Restoring Nicad Drill Batteries: Recondition, Freezing and Zap

Drills are one of the overlooked but pivotal household items. Thanks to drills, we are able to create holes on some of the hardest items we know (such as wood). What happens when the drill’s batteries stop working? It would be a disaster since we will need to purchase new pricey drills. But you can save your money if you restore the drill’s batteries. And this is where we come on; here, we will give you the tips needed to restore nicad drill batteries. Its reconditioning, freezing, and zapping - all of them will be discussed here.

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Recondition Nicad Drill Batteries

Reconditioning nicad drill batteries should be done carefully using the appropriate gears. Here is how you start the reconditioning process:

Step 1

The first thing you must do is to ensure that the nicad drill batteries are fully charged. It must be fully charged. If it’s not charged, charge it until the charger indicates one hundred percent.

Step 2

Once the batteries are full, place the batteries into the drill and secure it safely there. Once you’ve secured the batteries properly, use the drill continuously. There is no need to hold the drill, since you’ll only need to let the drill run until the battery runs out. All you’ll need to do place the drill sideways and turn it on.

Step 3

The drill will die once the battery runs out of power. Let the drill stay cool, since it will be hot after it’s being turned out until its batteries run out of energy.

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Step 4

Once the drill cools down, turn it on again. Even though the drill “dies,” it will actually run when you turn it on again, albeit it will run slowly. When the drill runs out of energy, repeat the same process. Do it continuously until the drill completely refuses to run.

Why do we do this? Doing this will break down the nicad batteries’ crystals and return them to their original size when you first purchased it (nicad batteries’ crystals grow bigger as they are used more often).

Step 5

Detach everything after the drill cools down. Remove the battery from the drill, and charge it as usual. The charging process will be slower than how it usually is (around three to four hours) since the charging happens after reconditioning. However, the battery will hold more energy than before. The wait is definitely worth the result. 

Reviving Nicad Batteries by Freezing

If reconditioning still can’t revive the nicad drill batteries, you can try freezing them. This process is easier and takes less time than reconditioning the batteries. The steps are:

Step 1

First, take out the batteries from the drill. For this process, there is no need to charge them.

Step 2

Store the batteries in the freezer. Let the batteries stay there for at least two to three hours.

Step 3

When you take the batteries out from the freezer, they will be cold so make sure you wear gloves if you cannot stand cold. 

After you take it out, place the battery in a flat surface. Then, take out the hammer and use the handle of the hammer. You use it by knocking the battery with the hammer’s handle. When you knock the battery, make sure you do it gently so you won’t damage the battery.

The process might seem odd, but it actually plays a big role at reviving the nicad drill batteries. Doing so will be able to destroy the dendrites inside the battery. Dendrites are one of the main causes of short circuit, battery failure, or even a fire. 

How to Zap a Nicad Battery

If reconditioning and freezing still cannot work, then there is no other choice but zapping them. Zapping needs to be done carefully, so you’ll need to use safety equipment such as insulated gloves and safety goggles. Once you’ve worn them, you can start zapping nicad drill batteries. Here are the steps on how to zap a nicad battery:

Step 1

First, you will need to charge the batteries. The need to be fully charged, so it is pivotal to have them full. Even if the charging process takes hours, it doesn’t matter as long as the battery is full. 

If you check the voltage of the battery, you’ll notice that the battery has less voltage than how it’s written. It is normal, as the battery has gone through numerous charging process and used before. 

Step 2

Before zapping the batteries, you will need to check the welder first to ensure that they are properly supplying DC. you can check the welder by using a multimeter. It’s important because there are times where the welders supply AC and has its polarity backward.

Step 3

Now, it’s time to zap the battery! First, you’ll need to tap the positive side of the welder to the plus side of the battery; you’ll need to do the same thing to the negative side of the battery. When this happens, you’ll see some sparks on the battery.

Since the sparks can be dangerous, make sure you do this step on an area that’s far away from other objects. 

Step 4

Once you’ve zapped the battery, it’s time to test it out. Put the battery inside the drill. The drill should be able to work properly.

Step 5

Another option you can do is zap the battery’s cell individually. After dismembering the battery, you need to remove the excessive dirt on them. Then, you zap the batteries using the car battery. When you do this, it’s best to zap them individually since it’s easier rather than zapping the whole pack all at once. 

There are several ways to restore nicad drill batteries. So when one of them doesn’t work, you can always try the other method. Doing the methods above will prevent you from spending unnecessary money on purchasing new drills. When the nicad batteries are revived, feel free to drill to your heart’s content!