When it comes to lead-acid batteries, sulfation is a problem that can be considered as its weakness. It’s like superman’s kryptonite that can take him out through slow and gradual degradation.
However, there is a process called desulfation or battery reconditioning that can combat this said phenomenon.
It is a process carried out to try and restore the capacity of a lead-acid battery lost due to sulfation. This battery operation is also used to revive dead cells, giving them a breath of new life.
Some experts say that there are several ways of desulfating a battery, and that’s one of the things I intend to discover.
How long does it take to desulfate a battery? The time a desulfation process takes depends on several factors, and one of them is the size of the battery to be desulfated.
According to some battery experts, the average time it will take to desulfate a lead-acid battery is about forty-eight hours and can even go up to two weeks.
This is because the process will take a lot of time that involves gradual trickle charging to reduce the buildup of sulfate crystals within the battery continuously.
That brings us to another factor that affects the duration of the process and how the bad is the battery’s sulfation condition. You have to keep in mind that not all lead-acid batteries can be reconditioned or revived.
A battery has to comply or pass a few things before it can be considered qualified for the process. If the sulfation is too bad, then there’s a chance that it is already dead, and carrying out the process won’t do anything about it.
It is said that the operation duration will also depend on the process used since it is said that there are several ways to do it.
I take it that you are having an issue with your car battery, which is a lead-acid type, and you want to see if the desulfation can help it.
If that is the case, you may want to stay for a while to learn more about the process and see if your battery is still worth reconditioning. You can also join me as I dig deeper into the subject matter.
A Complete Overview on the Battery Desulfation Process
Suppose you want to see if desulfation will be able to help your cause, having an understanding of the entire process.
As I mentioned earlier, a battery should be qualified for the process before it can be carried out, and several factors directly affect the operation.
I also mentioned earlier that some people say that it can be done in various ways.
Defining the Process of Desulfation
Desulfation, also known as battery reconditioning, is defined as a process that attempts to rejuvenate a lead-acid battery. An operation that tries to restore the lost capacity of a battery by trying to reduce the sulfate crystals on its plates and dissolve them within the electrolyte.
It is a process where a medium is used to get rid of the sulfate crystals drop them back to the electrolyte to be dissolved.
If successful, the battery plates will be freed up from the buildups that prevent them from storing charge. The main problem with the sulfate phenomenon is the sulfate crystals preventing the plates from storing energy.
When the buildups on the plates, the sulfate crystals, are reduced into electrolytes, the battery will have to regain its capacity because its plates can store more energy.
The Three Different Ways of Desulfating a Lead-Acid Battery
Earlier, I also mentioned something about different methods of desulfating a battery. Generally, the process is carried out using a device, but there are several alternative ways to do it, as some experts claim.
To learn more about the three methods used to desulfate car batteries according to experts, you can refer to the list below.
1. Desulfating With a Battery Reconditioner
Today, the considered conventional way of desulfating a lead-acid battery is the method that uses a device called battery reconditioner or desulfator.
It is a method where the device generates pulses with high-frequency and use them to zap the sulfate buildups on the battery plates. This drops the sulfate crystals to the electrolyte to dissipate freeing up the plates, allowing them to store more energy.
2. Desulfating With a Chemical Agent
There’s also another way of desulfating a battery where a chemical agent is used. It is a process where an agent for desulfation is involved and letting it do its magic.
In this method, all the users will have to do is to drop the chemical agent on the battery and then let it do its thing. Some said that it is an effective method, while some also say that this method is not that legit.
3. Desulfating With Epsom Salt
The final method of desulfating a battery is an alternative method that some say a myth, while some say a proven effective method. It is a desulfation process that uses Epsom salt as its primary medium.
It is said that Epsom salt has properties that can get rid of sulfate buildups within a battery.
In this method, the operation is carried out with the use of an Epsom salt solution to attempt the rejuvenation process. In this method, you will have to prepare the mixture by dissolving enough Epsom salt on water and then pouring it into the battery that you will recondition.
Those are the three different methods used to revive a lead-acid battery. The first method is the most recommended by experts since it is more logical, and it is proven and tested.
It will still be up to you to choose whatever method you prefer. You are free to try the other two methods and see it for yourself if they are effective or not.
The Average Time the Conventional Desulfation Method Will Take
As I mentioned earlier, desulfating a battery in a conventional way will take time because it involves gradual trickle charging to be successful.
Let us say, you are going to use a new battery reconditioner, and the battery you are going to recondition qualifies the process. The time the process takes to restore its capacity will then be dependent on the size of the battery you are going to recondition, how bad the sulfation, and then how efficient the device is.
Desulfating your battery may take forty-eight hours or more, and it may even take a couple of weeks if the sulfation is that bad.
If the case of sulfation is not bad and you are going to recondition the common car battery, then the process will be a lot shorter. This is because it will only need a few trickle charges to get it back on track.
