How do you recondition a lead acid battery?

To recondition a lead acid battery, you need to remove the lead sulfate buildup from the plates and restore the electrolyte solution. This process involves cleaning the plates, adding distilled water and sulfuric acid to the electrolyte, and charging the battery to its full capacity.

Are lead acid gel batteries safe?

Lead acid gel battery are considered safer than regular fluid-filled lead-acid batteries. Each battery cell contains a thick gel, if the battery gets dropped or damaged and the case splits open, the gel remains in place, whereas a fluid-filled battery would leak dangerous sulfuric acid.

What is a lead acid battery?

Lead-acid batteries are wet cell batteries. Each cell contains two slightly different lead plates, and the plates sit in electrolyte fluid, which contains sulfuric acid. If the electrolyte level gets too low, the lead plates are exposed and sulfation — the deposit of a hard lead-sulfate compound on the lead electrodes of the battery — occurs.

Can a lead acid battery be drained?

Low maintenance or “sealed” lead acid batteries are widely used in cars and other vehicles like ATVs and golf carts. However, these batteries can be completely drained on occasion and must be recharged. The process is similar to that used for the older types of lead acid batteries (those that have removable caps on top for each battery cell).

Can a lead acid battery be reconditioned?

Try to avoid running the battery down to zero. Sometimes, lead acid batteries can suffer from irreparable damage that cannot be fixed through reconditioning. One common cause of irreparable damage is sulfation, which occurs when lead sulfate crystals build up on the battery plates over time.

How do you charge a lead acid battery?

Remove the battery from the vehicle to charge it. Charging a fully discharged lead acid battery off of a car alternator can result in an overcharge and may damage the battery. Use a crescent wrench to loosen the battery cables. Always wear safety goggles and protective gloves when working with lead acid batteries, even the sealed type.