Using Epsom Salt Method to Charge Dead Batteries?

[Fearless1]

I have read conflicting claims about the "Epsom Salt" method of restoring dead batteries. Does anyone have any experience about this?  i??

[Rickf1985]

No experience but think about this. You have to dump out the acid that is in there and fill it with the Epsom salts solution and go through that procedure. THEN, you have to dump out that acidic mixture and add the correct mix of sulfuric acid. Two MAJOR problems here. First and foremost is where are you dumping all of that acid?!!!!!!!!! Second, once you add up the price of all the materials involved it is just not worth it for a battery that is never going to recover a full charge and will not last much longer anyway.

[LJ-TJ]

  Yep! I'm with Rick. Your way better off to just go get yourself a new battery. Easy for me to say I don't have to come up with the money to buy one. But if I've learned anything about batteries. By the time you get done fiddle farting around you'd have been better off and cheaper to just go buy another battery. Geeeee I hope Dave didn't here that. D:oH!

[Fearless1]

I haven't done it yet, just checking it out. Only expense I've read and seen was electricity, Epsom Salt, and Baking Soda. I hadn't heard about dumping the Epsom Salt solution, but to start the trickle charge (2 amp.) then for 24-36 hrs. Sounds logical to replace sulfuric acid with sulfuric acid.  D:oH!  Maybe the charged and/or chemical reaction involved with the Epsom Salt makes it?  i?? :)rotflmao  Baking Soda neutralizes the acid. I have eight 6-volt  batteries in a bank, replacing them is a little hunk of change. But you're probably right about replacing them. Just read on-line two-two time winners of scratch-offs here in NC, in the past two weeks, one $10,000 & 1 million, the other $50,000 and 4 million. I would be happy with just ONE!    If I'm the next winner, then it would be the best that Benjamins could buy, Aye?

[Rickf1985]

If I hit the lottery then you would only see me here browsing! I would buy something that I did not have to work on and would pay others to do the work!!

[M & J]

X2 Rick.

[Oz]

Take into account this is coming from a totally non-electrically inclined person and the type of battery involved...

A few years ago, I used this method to restore a standard type motorcycle battery, just to see if it would work.
It did, and I can't tell you whatever electrically applicable readings it had afterward (other than I had a local battery shop check it and he said it was good to go), but I can tell you that it started my motorcycle without fail for another 3 years, at which time I sold the bike.

[Rickf1985]

Did you just add the Epsom salt and charge it and that was it?

[Oz]

No.  I thoroughly flushed the battery first, making sure all sediment below the plates was gone.  No idea if this is a good idea for the larger batteries, just saying it worked very well for my motorcycle battery.

[Fearless1]

I had read one article that said to use half a box of Baking Soda to 2 qts. or 1/2 gal. (your choice) of distilled water to flush out the battery (Shaking it.....with caps on) after emptying out the acid, then empty out the Baking Soda solution before filling with Epsom Salt solution. Don't know if the Baking Soda works properly thought, it's still got a weird taste to it.

[Rickf1985]

Well, that will completely kill the battery so I don't see the purpose of it. You are neutralizing everything and the chances of getting all of the baking soda out of there is slim. So any acid you put in will be immediately neutralized.

[growe]

Guys I'm going to chime in here. I did three batteries over a year ago and they are still going they were totally gone I have a load tester they tested bad. Dumped the acid in a plastic bucket poured a box of baking soda in to neutralize it. I mixed the salt and distilled water to a thick solution and filled the battery, here is where everyone gets it wrong you have to have a NON automatic charger because you have to overcharge the battery for the solution to start working. I did a 10 amp charge for three days then check with load tester and tested good. Now this is my experience I saw it on internet thought I would try it and it worked for me. Hope this helps. God Bless Gary

[Rickf1985]

I hope you did that outside!!!! Ramming 720 amps into a battery like that is going to produce massive amounts of hydrogen gas.

[Oz]

Enough to say, make a graf zeppelin go "boom!"?

[tmsnyder]

Are they soaking and charging these with epsom salt solution, then flushing out and refilling with fresh battery acid?  The youtube video I found shows the guy _replacing_ the acid with epsom salt solution.   That seems tgtbt.

[Froggy1936]

I have not seen a clear explanation of the process yet , Someone needs to explain it in easy to understand steps From A to Z !   Example, A . Dump out all original fluid.   B . fill with etc etc.

[tmsnyder]

The YouTube video I saw showed:


A:  Dump out battery acid
B:  Fill with a baking soda solution and shake around inside battery
C:  Dump out battery
D:  Fill with an epsom salt solution
E:  Charge with a battery charger as normal


I did not see a step where he dumped the epsom salt solution and refilled with fresh battery acid.  At that point I'm calling BS b/c if epsom salt worked as well as HCl, the battery companies would just use epsom salt from the start.

[Rickf1985]

I have seen every variation you can think of, that is why I never even tried it.
Here is some very good information on the subject and pretty much backs up what I said before about how long the battery should be expected to last after doing it. This information is at least from a trusted source and not just internet lore. A lot of other good battery info in there also.
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/additives


I have probably 20 old batteries laying around, I will have to give it a try.

[Fearless1]

Hey Growe, did you rinse the batteries out with a baking soda solution? How much Epsom Salt did you use per battery? Rick that's a lot of batteries, I would like to know how it works for you. I have 11 old batteries, 3 are sealed (have 6 new ones). Wonder if the sealed ones can be unsealed? I've got a hacksaw and a hammer.....and access to a bigger hammer.....4-eye have heard it said: If it doesn't work, get a bigger hammer!  :)rotflmao :)rotflmao

[Rickf1985]

I am not going to try it on all of them! Some have been dead and frozen every winter for many years. I will pick some of the newer ones to try.

[growe]

Fearless 1 I did not rinse out dumped acid and put solution in and shook the battery to disperse the solution and hooked it to the charger. Don't know how long they will last but they have been in daily drivers for over a year.