Old batteries

Murray2 · Mar 15, 2012

Few day's ago there was a discussion on restoring old batteries. Some had success. Just purchased a new repalcement battery the other day. I am attempting on the old battery to remove some of the battery acid and replacing with a mixture of 10 spoonfuls of epson salts mixed with 1 quart of water. I now have the charger on the 6 volt battery, doesn't appear to be taking a charge very fast. Just wondering or hoping to get a response from someone who has tried this procedure . How long does it take to get the battery to hold a charge? Cheers, Murray

Dave Sherburne NY · Mar 15, 2012

I just tried that on 2 batteries 1 worked 1 didn't. I think it was 2teaspoons per cell. then charge the battery. Then hook a headlite up to it and completely discharge the battery then recharge fully. If I can find the instructions I found on the net, I will post them for you, It was an old set of instructions the govt made up a long time ago to save farmers money. so you know its got to be good.

BCnT · Mar 15, 2012

i havent tried to breathe life into old batteries in quite a few years,but the way i was taught is to hook a headlight to battery and let it burn overnite to make sure its dead...hook charger up so polarity is reversed and slow charge it till battery is fully charged...hook headlite up and discharge battery fully again...hook polarity up correct and recharge slowly.
i had about a 60% success rate with this method.

never tried epson salt but saw a guy drop a alka seltzer tablet in a cell once...lets just say he ran out of his clothes from the eruption.

Murray2 · Mar 15, 2012

Thanks Dave, this is getting sort of interesting on the snow storm day's with nothing else to accomplish. Cheers, Murray

buickanddeere · Mar 15, 2012

Doesn't alkaline salts neutralize acid? Doesn't a dead battery measure weak acid and a charged battery with a stronger acid electrolyte solution? You are missing a few steps of the sulfated battery recovery process.

Bill(Wis) · Mar 15, 2012

A new Diehard Gold runs about a hundred bucks and should last 5+ years. I guess you're doing this as a sort of a hobby? Or, just to prove that it can be done albeit with limited results? Be careful.

mkirsch · Mar 15, 2012

You act like $100 is easy to come by.

It ain't any easier to come by 5 years from now either...

It's funny, some old timers around here swear by putting a spoonful of BAKING SODA in each cell on a battery.

I went to fancy book learnin' school, and they tell me when you mix an acid like battery acid, with a base like baking soda, the acid is neutralized.

Yet, here these guys are shoveling baking soda into their batteries and swearing it revitalizes them...

Old batteries

Murray2

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Dave Sherburne NY

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BCnT

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Murray2

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buickanddeere

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Bill(Wis)

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mkirsch

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