Trying to get some thing back into old batteries

[coldspot]

One

24 VDC, (Long # WP 20-24)

TWO

12 VDC (motercycle size n type)

These batteries came to me DOA, WP 20-24 showed .167 VDC

The little 12 volters about 4.5 VDC each

I saw that the fluid level was very low on the 12's

So I refilled one and dumped the other, (very little came out)

an refilled it also with distilled water.

I've only been trying to recharge them using an allmost windmill

(my Ametek 30 with ceiling fan blades)

Because I can't be around to watch over them using any real

charging stuff yet.    lol

I took the cover off the WP 20-24 and found the little

plugs for the cells and looking in I saw the tops of the plates,

I then figured out a way to easly get fluid back into the little

holes without getting the vaccume lock I normally get,

(get an old spray bottle and spray the fluid in, this works

GREAT compared to trying to drip it past the bubble locking

the opening, wish I'd have thought of this years ago, LOL     )

I've been using the solar panel that came with scooter to

put volts back into this one, less the built-in charge-control stuff.

just straight off the panel, have gotten it from .167 upto 11. so far.

Have forgot to hook up a couple times b4 work,

BUT,

I was reading thru the sales info and saw that this battery, (WP 20-24)

Is a sealed lead-acid Gell type.

Anybody ever tried to use distilled water with one of the gell ones??

[asheets]

You may have to buzz the plates a bit, if you've topped off with h2o.  Do a search for a graphic called "watgas" -- it is a pretty simple buzzer circuit.

My opinion is (and this is highly contestable around here) is that once you get the batteries as charged as much as they will take (and coverted as much of the h2o to acid as you can) -- THEN dump the fluid, flush the plates, and refill with the proper specific gravity of fresh acid.  This seems to do the job for my most desperate cases of battery rot (especially the ones I keep finding dumped in the alley near my home).

[coldspot]

Alan-

So you have used H2O WITH gell cells?

Thanks for the info and I remembered

reading about it when re-read, lol

l8r