Battery Reconditioning Epsom Salt

How to Recondition a Old Battery with Epsom Salt

We are now in the reconditioning proper, and you have to prepare the required materials for this process. Here are the materials and tools you need to make beforehand.

Materials and Tools

1. Epsom salt
2. Baking soda
3. Distilled water
4. An old or new toothbrush
5. Steel wool or sandpaper (optional)
6. Voltmeter
7. Bucket
8. Battery load tester
9. Battery reconditioning charger
10. Goggles
11. Gloves
12. Apron
13. Flathead screwdriver
14. funnel

Procedure

STEP 1Wear your protective safety attire – gloves, apron, and goggles.

STEP 2Remove the battery from your car and place it on your working table.

STEP 3Remove the corrosion in the battery terminals. Prepare a baking soda (2 parts) and distilled water solution (1 part). The resulting solution is sticky and paste-like.

STEP 4Get your toothbrush and dip it into the baking soda solution. Then brush the battery terminals to remove the corrosion.

STEP 5WIf the corrosion is hard to remove, use steel wool or sandpaper.

STEP 6After, remove the battery caps using a flat head screw and place it in one container to avoid losing them.

STEP 7Gently tilt the battery and pour the old electrolyte solution in your bucket.

STEP 8Depending on the volume of the battery solution, you can pour 1 lb of baking soda into the bucket to neutralize the acid.

STEP 9You can prepare another baking soda (1 part) and distilled water solution (1 part). Use your funnel, and pour some volume in each cell. Return and close back all battery caps, and shake the battery for 30 seconds to 1 minute. In this way, the lead sulfate solids in the plates are dissolved. You can do this process twice. Remove the battery caps, and pour out the solution into the same bucket.

STEP 10Preparation of the Epsom salt battery solution

• Heat 1/2quart of distilled water to 66 degrees Celsius. We do this to ensure all salts are dissolved later while mixing.
• Dissolve 7 to 8 ounce of Epsom salt into the warm distilled water and stir until completely dissolved.
  You can repeat the process if not all cells in the battery are filled with the new electrolyte solution.

STEP 11Use your funnel, and pour the prepared Epsom salt solution into each cell of your car battery.

STEP 12Return and secure the battery caps back into your car battery.

STEP 13Connect your battery charger to the 12V car battery, and put it in slow charge mode 12V/2amp. Let it charge for 12 to 24 hours.

STEP 14After charging, measure the voltage of the battery using a voltmeter. A battery that is in full capacity and good condition will have a reading of 12.4V to 12.43V.

STEP 15If the battery did not reach that voltage reading, you need to discharge the battery and recharge it again adequately.

STEP 16Place the battery in a load test. You can buy a battery load tester from any hardware store. It comes at an affordable price only.

Epsom Salt Battery Myth

I still hear some rumors about the Epsom salt battery myth, and if it works for reconditioning. Here, I have a few ideas on why it works in bringing back the life of your car battery.

Epsom salt has the chemical name Magnesium sulfate. This salt has many applications, and its food grade brand is used for cooking. During the reconditioning process, one thing that must be remedied is the sulfation in the plates.

Sulfation happens when the solid lead sulfate builds around the battery plates inside. Epsom salt or Magnesium sulfate solution is capable of softening these solid salts.

Mythbusters:
Magnesium sulfate and lead sulfate undergoes a single replacement reaction. Magnesium metal is more reactive than lead, so it is capable of replacing it in the plates. Take note; Magnesium sulfate is highly soluble in water. With this, lead metal is gradually restored and removed around the plates.

Overall, the Epsom salt solution helps in the desulfation process and serves as a good conductor for current.

Frequently Asked Questions

I also included a few FAQs regarding the topic for more insights.

What is a suitable voltage for charging car batteries?

You can charge your car batteries with voltages higher than 12V – e.g., 15V. However, you need to have close monitoring to avoid overcharging, and it must not reach 100%full capacity.

Meanwhile, if you plan to leave it for charging, then the suitable float voltage is 13.6V to 13.8V.

After starting the engine, how long do you think until the battery recharges?

A general answer for this is around 8 to 99 seconds after starting the engine.

When do you add water to your battery? After or Before charging?

Typically, you need to add the water before charging the battery. During the charging process, bubbles are created, which helps mix water and battery acid.

At what voltage level do you consider your battery to empty?

If the voltage reading of your battery is below 10V, then you consider it empty or fully discharged.

How much is Epsom salt required to rebuild a battery?

You have to make a mixture of 4 ounces of Epsom salt and 4 cups of water. Now you have to stir both the ingredients so that the water becomes clear and transparent. Now, you can use this solution in your battery. Thus, as an answer to the question, a single battery will require 4 ounces of Epsom salt.

Can I put aspirin in the battery to work?

Yes, you may use aspirin to make your battery work. But, make sure to put only two aspirin tablets in the solution. Also, keep in mind that using aspirin in the battery to make it work temporarily can reduce the life of the cell in the long run.

How to desulfate the battery?

For this, you need to have a battery charger that comes with the advanced desulfate mode. Now, let it set in charge, and you can observe the battery getting charged at its highest voltage. Thereafter it will get to its disulfate mode.

Wrap Up

Thank you for reading through the whole section of my article. I hope I was able to share good ideas about the topic. There are so many things to gain from reconditioning batteries.

For a more in-depth discussion on reconditioning other batteries, you can check out Ez Battery Review as they provide flexible courses about it. They have excellent learning materials, and the teacher is available at all times if you need any help.

The learnings you get from these courses can be applied and made profitable if you like. I have other articles that you can check out for more information.