A friend showed me a little booklet he ordered off the internet (I think) that explains how to breath life back into lead acid batteries.

Since my coach batteries were pretty much flat I decided to give it a try. Figuring that it wouldn't bring them back to new condition but it might get them to where they are usable. Then I could buy new when we went South later this Summer.

The specific gravity @ 55 deg F was around 1.12 for all the cells. My batteries (2 each) are 8D's which are pretty big compared to a car battery.

The process is to suck about a pint or so of electrolite from each cell to make room for the decalcifying solution. I sucked mine right down to the top of the plates. Desolve 10 heaping tablespoons of magnesium sulfate (epsom salts) per pint of warm distilled water. I mixed up a gallon and a half for my coach batteries and I would guess the temperature was aroung 120 to 130 deg F.

I refilled each cell to the split ring and put the caps on loosely. Then hit it with the juice. My charger is one of those smart micro processor controlled battery chargers 2/15/40 amps with 125 amps start assist. The digital display keeps you informed of the battery health.

When I turned the charger on the battery was at 2% capacity. I almost stopped the process believing that the battery was too far gone, but I kept going. The charger was cranking out some amps because the battery cables were getting really warm, yet the battery stayed at 2%. This went on for about 15 minutes then all of a sudden the battery health indicator started to climb to 4%, 5% then 6%. Within 2 hours it reached 66% where it hung for about 30 minutes then fell back to 62%. Several hours later it was still at 62% and the batteries were at 12.7 VDC with the charger connected. Once the charger was disconnected the voltage fell considerably.

I think that had my batteries not been in such poor condition this electrical CPR just might have worked. Cost for this experiment was $6.12 for the epsom salts, $3.90 distilled water and $5.12 for hose and squeeze bulb to suck the acid out of the cells. I also used the squeeze bulb to sifon the solution from my mixing pot back into the cells.

I have had good results with EDTA on sulfated batteries. I also used it on new batteries to keep them happy. I have switched to electronic desulfation since some pretty good ones have come on the market. However, I don't like automatic desulfation, as I have a suspicion that (depending) it can be hard on batteries. Same with equalization.

The Progressive Dynamics 9200 series has a desulfation cycle built in.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:
The Progressive Dynamics 9200 series has a desulfation cycle built in.

How does it desulfate? HF AC or an equalizing overvoltage?

Bill,

I did a google search on the subject and found this link to be quite informative without going overboard with theory.

http://www.chargingchargers.co...ery-desulfation.html


After reading a bit more on the subject I think I may need to suck some of the weak electrolyte out and refill with a stronger sulfuric acid solution.
I'll post the results.

Roman

Rusty told me to clean my post on the

Barth started at NIcks place have not stopped .all of a sudden things that did not work came on line some lights came on a fan started working switches worked air on the back air came on at 2am and worked air horns had a short and started blowing at 2am still cleaning all plug in wires what a mess but after 20 years they have some misconnects THANKS RUSTY NOW Almost every thing works . I am using contact cleaner and some small files and pliers .

Way to go Lenny! Sometimes the solution is tedious and dirty - but necessary.

Bill,
What is EDTA? I looked it up on Wikipedia, but how is it commonly sold?

Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Stratosurfer:
Bill,
What is EDTA?

A Google search will tell you better than I can.

Armchair experts abound, and armchairs seem to generate negative opinions, so get ready. I doubt that you will find much negative comment from those who use it, though. Or even from those who have thoroughly read the literature.

It is chemical desulfation. No more. No less. Very few will dispute the benefits of desulfation. There are varying opinions and experiential observations on it application, however. Time and again, I have seen real world improvement using it. My conductance tester also shows significantly higher readings after using it. At work, we used it on batteries in equipment that saw little use. Equipment that was used daily never got a chance to desulfate, and its use was discontinued in those batteries.

Home Power Magazine had several good articles on its use. HP #20, pg.23 HP #21, pg.36, HP #22, pg.94, HP #29, pg.44, HP #52, pg.78 HP #55, pg.108, HP #58, pg.63 HP #68, pg.114. I have them somewhere, but they are boxed up in storage. Didn't have a scanner then.

quote:

........how is it commonly sold?

Thanks

As either a white powder called EDTA or as a liquid with a secret ingredient and magic properties. Some will make a cocktail, adding cadmium sulfate, and some are cadmium sulfate only. Some are magnesium sulfate, which, of course, is Epsom salts. And some throw in some cobalt sulfate, perhaps the chemical equivalent of eye of newt. All of these things have the potential to desulfate, but I tend to believe that the more aggressively a product is marketed and hyped, the less value, and perhaps effectiveness, there is.

Generally speaking, EDTA is marketed without extravagant claims or greedy pricing, so that should tell you something.

But, back to EDTA.....it is not all things to all batteries, but does indeed desulfate. I have always desulfated, one way or another. EDTA, home made electronic desulfator, and now, a Vector charger with a built in desulfating feature.

however, having said all that, if a battery is regularly run down to, say, 50% and charged back up vigorously, nether desulfation nor equalization is necessary. Calisthenics.

Most RV batteries sit too much. Sitting and discharging is bad. Sitting and overcharging is bad. Sitting on a proper float voltage is bad. Several enlightened charger makers address this in different ways. One, for example, is discontinuing charging every so often so the battery goes down a little and then gets a more vigorous charge on resuming the charge. Some will equalize automatically at a set interval. Equalization is not desulfation, but its violence will knock some of the lead sulfate off the plates. Trojan says not to equalize unless there is a disparity in hydrometer readings from cell to cell. So sayeth also the old U-Boat battery manuals. The greatest war prize ever might have been the WWI submarine diesel and battery knowledge we gained from the Germans. That rates right up there with von Braun and the DKW designs for two stroke motorcycles. Without DKW, the BSA Bantam and the Harley Davidson 125, 165 and the fabulous Hummer would never have been. ........Oh, Oh! Thread drift.

Bill,
Where do you buy it from?
Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Stratosurfer:
Bill,
Where do you buy it from?
Thanks

I bought mine quite a while back from a company called trailhead supply, a Utah advertiser in Home Power. When I Googled that just now, I got a Montana pack trip place, so I dunno. Maybe Home Power's site has an advertiser.

I have also seen it on eBay from time to time.