Repairing a lead acid battery charger

Since its been in use it may well be serviceable or repairable.

There are 3 ways to desulphate it:

1=2E Charge it from the mains - via a load of course! and rectifier 2=2E Charge it with high i inductive pulses 3=2E unseal it & add chemical tablet

Given the cost of the thing I'd try to charge it and desulphate it before condemning it.

The final option is to rebuild it, which might even be worth it for =A3500.

NT

Reply to
meow2222
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For what it's worth, I've successfully reanimated a sealed lead acid battery that was kept totally discharged for maybe a year (zero volts), at least it's good enough for what I need it for anyway.

To begin with, the battery was high impedance and wouldn't accept any significant charging current at the proper voltage. What I did is connect it to a current limited laboratory supply, initially set to a low current limit (100mA for a 7AH battery) and I turned the voltage up to about 8 volts per cell. The low current limit is to prevent too much heat from being generated in the battery due to the high voltage. The battery passed only a very small current at first, in spite of the very high charging voltage.

After some hours, the current built up until the current limit was reached and the voltage gradually dropped down to the normal charging voltage, and I was able to put an amp or two into the battery, at which point I set the voltage limit to the rated float charging voltage printed on the battery. I waited a couple of days till the battery had accepted a charge, then I tried it out under heavy load, and it has been satisfactory ever since.

Another time I was unsuccessful in reviving a battery because it developed a shorted cell either before, during or after the revival procedure. Since it was given to me as dead, it is quite possible that it had the shorted cell before it was allowed to get deep-discharged.

Chris

Reply to
Chris Jones

Thats about 2 1/2 times per year. If it was charged properly after each use, then there may be hope for it.

Yes, if you replace it with an identical or equivalent battery, you need a charger with greater capacity, even for float charging.

Better still is to review what you are doing with the battery and perhaps come up with something different. That's an expensive battery - and you might be able to do whatever it is you are doing for a whole lot less money.

Ed

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Reply to
ehsjr

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