Post by tytower on Nov 30, 2016 17:55:59 GMT
AGM -Absorbed Glass Mat (AGM) technology acts as a sponge like material to suspend loose electrolyte within highly porous glass fibre mat separators. This eliminates the hazards associated with acid spills or leaks, whilst the sealed maintenance free design avoids the need for regular topping-up of electrolyte.
So thats how the blurb goes !
Lead Acid Seal;ed Batteries-- It might surprise you that these batteries also dry out and so reduce charge capacity until they just stop taking a charge altogether.. They are usually dead by this stage however I have found some interesting aspects to them .
This is mostly caused by charging at too high a rate for too long so it depends entirely how your charge controller is set up. Remember if your battery shows 12.5 Volts it is full and does not need a top up.
AGM is sulphuric acid impregnated into glass matting to hold it between the plates. It still boils off during overcharge and adding water and a little acid will not harm them further . The matting and paste absorb some of the electrolyte and often start working again but the sulphation has caused irrepairable damage.
See the example picture below . It is typical of the smaller chinese stuff and the holes have a rubber cap on each, over which a piece of plastic has been glued to keep you out. Prise it off and remove the caps. Take a small syringe and get an old buggered flooded Lead Acid (LFLA) and tip it up into a bucket to get some battery acid - Sulphuric acid
Inject as much battery acid as the cell will take and let this sit in there for a week or so . You will probably suddenly get a starting voltage if you are lucky. Test from time to time and when the voltage reading has peaked tip the acid back out and then put on a charger . I use a car charger but some controllable charger would be better . Bring it up to charge the way you usually do.it
In many cases you will revive them . to be at least useable but obviously not good. On a boat for instance they might get you home but you would need to have both acid and syringe on board. My 50 foot yacht carries them easily. If you are outback or deep in the bush this might get you through until the next shopping trip. Either way its good knowledge that only experimenters get.
If you notice the capacity going down or you think you have already buggered them and you have the later type which does not have a lid you can pry off, then drill a 1/2 inch hole over the top of each cell (there are 6 for a 12V ) but to one side of center making sure it goes down far enough that you can see the plates and white AGM . Inject your acid in there and do as above . After that a rubber bung can be used to plug the holes.
FLA batteries--Now another one particularly for you yanks out there - pickling solution , you know Alum or Aluminium Sulphate . With FLA batteries ,remove all the acid . Flush out each cell with bicarbonate of soda -sodium bicarbonate- a couple of times and when it does not froth empty out . Flush with water , empty and fill with pickling solution . That process neutralises the sulphuric acid.
Now the more armchair experts tell you it won't work etc etc It will work and I have done it many times and started .and run cars with them for years afterwards They seem to also gradually decline in capacity as all batteries do but if you are an experimenter like me then have a go.
here's the picture of the AGM battery I did recently
So thats how the blurb goes !
Lead Acid Seal;ed Batteries-- It might surprise you that these batteries also dry out and so reduce charge capacity until they just stop taking a charge altogether.. They are usually dead by this stage however I have found some interesting aspects to them .
This is mostly caused by charging at too high a rate for too long so it depends entirely how your charge controller is set up. Remember if your battery shows 12.5 Volts it is full and does not need a top up.
AGM is sulphuric acid impregnated into glass matting to hold it between the plates. It still boils off during overcharge and adding water and a little acid will not harm them further . The matting and paste absorb some of the electrolyte and often start working again but the sulphation has caused irrepairable damage.
See the example picture below . It is typical of the smaller chinese stuff and the holes have a rubber cap on each, over which a piece of plastic has been glued to keep you out. Prise it off and remove the caps. Take a small syringe and get an old buggered flooded Lead Acid (LFLA) and tip it up into a bucket to get some battery acid - Sulphuric acid
Inject as much battery acid as the cell will take and let this sit in there for a week or so . You will probably suddenly get a starting voltage if you are lucky. Test from time to time and when the voltage reading has peaked tip the acid back out and then put on a charger . I use a car charger but some controllable charger would be better . Bring it up to charge the way you usually do.it
In many cases you will revive them . to be at least useable but obviously not good. On a boat for instance they might get you home but you would need to have both acid and syringe on board. My 50 foot yacht carries them easily. If you are outback or deep in the bush this might get you through until the next shopping trip. Either way its good knowledge that only experimenters get.
If you notice the capacity going down or you think you have already buggered them and you have the later type which does not have a lid you can pry off, then drill a 1/2 inch hole over the top of each cell (there are 6 for a 12V ) but to one side of center making sure it goes down far enough that you can see the plates and white AGM . Inject your acid in there and do as above . After that a rubber bung can be used to plug the holes.
FLA batteries--Now another one particularly for you yanks out there - pickling solution , you know Alum or Aluminium Sulphate . With FLA batteries ,remove all the acid . Flush out each cell with bicarbonate of soda -sodium bicarbonate- a couple of times and when it does not froth empty out . Flush with water , empty and fill with pickling solution . That process neutralises the sulphuric acid.
Now the more armchair experts tell you it won't work etc etc It will work and I have done it many times and started .and run cars with them for years afterwards They seem to also gradually decline in capacity as all batteries do but if you are an experimenter like me then have a go.
here's the picture of the AGM battery I did recently
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