5 V and would not hold a charge for a day. I emptied the electrolite, rinsed the battery 5 or 6 times, got lots of black stuff out, and replaced the electrolite with a solution of 1cup epsom salt disolved in hot water. I charged the battery at 4 amps for 24 hrs and now have 16.4 volts (for two days). Was I successful in rejuvinating this old battery? Should I empty out the salt solution and replace with the old electrolite?
On March 9, 2014, John Fetter wrote:
Rashedul Hasan Rony - The issues regarding battery manufacturing, that you explained to me as being of concern to you, seem to be caused by automotive battery technology being applied to deep cycling duty. Sorry, I do not know of any quick solution that can be passed on via email..
On February 22, 2014, Rashedul Hasan Rony wrote:
Dear Mr. John Fetter, I was reading your discussion for the first time and It is really interesting. I wish I could have your personal e-mail address and communicate with with with many issues regarding battery manufacturing. My E-mail address is roni.dhk@gmail.com. Regards.
On January 13, 2014, John Fetter wrote:
Rubber battery separators, continued. A string of technical papers written in the 1990s by acknowledged experts in the battery industry carry glowing descriptions of the special properties of natural rubber battery separators. Rubber reduces antimony transfer, reduces the end of charge current, reduces gassing, reduces water consumption and reduces dendrite formation. Amazing properties for a supposedly neutral material that is used to separate the positive and negative plates of a battery. None of the other separator materials possess these properties. Natural rubber separators, say the authors, exude trace materials into the battery acid electrolyte over the working life of the battery, that are beneficial to the battery. It appears these materials interact with the electrodes of the cells in much the same way as additives interact in electroplating baths. Rubber also reduces positive grid corrosion and reduces shedding of the positive active material. This means rubber extends battery life. None of the technical papers mention this.
On January 8, 2014, John Fetter wrote:
This page is entitled, "Additives to Boost Flooded Lead Acid". This is precisely what this posting is about. I have tried most additives and methods. Found they left much to be desired. Continued searching. In 2010 my investigations took me in an unexpected direction. I managed to latch onto the trail of a raging legal battle between the Federal Trade Commission and a large battery separator manufacturer, that had taken over a smaller company and by doing so had apparently created a situation bordering on a monopoly. They were ordered to reverse the deal, sell of the smaller company. They refused. It case dragged on for years. It was finally decided in 2013 in favor of the FTC by the US Supreme Court. Clearly, whatever it was that was important enough to spend tens of millions of dollars in legal expenses to attempt to acquire had to be worth looking at. Rubber. Plain old fashioned natural rubber. The battery separators made by the company in question were made of natural rubber. They are an important component in US golf-cart battery manufacturing and an essential component in US submarine battery manufacturing. They are important because they maintain the batteries in which they are fitted at peak performance as they age - in other words, they extend battery life. So I decided to run a few experiments to see for myself. I sourced my natural rubber from natural rubber gloves. Powder-free. Chopped them up. Put the cut-up rubber gloves into some flooded lead-acid batteries and hit the jackpot. This stuff works superbly. .
On December 20, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Rod Rowan = Blue Koolaid - You seem to be promoting the headline "Victim Hits Robber, Unfair". We've had our share of others using our intellectual property without permission, buying our product but not paying. The better the technology, the more these things seem to happen.
On December 19, 2013, Blue Koolaid wrote:
Ive been doing some due diligence on you John It appears you are quite a nasty little man
On December 15, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Rod - No worries mate. I managed to negotiate my earlier years without mishap. But since you chose to disparage my state of health, without any evidence, I should think I should be permitted to offer you my insight into yours, which I shall attempt to do without causing the same kind of intentional offense. You have been processing lead-acid automobile batteries with lead-antimony alloy grids for most of the 40-odd years. When the new batteries are formed, there is a peculiar smell. That smell is caused by predominantly by stibine, given off together with the hydrogen gas.. Stibine is a compound consisting of hydrogen and antimony and it is highly poisonous. As batteries age, the antimony that resided in the positives, ends up in the negatives, where it readily combines with hydrogen when the battery is put on gassing charge. You charged 30,000 tons of old lead-acid batteries to pick out the ones that still worked and generated many kilograms of stibine, a significant portion of which you inadvertently inhaled. The effects of antimony poisoning are well documented, including confusion and hallucination..
On December 14, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
John You'd like me to tell you my trade secrets wouldn't you ? It wont happen. Your just upset that someone has seen through all your BS. I'll leave the theorising to you....I can see its worked very well for you :-) have a great day cheers rod r
On December 14, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
To the initiated my last post was a representation of Australian humour. Here are some statistics for you science man During my career in batteries Ive manually handled 30,000 tonnes of batteries. (give or take a kilo) To put that into perspective for you, the titanic weighed 52,310 tonnes. During that time Ive made a few observations. 1. batteries are heavy. 2. batteries are expensive 3. batteries are usually dirty. If you want to know the rest of my observations you will have to buy the book. lol John ..you are an interesting case study. You like the conga line before you came searching for the secrets of battery reconditioning. When you actually come across someone with over 40 years industry experience, you don't appear to have the listening skills to absorb a different perspective to your current well matured and biased views. regards rod r
On December 14, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Rod - I love your explanation! Takes the average Joe hardly any effort to buy a kit, buy some additive, analyze. I have done that. Unable to find anything special. Reconditioners set up shop, no IT protection, everyone copies. Ends up nickel and dime. So they decide not to do the reconditioning work themselves, they sell kits instead. It's a statistical game. They know deep in their hearts the technical aspects can be made irrelevant. They know they can rely on a scientifically proven effect - the Placebo Effect. It's all in the advertising. Works quite well on the unemployed, retired.
On December 14, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
John Its not that battery reconditioners cant tell you, more to the point, they don't want to tell you. No-one is going to give you their trade secrets and provide extra market competition for themselves. Battery Reconditioners don't worry about the science. We would rather leave that to people like yourself to wrestle with. I was lucky enough to obtain a copy of the 750 page us senate report on the AD-X2 saga, to which you refer...interesting read. Yes...you are correct. This business is about the operator and not the science. regards rod r
On December 14, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Rod - I do not see myself as a battery expert. I started off years ago trying to find out how battery reconditioning works. Then I discovered no one can tell me. Practitioners are keen to say they have been doing it for many years, have many happy customers. Plenty of anecdotal evidence, plenty of endorsements - but I found they don't have proper scientific evidence. The United States Bureau of Standards summed it up many years ago. Desulfation [product plus charging] and [charging alone] provide equally favorable results. The other thing I discovered is that scrap battery prices to reconditioners have been going up and it appears this has put the squeeze on margins. It appears this caused you to switch to selling kits and bottles of additives. Your line of argument appears to rely on involving the person rather than the object.
On December 14, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
John. To address your questions:- 1. I posted my comment on this page because, although you see yourself as a battery expert your knowledge has huge gaps which results in your propagation of extremely conservative half truths. My motivation for posting was simple. To let others know that it is quite possible to recondition lead acid batteries to a point where they can be sold with comparable warranty to a new battery with an extremely low failure rate. Forgive me if I don't want to sacrifice my IP for zero return. 2. As far as my knowing what you know and what you don't know John. It takes about 1 minute to learn about people on the net. I'm sure you are aware of that John. If you need qualitative evidence I can post my findings here fo you if you like. Of course I invite intelligent debate..thats the whole idea isn't it ? regards rod r
On December 13, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Rod - Why did you post your comment on this page? You have absolutely no idea whatsoever what I know and what I don't know. You came on saying there is definitely a method to recondition car and truck batteries. You disparaged others for speaking in favor of the views that suit their ongoing interests. You concluded by saying that you are not going to divulge the approach that you've used since 1972. I would suggest that is a very clear invitation for other people to engage you in debate
On December 13, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
Thank you for telling me it works. I waited 41 years to find that out. What I am comprehending John is..you are all theory and no hands on practice. Not to mention condescending. To set the record straight. The world of battery reconditioning does not start and finish with you, your perceptions and this website. I have 41 years of empirical evidence gathered in the industry and to be frank, most of what you say is nonsense. There is far more technology available than you are aware of. Time do catch up with your research. If you are going to continue to ride shotgun over his forum it helps if you know what you are talking bout
On December 13, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Gentlemen - There are a billion automobile-type batteries in use around the world. Reconditioning might involve a few tens of millions of batteries per year. That defines reconditioning as a cottage industry. Very importantly, it has been around a long time. There is a very powerful technical message behind this situation, which I suspect you may not be comprehending. (1) It works. (2) The technology is NOT on target. I have no allegiance whatsoever to the battery industry. In fact, they get very upset with me.
On December 13, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
Thanks BigJon You make me smile. Mr Fetter is 100% predictable in his responses due to his background and vested interests. Much to the disappointment of cynics and new battery companies, there will always be people like us cashing in on the differential in price between new batteries and reconditioned batteries which are sold with full replacement warranty. regards rod r
On December 13, 2013, BigJonMX wrote:
@RodRowan: I wouldnt bother if i were you. There are some individuals on this site that must be employed by battery makers. they go above and beyond any scientific or technical debate to poo-poo any and all attempts to restore,recycle,extend,improve battery life. Its as though they were married to a battery, that cheated and dumped them. I have been shown many simple and involved ways to get extra life out of car batteries, and some actually work incredibly well. but like you i'll pass this info to the deserving...
On December 13, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
John Millions of batteries sold is reasonable quantitative evidence wouldn't you say ? In your opinion, how many would I need to sell before you would consider the concept a successful one? Taking a wholistic view of the battery reco industry then of course stats would apply but what are we calculating ? standard deviation of recovery rates and failure rates ? Don't those statistics apply equally to the new battery industry ? Perhaps we can call the battery reconditioning cottage industry that controls 10% of the domestic battery market. Cheers rod r
On December 13, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Rod - I merely summarized, asked the obvious question. You have now added that you have sold millions of reconditioned batteries, therefore your concept works. My understanding of commercial scale battery reconditioning is that it is a statistical game. My understanding is that a modest percentage of batteries respond and that the percentage is high enough to make a living out of the business. A cottage industry.
On December 13, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
John Thanks for your response. I'm not sure how you came up with that version of what I was saying. Allow me to have another attempt. I was saying that batteries, just like humans, have a life cycle. Any attempt to recondition either humans or batteries must happen with a certain 'window' period. As you would be aware, access into modern batteries is virtually impossible, so any attempt to repack active material would be futile. My point is, restoration of any lead acid battery can only be attempted when there is adequate active material left on the plates, otherwise you are restoring lead and antimony grids. You are 100% correct when you said I have been doing this since 1972. Given your previous conversation threads, I don't expect you to agree with the concept of battery reconditioning but if the concept doesn't work, I must have been living in a parallel universe since 1972 as I have sold literally millions of reconditioned batteries during those years. Regards Rod Rowan
On December 13, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Rod Rowan - You appear to be saying that, since 1972, you have been putting the active material, that separates out of the plates through starting, back into the plates. I am not in disagreement with your observation about the separation but am rather curious how you manage to put the material back in, after most of it has accumulated as sludge, as result of inevitable shaking experienced by the batteries, under the force of gravity.
On December 13, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
ps. My apologies for the typo errors cheers rr
On December 13, 2013, Rod Rowan wrote:
Interesting article. I feel that Im qualified to add a small contibution after 41 years experience reconditioning car and truck batteries. As you would be aware, people with vested interests only speak in favor of the views that suit their ongoing interests. I can tell you all that there is defnitely a method to recondition car and truck batteries but think about it this way. Batteries are like humans, and can only be successfully maintained up to a point, or a number of years. In our case, if we are lucky and have the correct gemes we may last up to 100 years of age. When it comes to batteriess, every time you start your vehicle minute particles of active material sepeate from the plates (called shedding) Its usually around 6-7 years until the plates lose enough material so they no longer accept a charge. I think you will understand when I say that I'm not going to divulge my approach that Ive used since 1972. Except to say, I and many other people have spent numerous years involved in the exact industry. Most of us see ourselves as the original greenies because we are helping to minimize old batteries going into landfil.I am not trying to be controversial and I dont mind if you disagree with my comments. I am simply making my humble contribution. Rod Rowan MBA ( from a real university)
On October 19, 2013, Bevan Paynter wrote:
Kent- I disagree with Oscar. Your batteries are worn out. At least that's my opinion. Cheers
On October 19, 2013, Oscar Darwin wrote:
KentG Go for example 4. Pulse the batteries.
On October 3, 2013, Matheus Heru S wrote:
I tried to use epsom salt for my batteray. After I give my batteray with epsom salt I can't breath for couple minute. I think I will die at that time because no air I can take.
On September 17, 2013, KentG wrote:
Hi I have a solar PV set up at my cottage. I have 4-6volt Trojan batteries, now 6 years old The system gets used in the summer. then sits there all winter at -20 most of the time. I have a good charge regulator that allows the panels to top up constantly. I had low voltage problems this spring. I tested the SG, and three cells, each in a different battery were way into the "discharged" zone so I tried to equalize on a sunny day (higher panel voltage available). hough I only had a bout 15.5volts available, two cells responded well, and after a few charge cycles seem fine. On cell did not, sooo.... what to do? Any comments on the following "Possible Options" would be greatly appreciated and just plain old nerdy interesting: 1 Do not try to rejuvinate anything. Order four new batteries and pay $900. 2. Buy one new $235 battery and add to the 85% functioning remaining three 3. Assuming a sulfation problem try epsom salt in the one bad cell 4. Assuming a sulfation problem try using Mikey Sklar's (http://screwdecaf.cx/dapimp.html)or other capacative, desulfating, equalizing chargers or something else, on the one bad battery. 5. Try both Epsom salt and the charger? 6. Besides the $25,000 required to connect to the grid, any other ideas?
On September 7, 2013, Keith B wrote:
Excellent read! Question: My 11 year-old/65000 mile starter battery sits unused a lot. Drops to maybe 11v sometimes, but I top up water/recharge using an 8-stage CTEK charger every 6/8 or so weeks. It still cranks and seems to run fine, but I now notice a fine film of gray scum floating on top of the electrolyte... I'm guessing active paste? Is this a sign of imminent/final failure?
On July 26, 2013, hamza qayyum wrote:
actually i do it. but reaction is that highly voice can be produced and battery escape waterand bad smell of acid can be produced which can disturbed my lungs.
On July 7, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
SteveY - While the charging would have the effect of improving the battery, washing it out would have the effect of destroying it. At some point the two cross, producing a small peak. You are wasting your time and energies.
On July 5, 2013, SteveY wrote:
Do you mean when I washed it initially or during the charge/discharge? If initially, why then did it work better for awhile?
On July 5, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
SteveY - You washed the active material out of the plates of a worn-out battery.
On July 5, 2013, SteveY wrote:
Don't you mean 2 shorted cells? I've read that o/c cells will cause either a zero volt reading or if they're only open under load, the battery will still read full voltage until you apply a load. Anyway, as a test case, I used a 6 volt 5.5 ah motorcycle battery that was bad when I bought an old motorcycle. Then it sat for years. I charged it, and it was only 5.7 volts. Then I connected it to a 12v headlight, and it hardly turned on. Then I replaced the electrolyte with alum solution, after washing the battery out a bit with baking soda. (Black gunk never stopped coming out, though, so after awhile I gave up.) I charged it, and then, wow, the light came on much brighter and lasted longer. It still went fairly quickly, though, so I did a few charge/discharge cycles, using the headlight and a 12v heater/fan. First couple times, I discharged to 1.5v or so. The charger I'm using is a Schumacher XC6 in 2 amp mode. I'm not sure, but I think the battery improved after a few of these cycles, but only coming up to approx 5.7 volts still. Then I started discharging to .3-.5v for a few cycles, leaving the fan hooked up to it all night. Now, the charger turns off, but the battery is only 3.9v. What happened? The alum conversion definitely helped in the beginning, but now the battery is worse. I wonder if it was because I discharged to such a low voltage, or is it because 2 amps is charging it too fast? Another theory is that some sulfation is breaking off, liberating sulfuric acid back into the solution, which when mixed with the alum causes it to not work right. Any ideas?
On July 1, 2013, Bevan Paynter wrote:
You have 2 o/c cells(pos grids crumble- low volts/ sulfation speeds it up) - the only way you & I will know is to try it ourselves-I will find a suitable batt to try on- however I am doubtful- then again, m-t-ying electrolyte & just using water, batt will charge! At increased rate! Never waited to see how long batt lasted @!.
On June 23, 2013, SteveY wrote:
I have just discovered that people are replacing their old battery's electrolyte with a solution made from alum and distilled water. The claim is that the battery then becomes capable of deep cycling without harm and capacity is restored. It sounded too good to be true, so I tried to research the chemistry of it. I didn't find much, but I did find one guy say that the new, alum electrolyte (alum is used to keep pickles crisp and can be found in the supermarket's spice section) desulfates the plates, regaining sulfuric acid from the positive plate. Is this worth trying or is it simply the process of washing out the crud from the bottom of the battery that resulted in the battery coming back to life? If that's the case, I'd think I could just put the sulfuric acid electrolyte back in (after filtering it) to save on the expense of buying alum and disposing of lead-contaminated acid. The reason I ask is that I just bought an old trailer that has an old car battery (9 to 10 volts, so probably a shorted cell, right?) in place of the deep cycle battery. Until I can buy a proper battery, I just need something to charge the cell phone and run the little trailer lights for a few hours a night. The battery is working as is for this purpose, but if I could get more capacity, I'd be a happy camper. Literally. LOL.
On June 15, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Scott S - 100% correct! I would characterize it as deception rather than as myth. It would appear as if it was decided that automobile batteries must not fail within the warranty period, yet last only a limited predetermined period thereafter. So they put labels on the batteries, MAINTENANCE-FREE, DO NOT WATER, IF SEAL BROKEN, WARRANTY VOIDED or words to that effect. If you want your battery to last, IGNORE. The day after the warranty expires, put water in the battery, after that, keep watering. PS In most regions, tap water is pure enough to use. Few regions not.
On June 15, 2013, Scott S wrote:
There is a myth that the current maintenance free batteries do not need water added. This is how the MFGS Sell new batteries when they are not needed. The fact is the type of caps used on these batteries are simply condensation chambers that allow the hydrogen gas that forms during charging to escape and most of the water vapor to condense and fall back into the cell. HOWEVER, as you can note by the electrolyte that builds on top of the battery (green scale and white 'fluff') there is liquid escaping as well. regularly topping off the water in the cells will considerably extend battery life. I have designed these "maintenance free" batteries professionally. Any flooded (wet) cell battery will require maintenance. Maintenance free automotive batteries should actually be called limited self maintaining batteries, as this is actually what they are, batteries that are capable of limited self maintenance
On June 5, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Daniel DeMaio - Deep discharge batteries have a significant amount of antimony incorporated in the lead alloy of their positive grids, whereas automobile starter batteries have very little or no antimony in their positive grids. The antimony helps deep cycling but has an adverse effect on self discharge. As the battery ages, antimony finds its way to the negative plates, where the arriving antimony establishes micro electrochemical cells on the resident porous lead, causing the antimony to emit hydrogen and the underlying lead to become sulfated. Deep discharge batteries need to be brought up to a higher end-of-charge voltage from time to time, in order to obviate this problem. Discharge current is relative. The deep discharge battery will deliver a starting current that is virtually identical to the regular starter battery, perhaps at a voltage that is a few tens of millivolts less than an identical Ah starter battery, due to its slightly higher internal resistance. I have run a 30Ah starter battery in place of a 65Ah battery in a car to test the effect of an additive on the internal resistance of the battery - made no difference to the way the engine started. You need a big capacitor. Add the price of the capacitor to the price of the proposed battery, compare to the price of two regular starter batteries.
On June 5, 2013, Daniel DeMaio wrote:
John Fetter = You may be right about it not affecting the life of the battery (I tend to think otherwise but) as I understand it, deep cycle batteries tend to have a lower discharge rate, and the capacitor would fix that. I have seen example of such capacitors being used independently to to start cars.
On June 2, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Daniel DeMaio - The marine battery you have in mind is merely a golf-cart battery with a different label. The starting discharge surge won't shorten the life of your battery. Starter batteries spend most of their service life standing, doing nothing. The higher self discharge of deep cycling technology compared to conventional starter battery will shorten the life of your battery.
On June 2, 2013, Daniel DeMaio wrote:
In order to have a battery which will be reliable and last a long time, I am considering using a properly sized deep discharge marine type battery - but - with a twist. I am planning to install an ultra-capacitor kit across it (very carefully). This will substantially supplement the initial heavy amp load of starting the engine, thus overcoming the innate limitations of such a deep discharge battery. Anyone else tried this already?
On January 29, 2013, Tommy R. wrote:
John Fetter - Thanks so much for your finding. It is very interesting study indeed. You are right about "antifoamers" which is misspelled to "antiformers". I am also in motive battery and a chemist with B.S. degree in Chemistry. I will try to test the Activator in this Patent by myself. It is made in Japan, I believe. At least, it can provide some scientific experiments on its product. Unlike this additive, PowerPlus from Battery Services International cannot provide any scientific information at all except vague claims and over claims by the owners who do not even understand high school chemistry.
On January 28, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Tommy R. - I managed to find two patents relating to the study documents, US Pat No 5,958,623 and US Pat No 7,160,645. The patent specifications identify the PVA as polyvinyl alcohol, chemical formula [CH2-CHOH]n. This is a water soluble polymer. The tin and indium are described as "antiformers", which I believe is a typo which should read antifoamer. The PVA reacts inside the cells and increases the end-of-charge voltage, for example, from 14 to 17 volts. So what they appear to be doing is charging, then discharging, charging, discharging, etc., based on the circuit diagram shown in Fig 1and description given in the accompanying text. The experimental results, Fig 5, show that by using PVA, the discharge time is increased. I would expect that anyway, whether PVA is used or not, because the higher the overcharge voltage applied to a lead-acid battery, the longer it will deliver output. Not a large increase but still noticeable. Do this again and again, the translation from Japanese into English seems to be saying, and there is more output, which they say when it is added up equates to longer battery life. The authors express themselves, in certain critical paragraphs, in unintelligible and complicated ways which the reader can find impossible to understand. One finds oneself reading something that is easy to understand, followed by a very complicated paragraph, then a conclusion to the effect the batteries are lasting longer.
On January 25, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Tommy R. - The study document has 23 references. There is no connection between the text and any of these references. I was able to locate about three-quarters of them on line, as PDFs. The impression they gave me was that the authors were trying to publish as many academic papers as possible. I had quite a long discussion via email with a founder of one of the companies you mention. I specialize in motive power batteries. We discussed motive power batteries. He insisted the majority of motive power batteries become sulfated. However, there is solid concrete evidence that the overwhelming majority of motive power batteries wear out from the effects of positive grid corrosion. He kept pushing anecdotal information at me, insisted that sulfation was the big issue and corrosion was incidental. I would not go as far as to say they are dishonest but can say that thus far I have not yet come across a single desulfation company that is run by a person whose background is in the technical department of a battery company.
On January 25, 2013, Tommy R. wrote:
John Fetter - Thanks so much for your very knowledgeable comment. I am very impressed. I am very confused with the claim of many companies about the effectiveness of this kind of additives for lead-acid battery. For the past 2 years, I have tried on Resure-X Additive (Duo Regen Technologies), PowerPlus Additive (Battery Services International ) developed by Dr. Louis A. Colon, Chairman of Department of Chemistry at State University of New York at Buffalo. However, I cannot draw a definite conclusion on the claims from these companies. The only certain thing is that these additives are not as good as their claims. I really want to make sure that these additives can do any good and at what extent to lead-acid battery, if any - the scientific way, only the scientific way. This PVA (ITE Additives) seems to show more scientific way to prove the point, but I cannot find the actual product to prove by myself. In your expert opinion, do you recommend to use any of these additives at all? Why? I am sure that your knowledgeable comment will help me any many others in understanding the myth of this matter and will not become victim of many dishonest business companies. Thanks again Mr. John Fetter for your valuable time.
On January 24, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
Tommy R. - I have a copy of this study. The authors ran tests on automobile batteries that had been dosed with an additive that they say is predominantly PVA. This could conceivably be one of quite a few different chemicals. (Polyvinyl- alcohol, acetate, acrylate, acrylamide, etc.) I searched for a commercial enterprise that might be selling this exact additive and found one in Singapore. The additive additionally contains tin, indium and organic germanium. The authors claim that (1) the PVA prevents the diffusion of Pb, (lead), ions into the electrolyte. They say this reduces the generation of PbSO4, (lead sulfate), hence (2) helps to reduce sulfation. I have done research in the exact same area. My tests imply that (1) is accurate and (2) is an inaccurate guess. The 12V batteries were charged to 17 volts, which is way above normal. The authors pointed out that the normal charging voltage is 14V. They said the higher voltage is necessary when additives are put in. Hello! How is a normal automobile electrical system going to cope with this? I understand precisely what causes the voltage to go up. Unfortunately it renders the PVA additive totally useless for automobile batteries. The extras that put into the additive, tin, indium and organic germanium will electroplate into the active material of the negative plates, making it more conductive. I know from my own experiments this can assist in reducing sulfation.
On January 24, 2013, Tommy R. wrote:
Well, the study with experiment is very long and lots of details. It is simply confirmed that ITE Additives (made from very small molecules of polymers) can help prolong lead-acid battery life more than double if we add an appropriate amount of this additive to each cells of battery. I was trying to contact them without success ??? You can search Google for that and it will pop up. Thanks.
On January 23, 2013, Oscar Ormond wrote:
You have obviously read it Tommy R. The journal is not available to the majority of us. So why not simply tell us?
On January 23, 2013, Tommy R. wrote:
Anyone read Journal of Asian Electric Vehicles on "Experimental Study on the Optimum Density of ITE Additives for a Lead-acid Battery's Life Prolongation"? Please make a comment or opinion that may be beneficial to all of us.
On January 10, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
BigJonMX - I have also managed to "stretch out" my batteries, managed to get a few more months out of them. So what. Everyone with a bit of patience can do it. I am not in disagreement with you, battery life can be extended - using preventative technology.
On January 10, 2013, BigJonMX wrote:
Why come to a forum where people are discussing restoration of batteries, just to claim its all snake-oil and gullible fools? A few months back i experimented on an old battery and managed to get another 6 months use out of it - through the winter no less. This was compared to another similar battery that 'passed away'. While it is no way definitive, my tale add to the ancedotal evidence that battery life CAN be extended. So i ask all the nay-sayers to zip it. Let the contributers contribute...
On January 10, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
P.GOPI - I find this an interesting subject. In the late 1800s, early 1900s, when it was fashionable to sell snake-oil health cures, someone dreamed up the idea of selling battery back-to-life potions to unsuspecting battery users. Radioactivity was once promoted as a health cure, as well as magnetic and electric shock treatment. It is frowned upon to irradiate people and to give people electric shocks nowadays but battery electric shock treatment is very popular. It is simply a matter of demand and supply. It is a personal choice. It makes as little sense to wait for a battery to die then treating it, as it does to allow a plant to die before watering it. There are plenty of people who will tell you I am completely wrong and that they just happen to have exactly what you need. The medical world eventually got its head around preventative treatment. That is when patients finally stopped dying. The battery world has not quite got around to thinking in that way yet.
On January 10, 2013, P. GOPI wrote:
Dear John Fetter, Thanks for comment, we are discussing about lead acid battery, I request you to share the details of chemicals that are used in lead acid battery additive. That is the only way to revive lead acid battery. Is there any another method to revive these batteries. kindly let us know......
On January 9, 2013, John Fetter wrote:
P.GOPI - The chemicals you've listed have different effects. Some have no effect at all. What are you trying to achieve? What kind of battery?
On January 9, 2013, P. GOPI wrote:
I have searched a lot in internet about battery additive. Most of them contains anhydrous sodium sulfate 90%, zinc sulfate 5%, colliodal silicon dioxide 0.5 % more over some contains cadmium sulphate 1% to less than 5%, and oxalic acid less than 10% and aluminium sulphate etc in small quantity. Any body having good formula for battery additive. kindly suggest.
On November 17, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Micky - Open circuit can be a very big problem for manufacturers unhappy about paying $20 thousand per tonne for tin. The grid alloy must contain significantly more than 1.5% tin. Most battery manufacturers are run by accountants nowadays. A problem waiting to happen. The few run by engineers do make good batteries. And yes, the SG does fall.
On November 17, 2012, Micky wrote:
John, just for debate purposes, is this phenomina really a problem? I mean, even though batteries seem to fail suddenly, these days i see batteries lasting a longtime. My own is coming on 5 years with now 130k on it and performs very good ( even though i'd like my SG's to be a little better). I'm sure it's a calcium because the water level has never even dropped in the slightest in that time and use. My fathers car ( same VW battery as mine), his battery is over 5 years with no water loss and performs good. My friiends 10 year old audi has it's original calcium battery. .. If a battery fails with this layer does the SG drop as the layer forms?
On November 17, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Micky - A chain is as strong as its weakest link. Six cells, five good, one going out. Most of the grid surface areas affected, sufficient but small areas left. Remember, all the plates in a single cell are in parallel. In a six positive, seven negative plate cell all but one positive plate can be open circuit. Engine still cranks. Then, the next time the engine is supposed to start, it is sluggish and has to be cranked for a much longer time. That helps to hasten the end of the remaining positive plate. It only seems instantaneous. It is very common. It is almost always misdiagnosed as sulfation.
On November 17, 2012, Micky wrote:
Quick question regarding the layer that forms over the calcium grids. Why does it exhibit sudden failure when the layer forms over time? Should it not exhibit gradual power loss as the layer builds up?
On November 14, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Micky - Typical of zero-maintenance batteries with lead-calcium alloy positive grids that were made with too little tin. Problem is called "open circuit" in the battery trade.
On November 14, 2012, Micky wrote:
Had an interesting conversation with the guy at the local store when i was buying wiper blades. He more or less said it's a waste of time load testing batteries to foreworn problems. He said these days he can load test a battery and will be fine and only a month later it could be gone.
On November 12, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Micky - On discharge, the initial reaction in the positive plates produces a super saturation of lead dioxide ions in the electrolyte. This lasts for a few minutes. As this fades, the voltage can rise very slightly. This could be the reason why the voltage appears to go up in the way you described. The open circuit voltage of a brand-new battery might be 12.6 - the same battery years later 12.45, as result of inevitable contamination of the active material of the plates by impurities. These impurities can come from anywhere, including from the materials inside the battery when it was made. The open circuit voltage is often incorrectly assumed to indicate state of charge. There are many factors that influence OC voltage. It is not a reliable indicator. Rather measure the SG.
On November 11, 2012, Micky wrote:
As my perfectly performing aging car battery OC only reads about 12.45-48 and not 12.6 that it should, if i give the battery a work out like a good load on it, say cranking the starter for 15 secs or so it temporary raises the OC voltage close to what it should be 12.6 but after a few hours back to it's lagging voltage. Any explanation to this?
On November 7, 2012, Micky wrote:
Just thought this was worth adding, a friend has an old 83 VW Jetta with a sealed AC Delco battery that's 16 years old and still starts the car on a frosty morning!
On November 5, 2012, dave brookbank wrote:
Hi John, The batteries are not to old but unfortunately no date code can be found. I only use the bus 2-3 times per year the rest of the time it is on shore power with a very top end computer charging system. Thanks for your response John have a great day Dave
On November 5, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
dave - How long is a piece of string? What I am trying to say is, how long did your batteries last? How often were they in use. How long did they stand? Even the best batteries eventually give in. Here is an analogy based on a true story. Very wealthy couple involved in a massive car accident. Both walked away with only minor injuries. Car total write-off. Aging BMW seven series. Wanted to replace their life saving BMW with a brand new fancy compact. Friends and family told them to stick with what worked before.
On November 5, 2012, dave wrote:
Man you guys took the wind out of my sails... I was hoping there was a way to rejuvenate batteries. I have 2 very large and expensive batteries in my 38 ft Monaco that died recently and I was hoping to save 600 bucks (lead acid and about 120 lbs each). I really enjoyed reading all of your expertise on batteries, anyone mind telling me what batteries you would recommend as replacements? Thanks guys Take care Dave
On October 28, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Take any of the numerous battery cures that have been described. Ask around. People that have tried the cure, two thirds say it did not work, one third insist the cure does work.
On September 26, 2012, ling michael wrote:
would you like send me the data of water loss of automotive maintenance free battery.
On September 18, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Micky - Cells never have absolutely identical SGs. The SGs of old batteries can differ quite a lot and the battery will still be fine. People get wrinkles when they get older, batteries get different SGs.
On September 18, 2012, Micky wrote:
Not sure if i read this right somewhere, even if a cell has good SG readings, it doesn't neccessary mean the cell is good? SG readings don't measure capacity loss ?
On September 18, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Micky - It is the amps that count. The SG comes second. If the lowest SG is below 1220 when the highest is 1280, the battery is waving you goodbye.
On September 18, 2012, Micky wrote:
So what SG would you say one cell would have to drop to cause problems?
On September 17, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Micky - Battery you describe seems as good as can be expected after 125,000 miles. Bit of positive corrosion is normal. Results in reduction in amps. SGs do not look like a significant problem. If it was "sealed" with a sticker, it is calcium. I always pull off these stickers one second after warranty expires and water as and when necessary. BigJonMX - Good luck. Oscar Ormond/ BigJonMX - Always a good idea to confine the discussion to batteries, rather than talking about people.
On September 17, 2012, Micky wrote:
John, my current 4 and a half year old battery( 125,000 miles), i did some SG readings on it. supposed to be a maintenance free one but could pull back the sticker and found caps. No water loss so must be to a certain extent. I'm guessing it's a calcium battery? I found the 2 end cells have a reading of only 1225 and the others range from 1250-60. The oc voltage ranges 12.4. to 12.5 ( never goes to 12.6) I tested it with a conductance meter and it reads 420 CCA and it's supposed to be 570 CCA. I'm guessing it's on it's last legs? Thing is though it performs really well...
On September 17, 2012, BigJonMX wrote:
My jeep battery is on its last legs, and i'll have to bite the bullet and get a new one. So i've got nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by trying out some of these restoration ideas... As i live on the frontier i'm limited in choice (obviously i could wait months for mailorder) and i could only get hold of NaOH (caustic soda). I mixed up a strong batch of Soda & Water, and pour it into my (emptied) battery. There was much bubbling and sizzling (and heat) and after only 5mins i rinse it all out. A surprising about of black dust came out in numerous washes. Then i put my battery back together and charged it. The first few days were thsame as before, but then i noticed a distinct and definite increase in voltage - it WAS charging a little more!! Its still not enough for my big old jeep, so i'still getting a new battery. But i think i'll have another go at cleaning the plates. i want to see if its making a difference. And as for the weirdos who hang around specialized forums nay-saying and critisizing - get a life! Go join your homopathetic and health clubs. Leave the experimenting and science to those that want to know!
On September 16, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Micky - You have described what I have seen many times. Battery worn out through corrosion of the positives. Epsom Salts, etc. I have been trying to work out why people use these kinds of remedies. I came across numerous websites that promote health products, during my search. The health benefits claimed for these concoctions and the benefits claimed for the exact same chemicals used in batteries follow the same pattern. They have no measurable effect, are harmless and are therefore ideal for the purpose. .
On September 15, 2012, Micky wrote:
Some years ago i took apart my worn out car battery aged 4 and half years old. The negatives hardly had any white crystals on them but the positive plates were in a bad way. You could see they had suffered some errosion and they just crumbled in my fingers what was left of them. i can't see epsom salts curing that lol
On September 2, 2012, Oscar Ormond wrote:
Battery users and experimenters vote in elections. Who do they vote for? The guy who promises the most and delivers the least. What do they buy? Battery cures that A promise the world B take their cash C do nothing. Why why did they learn to do this kinda behavior at school BigJonMX.
On August 31, 2012, BigJonMX wrote:
Hey Oscar: remember back at school when the other kids would lie so that you couldnt join in. you havent changed have you. go away.
On August 31, 2012, Oscar Ormond wrote:
All that talk about medicine reminds me the de-sulfation crowd are like homiopaths. honest. No insult intended. People luvv the mystery. Then when their efforts arn't working someone gets up says, my stuff works! They all go buy his stuff - he makes some quick cash. Oh yes They found out when fish do their business, there is more of it left in the homiopathic water than the medicine that was purposly put in. Same with battery potions. There is more battery medicine in tap water than in the additives. Get a life BigJonMX. Just sharing an amusing tale.
On August 31, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
BigjonMX - Magnesium taken by mouth is (1) a laxative and (2) a muscle spasm reducer. When put in a battery it requires plenty of imagination to see any benefit. I tried all the metal sulfates on the popular list, found only cadmium did something to the battery that I was able to measure.
On August 31, 2012, BigJonMX wrote:
Good Morning John. Much boiling and much stirring. And in hindsight i'm sure not much was actually dissolved. But there was a distinct, though short lived, sizzle sound when i poured the mix into the battery. Oddly, my local farmacists, do not stock any Mg Sulfate. And think i'm the odd one for asking. THe carbonate is sold under 'health-food' category. And as i grew up near Epsom i find the whole thing odd. I'm still searching for MgSO4... Maybe i try NaOH. Any thoughts on which...
On August 31, 2012, BigJonMX wrote:
Hey Oscar, whats your point? whats your purpose in life? Just to irritate others? I share an amusing little tale, with those interested in adjusting batteries, and you are just annoying and childish. Please go away. (PS. questions are retorical)
On August 31, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
BigJonMX - I looked up the solubility of magnesium carbonate. It is a rather strange substance - (a) it is hygroscopic but (b) is only very sparingly, practically insoluble in water. How did you manage to get it to dissolve in water?
On August 30, 2012, Oscar Ormond wrote:
<<The "farmacist" sold me Carbonate not Sulfate>. Try reading the label, BigJonMX. You qualify as a member of the society that thinks with its hands.
On August 30, 2012, BigJonMX wrote:
Hey Oscar, just because you have no interest in learning nor educating yourself, that does not give you leave to be rude and insulting. If you believe the "de-sulfation crowd" is so wrong please feel free to turn off your computer and join a cult.
On August 30, 2012, Oscar Ormond wrote:
Hey BigJonMX Not a case study but a study in futility. U did everything except use the correct stuff. What l expect from de-sulfation crowd.
On August 30, 2012, BigJonMX wrote:
A Simple Case Study: As my car battery is giving no longer charging to where it should be i'd thought i'd clean it out and try this old Epsom trick. And this article needs a lot of work. First, i poured the contents into a large glass bowel. Its dilute acid so be careful. It should have specific gravity of 1.265. who knows? maybe i'll replace it with 65% Distilled Water + 35% Sulfuric Acid. (which equals sg 1.265 if my maths is right) Next, i stuffed a hose pipe in the battery and flushed it lots... Then, i boiled up a pan of water with MgSO4 (lots and lots, like satuarated), and poured it in. Left it over night. Flushed it lots with water. Finally i poured backin the original fluid. Corrected a charger and left it almost 24hrs. Result: Absolutly no difference. Why: (after much head scratching...) The farmacist sold me Carbonate not Sulfate, so i'm going to try again tomorrow...
On August 28, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan - It appears we are both wrong. I have gone back to look at the MX2 MSDS. It appears to have been drafted in a way intended to disguise the real ingredients. The list of ingredients is actually incomplete. In another section, the MSDS reports the SG of the product as 1.200. Sulfuric acid, (concentrated SG 1.840) is not listed but it seems reasonable to assume the 1.200 SG is due predominantly to 28% by weight or 18% by volume of sulfuric acid. If one adds a small volume of 1.200 SG acid and cadmium sulfate to a much larger volume of 1.250 acid, the resulting SG will surely be less than 1.250? It would seem that the increase from 1.250 to 1.275 you saw involved a certain amount of lead sulfate being converted into lead and sulfuric acid inside the battery. A small step, perhaps, but nevertheless a step in the right direction. That is what my experiments have revealed as well. It has potential but it is not good enough. My suggestion. Try charging at 15.5 to 16 volts for a week, then try starting the car.
On August 28, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
John- all things checked. As to your matths- my maths say this:batt size 310CCA- batt capacity 2.5litres electrolyte- divide by 6 for each of 6 cells= 414 ml electrolyte per cell-at 34% sulphuric acid= 138mlcell-now 18 ml Inox mx2- cadmium 5%- 0.9ml cadmium-17.1ml 100% sulphuric acid left.(say).=12.39% of 138ml- now the difference between 1.250 & 1.275 sg is 2%!!! So- it is the definitive answer that the 18 ml of Inox mx2 added to each cell definitely raises the sg AND DOES NOTHING ELSE EXCEPT seperate the sucker from his wallet!!!
On August 25, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan - Batteries can stop working after four years for many different reasons. The explanation on virtually every battery cure website that batteries get sulfated as they get older is a standard intro. to a tried and tested sales technique. If they don't say this, there is no reason for people to buy their products. Have you considered the possibility your four year old battery has, perhaps, developed "open circuit" or has, perhaps, got corroded and worn out positives? Taking cough mixture when you have the flu might be the right analogy.
On August 25, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
John- as you may remember or look back on previous posts- I tried several things in a 4 y/o batt _ the ONLY thing that seemed to work AT THAT TIME was Inox Mx2- which raised sg to 1.260 by next day(@ charging for several hrs pre)- However- there was no improvement in starting ability, & since then the sg has fallen to 1.250 FULLY CHARGED!. Today after electric desulfation, charging using 3 diff type of chargers, then when sg was still 1.250, modifying sg with concentrated acid to get 1.260- there we are! sO MY YOUNG FRIEND- I propose that Inox Mx2 is absolutely useless- it MAY give an illusory sg rise at very 1st- BUT it don't last! And I will NEVER EVER USE IT AGAIN!!!.
On August 24, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan - The MX2 is described in an MSDS as 5% cadmium sulfate. Therefore 15ml corresponds to 0.75ml of pure cadmium sulfate. For the sake of simplicity let us assume you put in 0.75ml of pure sulfuric acid. The average cell contains 750ml of electrolyte. (The exact figures are not important.) That works out to 0.1% of extra sulfuric. I looked up the likely change in acid SG in my "Storage Batteries" by George Wood Vinal and found this amount is likely to change the SG by less than 0.001. By way of example, increase the SG from, say 1.110 to less than 1.111. It looks like you inadvertently succeeded in demonstrating the effectiveness of this product.
On August 24, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
John- just got back on line after week after changing ISP!!! The increased sg is due to the dollop in the 15 ml added of Inox Mx2 to each cell! IT definitely is NOT due to reducing sulfation & thus raising sg!. Come on- you with your chemical background know of such high sg additives-I am sure! Whatever, to the consumers out there- do not use this so called miracle product-you will be wasting your time & money!
On August 18, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan - Where does the acid that raised your SG come from?
On August 18, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
The additive Inox battery restorer mx2 does NOT reduce sulphation or add extra life to a lead acid starter batt- what it does is quickly raise the sg so it fools the adder!! THE ONLY thing that works is eliminating sulphation thru :- a brief overcharge up to 16v to equalize cells & destratify:- using a electronic/electric de-sulphator to do the same thing. ALL the so-called remedies incl epson,alum,cadmium,etc,etc,etc ad infinitum do NOTHING!!! But usually harm!! What many posters like to think is that THEIR!!! treatment made a difference!! BUT overlook all the other parameters of battery response incl temp, humidity etc in their attempt to make sense of a complicated subject!!. The bare fact is that all automotive charge systems do not fully charge the l/a starter batt- but only around 14v- for several different reasons. So- if all users checked their sulphation level periodically- & then used desulfation methods- batts would last FAR longer!!!.
On August 17, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Shadmin - The portion of the 1 pint of water that you managed to put into the battery helped; the three days extra trickle charge helped; the Epsom salts satisfied your belief.
On August 17, 2012, Shadmin wrote:
Well, anyone can say what they want about sulfation or desulfation, but adding Epsom salt (solution= 8 teaspoonfuls Epsom salts dissolved in 1 pint distilled water) coupled with a 3 day trickle charge helped my truck battery retain a better charge. I had tried cleaning it and just trickle charging it alone and the battery did not improve, it wasn't dead but was weaker than it had been when it was new which was 7 years ago. The battery performed well through the winter after my treatment and is still going strong! I don't know how much longer it will live, but I will let you know when it finally dies. Adios...
On July 26, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
The experiment is described on "CAN BATTERIES BE RESTORED".
On July 26, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan - I personally could not care less what people opine about sulfation. I ran an experiment designed to answer yes or no, whether batteries can be desulfated. My experiment showed that one might get a quarter to a third short-term recovery. I would not describe that as a "yes". There is no secret. Others can easily repeat my expermiment. Human nature being what it is, some people so dislike an ugly truth getting in the way of a beautiful story, their counter arguments will always be in words, not deeds. The litmus test: Desulfation remains a struggling industry. Something is not right. There is no conspiracy. The technology simply is not up commercial viability level. If you want batteries to last longer, work on them, help them while they are still serviceable, don't fuss over them after they "signed off". We don't feed medicine to dead people. Why do it to batteries?
On July 26, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
John- to my knowledge, what you have done is an experiment- then forwarded an hypothesis to what you observed- then you advanced a theory- NOW-as to that theory to become FACT- your findings MUST be replicated by other like minded persons- can't see that happening just yet--- still, there is hope. For your "discovery?" to mean anything there must be spin-offs to the average battery buying/using consumer in increased batt life at little further cost to initial purchase- as Inox does with MX2 perhaps-hmmm? In an earlier post you roundly critiscised cadmium as not working- so you were wrong? We can all make mistakes, then change our minds- this is how science works.
On July 25, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan - It is not a theory. I ran the experiments. Built lead-acid cells in glass jars. I observed and measured.
On July 25, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Afdhal - No, copper and copper sulfate are not suitable. It is not the metal, per se, that does the trick, it is the electrochemical potential of the metal. Cadmium has an electrochemical potential of -0.4030V. Lead has an electrochemical potential of -0.1262V. The electrochemical potential of cadmium is such that it prevents electroplating when a battery is standing. It is only when a battery is put on gassing charge that the voltage at the negative plate favors electroplating. When the battery is taken off charge, the cadmium either falls off or simply goes back into the electrolyte. Copper has an electrochemical potential Cu of +0.5210V and Cu2 of +0.3419V. Copper will simply plate onto the negatives regardless and stay there, causing the plates to gas and to self discharge and to sulfate. The electrochemical potentials of aluminum, magnesium, potassium, sodium, etc. are all far to negative, the metals far too reactive in battery acid, for anything of benefit to happen. For some people imagination helps to at least partly overcome technical obstacles.
On July 25, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
Afdhal- it is just John's theory- but i would say cadmium does not just plate itself- needs driving- so does copper- BUT copper is a non laster in H2SO4! As are most metals! Lead lasts longer than most!
On July 25, 2012, Afdhal Atiff Tan wrote:
John - If I understand you correctly, did you meant all the cadmium does is electroplating itself on the negative grid? If so, wouldn't just copper is good enough?
On July 24, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan - I believe I may have at long last managed to figure out what cadmium sulfate does. It definitely electroplates out onto the negative grid metal when the battery is deliberately pushed into controlled overcharge. Very little manages to plate out over the sulfated areas closest to the grids - but enough to create a conductive environment near the grids. This helps the lead sulfate nearest the grids to become active again and to be converted into lead and sulfate ions. Repeated charging, discharging spreads the conductive environment slowly and progressively into the bulk of the lead sulfate. The process seems to have a limit. It would appear the secret to achieving 100% desulfation is to figure out how to get conduction to spread into 100% of the sulfate. It does not take much cadmium sulfate to do the job. Adding progressively more simply creates dendrites and causes shorts. The explanations given by desulation merchants that insoluble sulfation inevitably coats the plates when batteries are used and that their treatment strips it away is pure fantasy. The sulfate stays right where it is. It is converted. While both positive and negative plates can become sulfated, the positive sulfation simply reverses when the battery is charged. The negative sulfation usually does not reverse and needs special treatment.
On July 23, 2012, Afdhal Atiff Tan wrote:
Bevan - That's creative! Why didn't I think of that before? I will try it. John - You're one smart gentleman, thanks for the info.
On July 23, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan - I would suggest refining the cadmium by making the cadmium you recovered from the NiCds the positive in an electroplating cell. Use ordinary battery acid as the electrolyte. Use a tin wire or solder wire negative. Power source can be 12V battery. Insert 220 ohm series resistor. The cadmium that gets plated onto the negative will be dendritic and pure. The actual voltage across the electroplating cell will be under 0.5V. The green you describe would be nickel contamination. I suspect disclosing the identity of the pulse desulfator would be unethical..
On July 23, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
Afdhal- I get cadmium from used NiCd cells-aaa or aa sizes- such as found in solar garden lights- after a few years they are thrown out as NiCd is worn out- simply cut around top crimp with hacksaw, unravel s/s case with cutter, withdraw contents- outer foil is cadmium, inner foil is nickel, & some solid electrolyte & seperator- all wound in spiral pattern. Don't touch cadmium with bare skin- it is poisonous. To obtain Cadmium Sulphate, boil up some electrolyte- drop cadmium in- will bubble up & give off toxic fumes- do outside -do not breathe vapours!!! When cadmium is completely dissolved(& sometimes the electrolyte cadmium mix is a lovely green, depending on quality of cadmium from cell maker!)- job done! Gotta say- the mix I have added to batt cells does not seem to help! In fact- I gotta say the ONLY thing I used that worked was INOX MX2(in 1 batt so far- I will get some more MX2 &try; in other batts to confirm yes or no! Apart from that, the other thing is that the batt itself must be only lightly sulfated). John- would you care to name desulfator you tried- sounds like it can work- my home made one is good for sla type batts but seems to do very little for wet lead acid starter batts. Still it is good at identifying o/c cell/s in batt- pulses go up higher with degree of o/c! have seen 1250 volts! Cut open, & disintegrated pos grid! in 1 cell-others almost so!.
On July 21, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Afdhal - I obtained the emulsifier from a small business that specializes in mixing all types of substances that normally refuse to mix. They will only supply, not tell what it is. That is pretty common. The silliest thing you can do is to put all kinds of sulfates into batteries in the hope of solving a problem. Urban legends will never die. Pencil lead can contain some weird substances in addition to carbon. There are plenty of carbon powder manufacturers. Car tyres are about 50% carbon. Simply search on line, call the one that is closest and buy what you need. Does not cost an arm and a leg.
On July 21, 2012, Afdhal Atiff Tan wrote:
John - Wow, thanks for sharing! Would you mind to tell me what kind of emulsifier that work out for you? Wanna try it on my battery too. Bevan - Have you tried sodium sulfate? I once make a small battery out of small 1cm lead plates submerged in hydrogen sulfate, magnesium sulfate, sodium sulfate, and copper sulfate. Of course it gets weaker when other than HSO4 being used, but the result is: *HSO4 being the strongest, slowest to charge, also, the plates seems to be eroded quite fast. *MgSO4 the appearance of while layer (lead sulfate?) on the plates in full charge-discharge cycle is reduced. *NaSO4 being the fastest to charge, but also the weakest. *CuSO4 causes the negative plate the covered in copper, and shorted out my cell. Result couldn't be drawn. I wonder if NaSO4 would implies faster charging in real battery... Now, the only sulfate I miss would be cadmium sulfate, I can't find cheap source of it yet. Hence the carbon-additive experiment. All - I also tried using pencil 'lead' as my carbon for negative electrode. It has the highest short peak discharge current. Just like a capacitor. I guess this would be perfect for starting battery. Somehow, it also the hottest when charging. None of my experiment is close to scientific, just wanna share what I've done.
On July 21, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
Jorge- my experience with additives is that magnesium sulphate(Epsom Salts) is a complete waste of time & is even harmful to battery- the recommended level of additive is 1 level teaspoon per cell- the amount stated by the poster must have been a joke. To dissolve 1 teaspoon, put in a jar with lid, add 15 ml water, shake till dissolved then pour into each cell. The absolute like-li-hood is that your battery is worn out! And that nothing can rejuvenate it!
On July 21, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Afdhal - I tried a number of proprietary emulsifying agents to to keep the carbon suspended. Most did not keep the carbon suspended in the acid but one worked so well, the carbon did not settle out for weeks. No gassing required. I had a different objective.
On July 21, 2012, Afdhal Atiff Tan wrote:
John - Yup, it does settle down at the bottom, the trick is to add it just after the battery charged up until it gassing vigorously, that way, it will stir the electrolyte, maintaining the suspension. Giving it a chance convecting through the plates. Let it gassing up for one night, letting it to do its work, covering up the plates, increasing active surface area, reducing internal impedance. Then, after done, the rest will finally end up at the bottom. Yup, the drawback of it is that it only can be use once, but hey, it's better than nothing, right? :)
On July 21, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Afdhal - Yes. I made up various suspensions based on both conductive activated and conductive graphite carbon powders and put these into transparent lead-acid test cells. Some of the mixtures just settled out, others covered the plates and made them pitch black. All the cells carried on working just fine.
On July 20, 2012, Afdhal Atiff Tan wrote:
Hey, did you guys ever heard of carbon additive? It's a black liquid (obviously) with colloidal carbon suspension in it. I'm still in the stage of experimenting with it. I'm quite sure it's not a placebo, measured with an insulated K-thermocouple, the battery seems to charge a lot cooler (depending on concentration of it in each cell). I also tried to 'homebrew' it with a regular pencil 'lead', so far, nothing went wrong, yet. Just thought it interesting and wanna share with you guys.
On July 20, 2012, Jorge Eriberto Lopes wrote:
Hello How much water for dissolving 10 tablespoons of Epsom salt? I have a sealed battery with 3 years of 12 volts 70 amps, do not save more energy. Is to recover? his condition is like new. tanks
On June 15, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Ken - Muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid. The reaction in the battery is two-fold. Some of the lead in the plates will go into solution as lead chloride. Then the chloride is given off as chlorine at the positives and the lead plates out onto the negatives. After that, you are left with a battery that still works but with reduced capacity. It will all have happened by now. If the smell of chlorine has gone and the batteries still work effectively, they will carry on working. That is all there is to it. Rather use purified water - in an emergency, tap water.
On June 14, 2012, Ken Laura wrote:
I live in haiti and everyone here has batteries and inverters in our houses. i just found out that they are using Muriatic Acid to top up the batteries. I can't believe they haven't blown up or fried themselves. What can i do to correct this?
On June 9, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Craig - This is precisely why we are discussing batteries. I looked at the link to the water report. Unfortunately the report is not a true report on the chemical composition of the water, more of a PR exercise on lead, etc.. Nevertheless, you used tap water, it worked, the battery lasted for more than ten years. What I would be interested in is to know what the alloy is in the positives. My theory would be that it is lead-antimony. It is possible to tell by means of a physical test. Lead-antimony grid metal is relatively brittle. Lead-calcium tends to be more malleable. The negative grids are bound to be lead-calcium. Compare the two by selecting roughly equally uncorroded grid border sections, do a bending-straightening test. Count the number of times you bend and straighten before it snaps. I have done this myself many times. Antimony fails well before calcium. The difference is about three times. If the manufacturer used diamond expanded lead sheet, all bets are off. But I would be very surprised. The separators are very important components. They do not only keep the positives from touching the negatives, they often contain substances that can actually help to extend battery life! Sometimes they are sheets, sometimes envelopes. You might like to ascertain if the separators are adhering to the negatives, as if lead worked its way into the pores from the negatives. That is a sign of overcharging. The condition of the positives is critically important. I suspect you will find the grids corroded away in places and active material has fallen out. The correct color is dark brown, bordering on black. If there is any dark orange, that is called sludge and has been disconnected for a long time. A sign of grid corrosion. I doubt you will find more than an insignificant amount of sulfate.
On June 9, 2012, Craig Valentino wrote:
John, the battery is an Autocraft Titanium . Not sure the exact model, I will try to get the identifiers Mond when I remove it from the car. The charger does have a lower 2amp setting which is used for trickle charging, it does control the current output to the needs of the battery. As far as the water used in all cases tap water from Clayton NC. I believe it to be a very soft water treated with fluoride. Actually you can get a sample analysis of this water here: http://www.townofclaytonnc.org/client_resources/water quality report - 2010.pdf. I've found out that the Autocraft batteries are sold at Advance Auto Parts as their brand. They currently sell a Gold and Silver version no Titanium. They are actually having a sale on them through mid Sept, I also want to check the SG of the acid first. I've now read that various manufacturers make Autocraft batteries for Advance Auto Parts because no one mfg can produce enough to supply them. But that Johnson Controls makes them for the southern US region. Johnson Controls should have it's name on the battery in question. Also I found out they make Diehard batteries for Sears. Hmmm. If I can't revive the battery I might make a project out of neutralizing the acid and dissecting it to see the condition and design of it.
On June 8, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Craig - First thing I would do is to put the battery on a trickle charge, to try and keep it going. What I mean by trickle charge is 13.5 to 13.8 volts, or 100milliamps, for a week. If that helps to make the battery work again, you're in luck. If that does not work, your battery has joined all the others, curled up its toes, rolled back its eyes, departed this mortal coil. You might like to share the name of the battery, type and look for a serial number, anything to help identify it. Then we could try to talk to the manufacturer, find out exactly what kind of technology. Not all batteries are the same. You did not give details of the type of water you used. Surprisingly, pure/ distilled/ deionized water is not necessarily ideal! Water that contains decaying vegetation can sometimes work wonders. I would guess your battery has lost most of the active material from its plates. Charging at tens of amps does this to a battery. Plus, the separators have leaded through. A shorted cell. Try checking the acid SG. Auto batteries like to be charged at just a couple of amps, for a few days after being run down. That battery was made when battery manufacturers still attempted to make real batteries, not 2 year lasting black boxes. (If you believe in fairies, try some kind of rejuvenation.)
On June 8, 2012, Craig Valentino wrote:
Interesting topic. Thought I would like to share an experience of mine. I am looking to revive a battery. This is not your ordinary battery, in that it has provided excellent daily service in 2 different cars for approx 13 yrs total! I know what you're thinking but this is absolutely true. I've gone through quite a few cars over the yrs including my wife's, Batteries have come and gone, most lasting about 5 or 6 yrs, But this battery is different somehow. I found it while rumaging through a wrecked 3rd gen camaro in hopes of finding some matching parts for my firebird. I noticed the date scribbled on the windshield that the car was taken to the junkyard, Then I noticed that the battery placard date was only 2 months prior and the date I was looking at the car was an additional month later than the car was put in the junkyard. So I took the battery and threw it in with the other parts I took from the car. I asked the cashier at the junkyard how much for the battery, he looked at me like I was crazy, told me :We recycle batteries because we are required to, we don't sell them because we feel they are most likely not recoverable. But your welcomed to have it. So I took it home, checked the water and it was fine. The battery was sitting at about 8V. I hooked it up to my charger set it on 40 amps for 45 mins ran it, Let it cool down ran 2 more 45 min cycles. The ammeter showed 30 amp draw on the first cycle then slowly came down to about 10 amp draw on the 3rd cycle. I waited 24 hrs then but a meter on it, 13V, so I took my older battery out of my 93 firebird and installed the junkyard battery. Car started up nicely, this was in the summer of 99, Ok I drove the car daily until the summer of 07 with this battery in it, Every yr at the end of the summer I check the battery water level (if they aren't sealed) of all 3 or 4 cars and top the cells off, then do 3- 45 min 40 amp setting charge cycles, this is because it gets HOT in NC and unsealed batteries do lose water. Then in the middle of winter I run 3- 45 min 40 amp charge cycles just as a deep charge for those cold months. Ok I'm pretty careful about not leaving my lights on but it did happen a couple of times while I was at work, but the car still cranked after 8hrs on. Fast foward to 2007, I bought a 86 Fiero SE parked the firebird and moved the battery to the Fiero. Fast forward 2012 70k miles later I forget to turn the headlights off when I get home from work, probably because I'm in a hurry to go to the beach. We drive our TrailBlazer to the beach, 3 days later we come back and the next day I hope into the Fiero to go to work and car doesn't crank. Then I looked at the light switch and it is in the on position. OOPs! Drove our Probe to work, Got home checked the Fiero battery added a cup full of tap water, put it on the charger 200 amp setting for 2 mins, then 45 mins on 40 amps. Then started the car no problem, put it on 2 more 45 min 40 amp charge cycles and next day drove it to work no problem. Drove it for 2 more wks no problem then the 11th day after work it barely cranked. Put it on the trusty charger for 3 more 45 min 40 amp cycles and drove it to work then it wouldn't crank after work. I called AAA and they jumped it to get me home. 3 Days later I'm at the beach again thinking should I A) Offer this battery to a science museum, B) Take it back to the junkyard and ask them for a refund ( trade it in for another?), C) Enter it in Guiness Book, or D) try to rejuvenate it? I don't know why but I can't seem to bring myself to part ways with it yet. Is is possible to be in love with a battery lol. I do have the battery that was in the Fiero originally in my garage and I charged it and it took a charge but I'm waiting to see if it holds over the weekend. PS the junkyard battery still reads 10.5Volts. What do you guys think?
On May 9, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bill - The total value of automobile type batteries in use worldwide in 2010 is estimated at USD 57 billion. Motive power batteries USD11 billion. A battery performance enhancing product that is effective and that has been going for a quarter century may be expected to be generating many hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues. It is not who says the product works nor who has used the product that necessarily points to success - surely the most reliable yardstick that is available has to be how much money the technology is generating? Commercial information sources say desulfation is a struggling cottage industry.
On May 9, 2012, Bill Milne wrote:
The easiest solution to reviving sulphated batteries that are in good mechanical condition (no shorted cells) is by topping up each cell with a small amount of a patented waterbased product, that has bee in the global marketplace for over 25 years. Battery Equaliser will reverse the sulpahtion process as electrons flow. After 5-10 runnings of your battery, the oversulphation that gradually builds up on and inside the lead plates is dissolved and put back into the sulphuric acid electrolyte. This product used by USA and Israeli military, has been tested to death globally. It is availble in almost any country. manufactured in USA, Canada, Australia and Thailland. Any lead acid battery can be treated from motorcycles to solar/wind and electric lift trucks.Electric lift trucks treated acn expaect up to $1000 savings per lift truck annually. They will charge faster(less restance) and run longer on the like new plates. Treated solar storage batteries require up to 80 % less trickle cahrge to stay maintained, which is almost like doubling the size of the panel or prop.www.batteryequaliser.com .
On March 13, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
John- you know as well as I do that the wear on tyres & carpets can be seen by anyone- whereas the wear on "black box" type things cannot- knowledge & testing instruments are required- which the average person does not have- so said persons are susceptible to truth benders with profit in mind. If only we were not collectively susceptible to lying politicians with power in mind!.
On March 12, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan My question, "How does one go about promoting a genuine battery cure", is philosophical. Carpets wear out. Tires wear out. Why do people supposedly in the know insist batteries do something else and go on to say this can be corrected, without making the slightest attempt to differentiate between "faulty" and "worn out"? (Sick dog or dead dog?)
On March 12, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
John- a genuine battery cure for what condition of batt failure-& what type of batt? as you know, there are multiple failure modes- about the only ones responsive in some way to a chemical additive such as you have are the traction type that are routinely discharged/charged- your additive reduces the amount of top up water- (at a price I would suggest- reduced amp discharge rate/ recharge rate)- still if batt lasts longer!- promote that!- (not that you aren't!)
On March 10, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Numerically speaking, the vast majority of lead-acid battery users never give a thought to the battery that starts the engine and keeps the radio and the lights going when the engine is not running. They are given a rude awakening when the battery dies. A reasonable number of people are car enthusiasts. They like to work on their cars. A very much smaller number of people are actually interested in batteries. It is safe to say, batteries are very unloved. Batteries are grudge buys. There is a second world of battery users, the industrial battery users - mainly standby and motive power, with wind and solar in the process of catching up. Industrial battery users are used to working with batteries and most are aware of the need to look after them. Nevertheless, proper maintenance remains a problem. There are plenty of street-smart business people who are capable of convincingly promoting chemicals and electronic devices based on any number of different theories. Most "veteran" battery users have seen hundreds of battery cures come and go. How does one go about promoting a genuine battery cure?
On March 10, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan I have a small library of "grow your business" handbooks. Here are some basic rules. The majority of customers do not understand the technical side of things, so the salesman has to rely on tried and tested sales persuasion. (1) Make customers offers they can't refuse. Guarantee the customer a result. (2) Apply risk reversal. Tell the customer, "If it does not happen, we will absorb the loss, not you". Inertia, (or apathy), is on the side of the seller. Very few customers will think it worthwhile to make a big fuss over $8. The key to success has nothing to do with the quality of the technology. It is all about presentation. There are millions of willing(!!!) buyers. This is how the free market works. Good luck to them.
On March 10, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
John- this company gives 12 months extra warranty if product is put into new batt - so they expect majority of treated batts to last at least 12 months longer than standard - And the batts that fail as in taxi service then again wouldn't most new batts last around 5 years if treated well anyway- & most batts have warranty of say 6 months for cheapie, 12 months for better, 2 years for top- so unlikely to have batt fail in warranty period(or even 12 months extra)- so how often has this Co had to pay out?-not very often if at all I would suggest! And the batts that fail as in taxi service are not covered by any warranty anyway! Most people who would buy this product do so when their batt starts to give trouble- Oh $8 is cheap- might work! indeed might- depends on reason for batt weakness- as you say unlikely to get any lasting benefit- still that is what this forum is about- educating us all!
On March 9, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bevan Cadmium sulfate has been put into lead-acid batteries ever since the lead-acid battery became a commercial item. The brand you identified sells a roughly 5% solution of calcium sulfate, (according to their safety data sheet), recommending that 30 milliliters are added per car battery cell. Each cell holds about half a liter of acid, so it ends up very diluted. The electrochemical potentials of cadmium, calcium sulfate; lead and lead sulfate are fairly close. It seems likely that the cadmium ions that enter the electrolyte as calcium sulfate very quickly end up electroplated onto the negatives, where they probably increase the metal surface area enough to give a sulfated battery just enough extra "oomph" to get the engine going - for a limited period after treatment. Litmus test: If it had been capable of providing a long term solution, this technology would have long ago become a multi-hundred million dollar per year industry.
On March 9, 2012, Bevan Paynter wrote:
I would suggest persons verify their batt has sulfation 1st- a normal pos plate/s is are brown- neg plates are grey- sulfation is white- usually patches on both groups. There is a product on the market called Inox batt rejuvenatot- about $8- maker will add 12 months warranty if used on new batt- it seems to contain cadmium sulphate 5%- claims to dissolve sulfation- I have never tried- others have- results are inconclusive(anecdotal).
On March 1, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Jimmy Young - The vast majority of reports on battery problems are anecdotal, the explanations mostly speculative and the proposed cures educated guesses. Car batteries spend most of their lives just standing. In the old days off meant off but nowadays it means discharging into computers, alarms, (and yes, fans!), etc.
On February 29, 2012, Jimmy Young wrote:
Note to Bobo:- I'll bet your poor battery "crashed & burnt". with a heap of hydrogen you are lucky you did not have an amazing explosion. why did you choose 25v. I have used 24v to jump start 12v equipment but only for a split second and then with great care (like opening all the cell groups & blowing out any hydrogen that might be waiting to "pop"
On February 29, 2012, Jimmy Young wrote:
I agree with John.25v must be producing a fizzy drink,though I do not agree with John about sulfation~~~~ I have been led to belive ( by my grandfather who had a chain of "battery service stations" shortly after the end of the ww1") That :- Plates are charged from the bottom up & dicharged from to top down & the reason modern batteries don't last the way ie:- 6v batts in early vdubs did (6-8-10 years) which were healthilly discharged on starting then SLOWLY recharged,----is becaused modern cars take a split second to start & instantly top up the battery which means that only the top of the cell-groups are working which in turn leaves the rest a the plates to SULFATE
On January 2, 2012, John Fetter wrote:
Bobo You appear to have done more damage to your battery doing what you did to it than it had suffered before you started! First of all, the story about sulfation being the reason batteries wear out is an urban legend. They sulfate up when they are not properly charged. Batteries that are used correctly never become sulfated. Secondly, you took out perfectly good electrolyte and put back a quack potion Thirdly, charging at 25V, 7A is totally crazy.
On January 2, 2012, Bobo wrote:
At first I was optimistic but now a little less so. I have a Bosch battery that's only 3 yrs. old and pretty much crashed and burned. I drained the original electrolyte to find a cloudy,discolored solution with no Specific Gravity. Filled all the cells with the Epsom Salt mixture and noticed that it,too, is very discolored in appearance. I wonder how many times this mixture needs to be PowerCycled in order to stabilize and hold a respectable voltage? I assume 4 or 5 times would program a new memory into the Battery. I'm beginning to believe that the Specific Gravity of a MgSO4 solution will never rival that of H2SO4. I"m charging at 25V and 7A. I guess that I should be patient. These plates must be ultra-sulfated. Have a goodday!
On November 17, 2011, John Fetter wrote:
Surely treating a worn out battery is like watering a dead plant or feeding a dead dog? The rational mind will look after the plant and the dog. Yet hordes of people who regard themselves as perfectly rational will still attempt to breathe life into their dead batteries !!!!!
On October 11, 2011, grant wrote:
if you are adding epsom salt to battery cells and water, how do you put the solation in the cells with water, with out taking something out?
On April 19, 2011, fhhuber wrote:
Why water loss: Evaporation. Modern "sealed" automotive batteries have very low water loss rate. We used to have to check the water level of a car battery at least every 3 months. Today's automotive batteries can go their entire appx 5 year useful life without needing water. ***************** I have no experience putting additive in a modern automotive battery... the batteries of 30 years ago it worked fine (and gave 2 weeks to 3 months extra battery life from a battery that typically survived 2 to 3 years). The electrolyte chemistry is not the same in the newer batteries. ************** Re the Epsom salts.... How much salt and how much water depends on battery size. You will find it takes a lot of water to dissolve 10 tablespoons of epsom salt. So this section does need editing. Hopefully if you need to put additive in your battery you also need to add water... Its best to NOT remove electrolyte from the battery. Its dangerous to mix acids with other chemicals. Splashing can cause severe burns. For best results use distilled water when mixing your own additive. Just mix as much epsom salt in 1 cup of water as will dissolve. Put equal amounts of this in each cell. The benefit from these treatments is dissolving sulfate deposits (white crystals in the battery) the sulfates cause internal shorting of the plates as well as the crystal expansion which can deform the battery. Badly sulfated automotive batteries will have bulged ends. At that point they don't gain much from treatment. ($60 for a decent battery that lasts 5 years... why bother playing with this potentially dangerous practice?)
On March 28, 2011, Brad wrote:
How much water is being mixed with the 10 heaping table spoons of Epson salt? Is the acid to be removed from the battery 1st?
On March 17, 2011, ajay shah wrote:
why water loss during charging with invertor and please also suggest me by adding how can we stop water loss in battery.