What Is A Sulfated Battery-AGM Battery And Recovering?

A sulfated battery contains a build-up of lead sulfate crystals and is the leading cause of lead-acid battery failure. The harm produced by battery sulfation is easily avoidable and, in some situations, reversible. Please continue reading to learn more about battery sulfation and how to avoid it.

Sulfation happens when a battery is not fully charged; it accumulates and lingers on the battery plates. When there is too much sulfation, it can inhibit the chemical to electrical conversion and significantly influence battery performance. When sulfates accumulate in your battery, the following can occur:

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●charging times are longer

●Shorter running intervals between charges due to high heat build-up

●significantly reduced battery life

●total battery failure

As part of the usual chemical process of a battery, all lead-acid batteries will collect sulfation over time. However, sulfation accumulates and causes issues when;

●A battery has been overcharged.

●A battery is kept above 75 degrees

●A battery is kept charged but not fully charged.

What Is A Sulfated AGM Battery?

Sulfation, or the accumulation of lead sulphate crystals, is the leading cause of early battery failure in lead-acid, sealed AGM, or flooded (wet cell-filler caps) batteries. A sulfated battery can result in:

●Longer charging durations due to a reduction of cranking power

●Excessive heat build-up causes "boil out," resulting in shorter running periods between charges and much-reduced battery life.

●Vibration, contaminants, fragmented charge plates (due to overheating), and under or overcharging are further reasons for battery failure.

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Sulfate will form in all lead-acid storage batteries over time. This includes the new sealed "dry" AGM-spiral-wound versions labelled Optima, Odyssey, Exide, and Interstate. Each time a battery is used, it develops sulfation (discharged - recharged). They will rapidly produce sulfate if overcharged, undercharged, or left discharged for even a few days. Sulfate will occur even after a battery is ultimately charged unless a desulfating battery charger is employed. Using or storing batteries at temperatures above 75°F hastens the pace of self-discharge and substantially increases battery sulfation. In fact, with every 10°F increase over room temperature, the discharge rate, and sulfation double.

What Does A Sulfated Battery Look Like?

If you are the sufferer of a sulfated battery, you will notice indicators of decreased efficiency. The most typical hand of a sulfated battery will not charge very well or refuses to charge at all. If you believe that your electrical accessories are not getting sufficient amperage (weak a/c, dim headlights), this is a significant indication that your battery has been sulfated. If your battery dies much sooner than expected, it's most likely due to sulfation. A multi meter may be used to measure the battery's standing voltage. Any reading less than 12.6 volts indicates that your battery is undercharged, potentially due to sulfation.

A visual sulfation diagnostic test on your battery's cells is also an option. Because this will need opening your battery, it is best to do so on a covered surface in a well-ventilated environment. Using a flat-head screwdriver, carefully remove the caps on the battery top. You must be able to see the battery cells, separators, and electrolytes levels through each hole. A typical sulfated battery will have grey, filthy compartments and partitions that are difficult to identify from one another. The silver-lead cells in a healthy battery will be clean and easily differentiated from the black separators. A graphic representation is provided below to assist in visually diagnosing battery sulfation.

Can You Recover A Sulfated Battery?

Sulfation is a natural chemical reaction when lead-acid battery plates are exposed to air or when the specific gravity falls below 1.225. Sulfation happens when soft lead sulfate, a lead-sulfur compound, crystalizes to solid lead sulfate. As a result, the battery cells cannot sustain an electrical charge, and the battery dies. If the sulfation has gone too far, it cannot be separated from the lead plates; but, if it has only just begun, it can be removed by gradually recharging the cells.

Step 1: Unscrew the cell covers using your fingers or a flat-head screwdriver.

Step 2: Determine whether the fluid level is lower than the minimal marker on the cell's side. The lead plates are most likely exposed. Sulfation is visible when you detect hard clumps of crystals on the scale and around the cell walls. You may eliminate sulfation during a slow recharge if the crystallization isn't covering the walls and the plates only have minor deposits.

Step 3: Fill up the lead-acid battery cells with distilled water to the maximum capacity. Remove the cell coverings. During the recharge process, you will heat the plates, assisting dissolve the sulfation.

Step 4: Connect the battery charger's 2 battery-cable clamps to the lead-acid battery ends. The red wire is connected to the "+" connector, while the black cable connects to the "-" terminal.

Step 5: Set your battery charger to charge at the lowest possible rate. The more slowly and for a more extended period you trust your lead-acid battery, the more probable the sulfation will be eradicated.

Step 6: Activate your battery charger. Pre-charge your lead-acid battery for 6 hours before inspecting the battery cells. Don't unplug your charger. If you observe tiny bubbles rising to the surface of each cell, that implies your battery cells are charging. The sulfation proceeds to break-down throughout the charging process. If you don't notice bubbles rising in a particular cell, it might suggest the cell cannot recharge; nonetheless, you must wait until the whole charge period has passed.

Step 7: Retain the battery charged for at least 18 hours. Examine the cells once again, but don't switch off the charger. If the cells are setting, they should be creating fast bubbles. If any of the cells are not producing bubbles by this time, the cell will not recover. You will require to buy a new battery.

Step 8: Using your palm, feel the side of the battery. It will be warm, which is a beautiful thing. The heat and bubbles are removing the sulfation on the lead plates. Allow your battery to charge for an additional 6 hours. Switch off the charger. Remove the battery-cable clamps from the charger's battery terminals. Put the covers back on the cells.