Can batteries be "re-habbed"?

[cptmarvel]

My father in-law had 2 marine batteries in his basement for several years; 4/6 maybe. He said he got them new and only used them when he was having issues with the sump pump. Big uns. 715 CA 575 CCA. He never charged them, just unhooked them when he was done and they sat in the corner, in the plastic boxes looking stupit ever since. I put one on my charger at 10 amps for 2 days, never got above 50%. Had over 12v in it, next day just 9. Anything can help it?

 

[Scott Danforth]

try switching the leads for a very short period of time. it may knock the crud off the plates, however most likely the batteries are toast.

 

[cptmarvel]

They different from car batteries? One of my fondest memories from 21 years in the army was watching the battery in the battalion commanders staff car blow up. Jumper cables were crossed. Took like a nano second.

 

[spoilsofwar]

I'm assuming they're unsealed lead acid batteries. If so, pop the cell caps off and see what the water level is. Add distilled water as needed. Then try to charge them again. However, if the water level has been low for a considerable amount of time, the exposed surfaces of the plates will have been damaged and there is not much that can be done to bring them back to near full capacity.

Batteries like this should never be left untended to (charged) for long periods of time. An AGM will deal with it much better then a traditional unsealed battery. And even they will benefit from being charged maintained.

There are other, more sketchy means of reviving a lead acid battery, such as using Epsom salts. There are plenty of videos and articles on it on the Internet. Some swear by it but I've never done it. I'll let you decide if it's worth the potential hazards.

 

[gm280]

I am post this as merely entertainment issue and by no means suggesting to do it.

Years (okay decades) ago I worked with a guy that lived batteries. He did everything with batteries, and I mean everything. He was making battery driven motor motorcycles long before everybody else was marketing them. Same with cars too, So he worked on most every type battery one could imagine. I said all that to say this, He would cut battery tops off with a dremel like tool and slide the guts out and clean off the corrosion off the plates. Then install them back together and seal the cut and fill them up with sulfuric acid again and charge them. And yes they did work without issue. But I don't know how he seal the cut. I have no idea what he used to make them seal again. But those batteries would work like new. I am not recommending anybody do that, just posting his story. I have no idea what type glue is used to assembly lead acid batteries. But he must have known because they didn't leak after he sealed them. And if you really think about it, that IS the main reason there is a core charge for car batteries as well. They re-manufacture old batteries to new again. How their process is done is anybody's guess. :noidea:

 

[cptmarvel]

I'm not going to do that. I understand it was for "entertainment purposes only". From what remember in physics, batteries go dead because the lead sulfate on the plates (hence the "lead-acid") essentially decomposes over time due to the chemical action of the acid against them. The sulfate falls to the battery floor, eventually building up to the point that it shorts the plates against each other and there is not enough left on the plates to react to the acid. My point to THAT lil dissertation: that's why I was thinking these things might charge up if they had essentially went thru only one discharge cycle. Now my iThump is tired.

 

[gm280]

I'm not going to do that. I understand it was for "entertainment purposes only". From what remember in physics, batteries go dead because the lead sulfate on the plates (hence the "lead-acid") essentially decomposes over time due to the chemical action of the acid against them. The sulfate falls to the battery floor, eventually building up to the point that it shorts the plates against each other and there is not enough left on the plates to react to the acid. My point to THAT lil dissertation: that's why I was thinking these things might charge up if they had essentially went thru only one discharge cycle. Now my iThump is tired.

Yes you dissertation seems correct. You could try emptying the battery out of all liquid (who knows if it is acid or not by this time) and then flush the cells with a garden hose to see if you can flush out the lead sulfate. If you can flush a lot of it out, you can then add some sulfuric acid and see if it would take a charge again. But honestly, you are probably way better off just replacing them with new ones. JMHO

 

[fishrdan]

12V+ one day and 9Y the next, sounds like a dead cell plus discharging... At 4-6 years being left uncharged, I'd call them toast. Even if they were being used and maintained, at 4-6 years, they would probably be toast.

Look like a couple of core batteries, save yourself $20.

Years ago (not decades LOL) I was tooling around the desert and came upon a car battery that was all shot up and sun fried. Jumped out and threw it in the truck as it was a good core battery, store took it in trade - no problem'o.

 

[bruceb58]

Agree with fishrdan...it's a core.