Reconditioning Batteries

[Drathaar]

I just bought a good battery charger for the boat and RVs that has a reconditioning feature. It sends pulsing charges into the battery that break up the crystalline lead sulfate deposits, and turns them into useful electrolytes.

I'm curious how many folks actually do this, and at what frequency. There are a couple of threads that mention it, but not much for specifics. The manual says periodically.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Drathaar

I just bought a good battery charger for the boat and RVs that has a reconditioning feature.

I'm curious how many folks actually do this, and at what frequency. There are a couple of threads that mention it, but not much for specifics. The manual says periodically.

Once only, when my Airstream Interstate was brand new, and I accidentally allowed the batteries to discharge below 0% charge before I found all of the exceptions that aren't shut off by the big red disconnect switch that were draining my batteries in storage. The reconditioning charger was cheaper than new batteries. That was about 3½ years ago, and the batteries seem to be doing fine ever since.

[AWCHIEF]

The PD 6055 that I just installed does that automatically with 14.5 volts every 12 hours for 15 minutes.

[AWCHIEF]

Correction to my above post, the new converter is a PD4655V.

[KJRitchie]

I took my 2 Interstate Grp 27s out of my trailer this past winter and decided to test each cell with a hydrometer. I put the batteries in parallel on a smart charger and charged them for several days until the charger was on the maintaining mode. I disconnected the charger and let the batteries sit for a couple of hours.

When I tested each cell with the hydrometer I found two cells in one of the batteries were down. I removed the parallel cables from the affected battery. I happen to have an older dumb charger and I put it on that battery on 6amps. I kept an eye on the voltage as it crept up to over 15v. I've read you need to run higher voltages to restore batteries. I took the cell covers off during this charge and checked the water levels. I ran the charge for a couple of hours then let the battery rest for a couple of hours then retested the specific gravity. The two low cells seemed to recover.

I connected the two batteries in parallel again and put the smart charger back on until I was ready to take the Airstream out for its first outing.

The capacity of the batteries have probably been reduced due to the low cells since I have no idea how long they've been like that but I was able to use them this season and deferred having to buy a new set.

Kelvin

[dznf0g]

I use two Battery minders with this feature. I used to use one for my 2 AS batts and the other one I use for the scooter and lawn tractor batteries. I am sold on the technology by 2 observations. 1) the lawn tractor battery was dying 2 years ago and I could see the white sulfate in the cells. The next spring, the cells were clear of sulfate and I am still using that batt.
2) The AS batts, per a capacity test have not degraded in capacity (Ah test to 12.06 volts) in almost 5 years. BatteryMinder also makes a non-charger model of "pulsator" which has been wired into the AS batts for about 5 years. It turns on at 13.4V (IIRC) during converter charging.

It won't cure all, and it takes weeks to months to help a sulfated battery, but it does work.