Reconditioning batteries

 For some reason, most likely laziness, I find a lot of used deep cycle
batteries in parking lots and such.  My charger has a "desulfate" setting on
it to recondition wet cells.  If I find a wet cell that doesn't look like
it's been through the wringer, do you think it is possible I might be able
to recondition it and get some use out of it?  When my system is running at
peak, I have more power than my regular house batteries can handle and I was
just wondering if this might be a cheap way to get more back up power.

Bart

 

   In general, I think that every "battery repair" gizmo I have ever tried was
snake oil.   I gave up on the idea of rescuing bad batteries years ago, so there
may be something out there I don't know about.

   Try it.  What do you have to lose?  If nothing else, they are worth money as
scrap.

Vaughn

 

Ouch... You don't make me feel warm and fuzzy here, Vaughn.  Actually, I've
heard of people in another group (photovoltaics?) say they have a schedule
in which they overcharge their batteries to about 17 volts for a few hours
on regular basis every few months.  They say they have "happy batteries".

Yeah, I'll give it a try on the next good looking battery I find.  Of course
there could also be other things wrong with the batteries too.  Big problem
is, it would definately over tax my system to do such a thing so I would
need to drag these 30-50 lb things to my sister's for grid power.

Bart

 Piccolo Pete wrote:

I knew a guy who used to sell " reconditioned batteries", he used to
swear that reversing the polarity when
charging them was his secret ;`) I bought one off him and it lasted over
a year before it died.

 

I'm not sure I would like to try that.  But, I suppose free batteries are
something to experiment with.  Seems like it would make them explode,
though.

Bart