Leisure battery reconditioning.

[rustic]

My boat leisure battery which is about 3years old is 85Ah and I have fully charged it, and I have done a discharge test, and I estimate that at best I have about 1/3 of it's true capacity.

I did an internet search and found they could be reconditioned by adding a solution of epson salts disolved in distilled water.

Has anybody tried this, and did it work, what life did you get out of it?

As long as there is no physical cell damage,shorted cells etc the results look promising.

Best regards,
Rustic

[solarman216]

no such thing as a leisure battery, it is a start battery, thin plates and as it ages bits fall off to the space at the bottom, as they are thin to start with there is not much left now, and no cure, I live on batteries, full traction, big thick plates, bits fall of but not so bothered as still lots left, 15 year life MINIMUM, Rick

[zippy656]

get yourself a nice big new one

[wildbri]

talking of leisure battery's as we are, I am converting my sons Chevy astro van to a camper. I am fitting a maintance free battery ( I wonder if they really are maintance free?) I am putting the battery in a plastic battery box and I am considering venting this box to the outside. Now do I put the vent in the top or the bottom of the box? If I put it in the bottom then any leaking acid would run into the vehicle, I suppose it should go in the top as hydrogen is lighter than air ( well thats what they put in balloons dont they? Any thoughts would be appreciated. My caravan battery is in the same plastic box but it has a vent on the battery its self which is vented through the floor.

regards bri

[(RIP) PLANK]

Bri, the battery itself is vented at the very top so maybe the box too

As for battery reconditioning, aren't the contents of a battery acidic and isn't epsom salts very alkaline? Wouldn't it just neutralise the acid?

but to be fair I have a number of old leisure batteries knocking around and if you give me a link to the method I will give it a try next week and see what happens, if the battery is no good what have you got to loose

and the gain might be useful to everyone

[rustic]

Originally Posted by PLANK

Bri, the battery itself is vented at the very top so maybe the box too

As for battery reconditioning, aren't the contents of a battery acidic and isn't epsom salts very alkaline? Wouldn't it just neutralise the acid?

but to be fair I have a number of old leisure batteries knocking around and if you give me a link to the method I will give it a try next week and see what happens, if the battery is no good what have you got to loose

and the gain might be useful to everyone

Thanks Plank, here is one link
http://community.discovery.com/eve/f.../m/39619820201

Best regards, Rustic

[glanrichbex]

We tried getting the last out of batteries years ago by tipping all the acid out into jars then use a hose pipe to clean out the inside of the battery through the vent holes, replace the acid. This would work to a certain degree but not amazing really.

I don't bother with so called leasure batteries these days when you can get a car battery with 4 years garantee. They are so much less expensive these days, smaller and more reliable. The only thing you've got to remember with lead acid cells is that they don't recover once the voltage has gone down lower than 60% and you make them work hard. This will destroy the plates, the damage is irreversible - they will not recover. .... so remember when you've left the lights on too long and you're cranking over on a discharged battery barely turning the engine over - you are killing your battery

[solarman216]

As I have stated before there is no such thing as a leisure battery it is a start battery with a different name, and you cannot deep cycle a start battery without severe damage, Rick

[(RIP) PLANK]

interesting article here on 'marine' batteries (for marine read leisure) seems to reflect many of the things said above.

http://www.sterling-power.com/support-faq-2.htm

I will have a read of, and a go at, the Epsom salts thing when I get a chance!

[solarman216]

Yep, Charles Stirling is the guy to follow re batteries and the charging of them, he has literately been there done that, and got a successful company out of it, only wish I had heard of him 9 years ago, would have saved me a couple of grand on rubbish batteries, Rick

[rustic]

Originally Posted by PLANK

interesting article here on 'marine' batteries (for marine read leisure) seems to reflect many of the things said above.

http://www.sterling-power.com/support-faq-2.htm

I will have a read of, and a go at, the Epsom salts thing when I get a chance!

Thanks for the link, I have read every bit, Rick was right all the time regarding Leisure batteries being only starter batteries. Same as marine batteries.

The most important thing is to be able to top them up unlike so called maintenance free batteries.

Traction are the way to go, in the long run, but normally more expensive.

Thanks for all your efforts guys.

Plank, if the refurb works with your fence batteries, it could save you a few bob.
Thanks again.
Richard

[solarman216]

Originally Posted by rustic

Traction are the way to go, in the long run, but normally more expensive.
Thanks again.
Richard

silly thing is the traction batteries were almost the same price as the "carbon fibre" crap that I purchased before, the carbon fibre lasted only 18 months and we were not here a lot of the time, the traction batteries are around 6 years old and show no sign of deterioration, but they do drink a lot of water, 5 litres every few weeks, but it does depend on what we draw and the charge rate, Rick