Q1/ Can we use ‘Recharge’ in deep cycle or traction batteries?
A1/ Yes you certainly can, in fact we get much more favourable results with deep cycle batteries as they tend to be well made with good quality lead plates. Unfortunately, some of the cheaper batteries have very little internal substance to them so mechanical failure is more common. Once there is a mechanical fault, which is usually caused by sulphation corroding the lead plates, it is too late to retrieve them, which is why using ‘Recharge’as a conditioner is so much more effective. Please see ‘Recharge Conditioning Program’
Q2/ Can I use ‘Recharge’ in sealed batteries?
A2/ Yes you can; first try opening with a screwdriver and see if there is a cover that pops up or a strip that peals back, (often there is), under which is usually a row of bungs that can be removed. If not then the only option is to drill into the battery and before you throw your hands into the air and scream, it is a 5ml piece of plastic, so long as you drill carefully and reseal properly there shouldn’t be any adverse effect. I use a 10ml drill bit so I have a big enough hole to see if it needs water, which they often do especially if they are failing, and seal with a 10ml plastic bung which I secure in place with a smear of silicon. You can just silicon the hole if you want but it is easier to re-service in the future with a bung. For Gel & Fibre-mat batteries see Q/13 Please Note: You have to drill into each individual cell so a 12 volt battery has 6 cells, as each cell in a battery is 2 volts. Therefore a 6 volt has 3 cells or a 48-volt forklift for example has 24 cells.
Please be aware: Some battery companies may say using additives voids the warranty and for this reason you may wish to wait until the warranty period has passed.
Q3/ What kind of life expectancey should a lead acid battery have?
A3/ In our experience that depends on several factors firstly; the quality of the battery; as stated above some economy models have thinner lead plates. Better quality batteries if you start early, keep them fully charged and sulphation free you should achieve maximum battery life. Secondly; how much damage was done by the sulphation before you bought the battery? Provided they didn’t have too much sulphation damage when you bought
them and most batteries have sulphation to some degree when you buy them. Sulphation starts as soon as they are first filled with acid. (See Q/5 below for more info). Thirdly; environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity. And Finally; the “in use” situation, for example high vibration such as excavators will often reduce life expectancy. Realistically you should easily get 8 to 10 years from a reasonable quality battery under normal conditions and 12 or 14 is possible if you keep sulphation away with good battery maintenance. Poorer quality batteries or batteries that had a lot of suphation when you bought them will not last that long however 5 or 6 years in not unrealistic even from lesser brands provided you keep them suphation free; treat regularly and keep them fully charged.
Q4/ Can I re-treat with ‘Recharge’ after the first treatment?
A4/ Yes you can, in fact the ‘Recharge Conditioning Program’ which can be printed off from the ‘Documents’ section of this website, is to treat from early in the batteries life, re-treat every 2 years and to keep them fully charged by putting on a mains powered charger every few months or by fixing a solar unit to keep them topped up. Fully charged batteries can not sulphate because the sulphur ions are all taken up with an electron, (see 5 below for more info). If you are struggling to get 2 years battery life start treatment when you first buy them and re-treat every year and charge them more often; like 3 or 4 times a year but be aware of battery warranty issues. (see Q/2 above)
Q5/ What causes sulphation?
A5/ The battery not being kept fully charged, which they very rarely are.
Batteries sitting in the shop pre-purchase are discharging and suphating. So when a battery is not kept fully charged the negative sulphur ions that don’t have an electron to bind to are a ‘free-ion’ and are available to bind to the positive lead plates in the form of lead sulphate. They stop being a liquid and become a solid, this suphation build-up can often be seen as a white covering on the batteries internal lead plates. Sulphation is the biggest killer of lead acid batteries as it corrodes the plates until it causes a mechanical fault. The sulphation build-up is what ‘Recharge’ is specifically designed to combat. The ‘Recharge conditioning program’ will effectively eliminate the sulphation delema and let the lead plates wear out from use not corrosion.
Q6/ How does sulphation hurt the battery?
A6/ The sulphation build-up eats the lead plates away until they collapse causing a mechanical fault and battery failure, at which point it is too late to retrieve them.
Q7/ How long can a battery sit unused before it is too late to be worth trying
Recharge as a reconditioning agent?
A7/ That depends on the quality of battery; we have had examples of large traction batteries that have sat for several years and still been retrieved with ‘Recharge’ (please see the ‘Testimonials’) because those batteries have substantial lead plates made with good quality lead. Where as with a budget battery that has no real substance it doesn’t take long for the sulphation build-up to eat the lead plates away.
Q/8 How do I know that I am treating my battery with the correct amount of ‘Recharge’?
A/8 The instruction sheet that comes in the box gives treatment quantities to the common sizes of batteries working on a per cell basis. (You can also print the instruction sheet from the website buy looking in the‘document’ section) If you are unsure or you have larger traction batteries you can measure the> battery and work out the treatment rate. About 60% of the total volume of the battery is electrolyte and treat at 10ml of ‘Recharge’ per litre of electrolyte. If you go to the ‘Documents’ section of this website and look up ‘Battery Volume Calculation’ and follow that you should be fine. If you have trouble working it out just measure the battery Height x Width x Depth in millimeters and email us the measurements and the number of cells to be treated and we can assist you.
Q/9 Why doesn’t the sulphation build-up just dissolve away when I charge my battery?
A/9 Sulphation is always forming on battery plates, if they sit with the build-up for more than a month or two the lead suphate starts to crystalize, once this has happened it becomes very rigid like a piece of rock and is very hard to dissolve simply by charging. That is where ‘Recharge’ comes in, it will dissolve the lead sulphate build-up, turning those sulphur ions back into sulphuric acid holding electrons and stopping further corrosion of lead plates.
Q/10 Aren’t there electronic systems for removing sulphation build-up such as pulsers and smart chargers and so on?
A/10 Yes there are but they often tend to flake the lead sulphate to the bottom of the cell leaving a flakey sediment building up in the bottom of the battery cells which tend’s to float around and will eventually short the plates out causing a fault. The ‘Recharge’ system dissolves the build-up turning the sulphur ions from lead sulphate back into sulphuric acid holding electrons, essentially re- aciding the battery and leaving the internals of the battery clean and sediment free.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that using both the electronic and the ‘Recharge’ system simultaneously gives the best results of all.
Q/11 Do I really have to put the battery on a mains powered charger when treating with ‘Recharge’ or can I just run the vehicle?
A/11 For best results dose the battery with ‘Recharge’ put on a charger and keep them charged between treatments by putting the battery on an over night charge 2 or 3 times a year. Alternators often don’t fully charge the battery, it is quite common for them only to charge up to 80% or 90%, so that last 10% to 20% of sulphur ions stay on the plates in the form of lead sulphate and keep corroding the plates. You should get a lift with an alternator as some of the build-up will be removed. We have had several instances over the years of people putting ‘Recharge’ in a tired battery and just driving away and having no more problem for several years so it is often well worth a go. For best effect however, please use a charger if you have one available. If you are just going to use the alternator please make sure you aggitate
the ‘Recharge’ well into the battery (See A/12 below). You do not want a blob of ‘Recharge’ sitting on top of the plates unmixed as it is corrosive, proper mixing is important.
Q/12 Can I use ‘Recharge’ if my battery fails and I can’t start my car?
A/12 Yes it is worth a try; just dose with the required amount of ‘Recharge’ agitate in well by either using the applicator provided (or a hydrometer) inserting into the batteries electrolyte and sucking and blowing several times in each cell to get it mixing. Let the battery stand for 30 to 60 minutes and quite often the vehicle will start. Again we have had many reports over the years of this working successfully.
Q/13 Can I treat gel or fibre mat batteries with Recharge?
A/13 Yes you can but only as reconditioning we do not recommend treating good batteries of this kind and certainly not in the warranty period, if it fails under warranty take it back. If they are beginning to fade out of warranty however, it is often well worth a treatment as there is about a 50% chance of retrieving batteries in that condition provided you start early enough. As with sealed batteries (See Q/2) you willl probably have to drill into each cell and reseal with silicone sealer. Firstly put double the amount of distilled water to Recharge, so for example; a car battery takes 5ml per cell of Recharge so put 10ml per cell of distilled water first, then 5ml of Recharge. Once treated charge and discharge the battery a few times, then give it plenty of use (so for example if it is a vehicle battery treat before you go away for the weekend). You should be able to get about half of them back to full working condition doing this provided you start early enough. Once treatment is complete reseal with silicone sealer.
Q/14 How does a hydrometer work?
A/14 A Hydrometer is used to test a batteries holding capacity. If you consider how a battery holds its charge; the negative sulphur ion in the acid solution binds to the positive electron thus holding the batteries charge. What a hydrometer does is measures the weight of the electrolyte or how many electrons are held in suspension. A litre of fully charged electrolyte will weigh 1.28kg’s or have a specific gravity of 1.28 a litre of water weights 1kg or has a specific gravity of 1. If a battery is sulphated there is less negative sulphur ions in the electrolyte solution to hold electrons so the specific gravity will be lower. A Recharge treatment will release those sulphur ions back into the acid (electrolyte) and increase the specific gravity by dissolving the lead sulphate turning it back into sulphuric acid holding electrons. If one or more cells do not increase specific gravity with a treatment there is a mechanical fault and the battery will not recover.
PLEASE NOTE: If you have other questions please email us and we can send you a reply, if it is a general question that will help others we will add it to the FAQ’s
Email: gerard@recharge.net.nz
Notes:
- Recharge has a virtually indefinite shelf life and will last for years in the bottle without breaking down, just keep it sealed.
- Recharge can thicken in cold conditions and should be stored and used above 5 dec C. If thickening occurs warm the product slowly by standing in the sun or in a bucket of warm water shaking occasionally till flowing freely.
- It is very important to READ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS carefully. Recharge is very corrosive and can cause damage if not used correctly. The manufacturers take no responsibility for damage caused by
abuse or misuse of this product.
Happy “Recharging”
