How to Use a Battery Desulfator – Cycle Life, Methods and Checking

The chemical substances used in making a battery always determines the battery's functionality. It is good to know the components of your battery and some of the effects of the prolonged use of the battery. The chemical reactions involved in producing power in a battery might lead to the production of other components that aren't soluble battery's electrolyte.

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Desulfation occurs when some crystals of lead sulfate are deposited on the lead plates. The formation of this lead sulfate occurs in lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries produce electricity through a double sulfate chemical reaction.

Lead-acid batteries possess lead and lead oxide on their plates. The lead and the lead oxide react with sulfuric acid, which is the electrolyte to produce lead sulfate. When the battery is in its discharged condition, both the anode and the cathode become lead II sulfate. On the other hand, the electrolyte loses its sulfuric acid content and becomes water.

Some of the lead sulfates deposited on the plates might remain during recharging, and they pile up for a long period; thus, blocking the movement of electrons. The only process that can be used to salvage the battery is battery desulfation. Therefore, we need to look at the process of battery desulfation.

How long does it take to desulfate a battery?

The only method that we can use to save our lead-acid batteries is desulfation. The process of desulfating a battery is straightforward, but you need to have some ideas on what to do. However, you can perform the process at home as long as you follow safety measures.

The process of desulfating a battery can take two days to weeks, depending on the size of the battery. Small batteries can take less than 48 hours, depending on the condition of the battery. Those large batteries can take up to two weeks, depending on their condition.

During the desulfation process, the battery is trickle-charged to minimize the amount of lead sulfur solution. However, with advancements in technology, various devices are specifically made to aid and reduce the time taken in the desulfation process. These devices are known as battery regenerators/desulfators/reconditioners/pulse conditioning devices. These devices work effectively and efficiently when they are used correctly. They can recondition your battery to a 75 percent brand new state.

It is always advisable to check your battery frequently to prevent damage early. Desulfating a battery before it can fail will reduce the time needed to desulfate the battery. It is good to keep your battery charged even when not in use to prevent sulfation.

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The battery will always deposit the sulfates on the plates, but that is not harmful until there is so much deposit. This happens due to prolonged use of the battery. Battery manufacturers always ask battery users to check their batteries at least once a month.

Therefore, it is vital to charge unused batteries more frequently even if they will not be used soon. This prevents the reaction that will cause sulfation in the battery plates. 

What is the best way to desulfate a battery?

There are many ways that we can use to desulfate our batteries at home. However, in this article, we shall look at the best way to fully desulfate your battery and reduce the time taken for the process to end. Therefore, it is good to follow keenly so that you can use it for reconditioning your battery.

Before starting the procedure, it is vital to adhere to safety requirements for your safety and others. Have hand gloves, goggles, protective clothing that covers your entire body, and well-covered shoes. Perform the desulfation process in an open area and have safety tools to help you in case of an explosion. Use the correct battery desulfators that battery organizations have approved.

The best way to dissolve the lead sulfate deposited on the plates is to apply much higher voltages. The battery desulfator always controls this amount of energy applied to the battery. This higher voltage causes the battery to heat rapidly; thus, causing a thermal runaway that leads to an explosion.

Some battery desulfators apply short pulses of high voltage. These pulses are too short of causing a significant flow of current but long enough to reverse the process of crystallization. Using long-term high voltages on sealed lead-acid batteries is that it dries the battery making it die completely. Also, the use of high voltage pulses can damage the battery plates, especially on wet batteries.

However, the most recent developments in battery regeneration have brought a significant impact. The products used to recondition the battery now use high-frequency pulses as opposed to high voltages.

Apart from the battery desulfators that we can use at home, there are heavy commercial battery desulfators. The commercial battery desulfators can support several batteries to provide parallel operation and give positive results.

All the manufacturers work day and night to eradicate the desulfation issue, especially in lead-acid batteries. However, at the time, you can take precautions to reduce desulfation in your stored batteries. Charge the batteries more often, even if you do not plan to use them soon.

How do you know when a battery is sulfated?

The sulfation process occurs over a long period, and it can be hard to know it early. The sulfates deposits will permanently block the lead plates; thus, causing the battery to function abnormally. The first sign of a battery that is sulfated is the one with charging problems. The battery might charge slowly, or it might not charge at all.

The battery fails to charge because the flow of electrons to the plates is restricted by the sulfate covering the plates. Therefore, if you discover that your appliances are not receiving enough amperage, the possible reason will be sulfation.

Also, if your battery dies at an unexpected time, the problem might be sulfation. Therefore, you need to test the battery's voltage with a multimeter before concluding. If the battery voltage is much lower than 12.6 Volts, then know that your battery is undercharged, and this might be caused by sulfation.