Battery Vitamin?

[jacobs]

While researching lead/acid battery mossing and dendrites, I ran across this battery additive that is advertised to eliminate future mossing/dendrite growth on plates. I'm skeptical but was curious if anyone knows anything about this product. http://www.batteryvitamin.net/

I personally haven't had problems with mossing/dendrites on my large set of batteries, but I have had problems with it on automotive size batteries when charging at less than 2 amperes for several days.

[Old F]

Jacobs

My advice  grab your wallet in both hands an run like heck

I have never heard of a battery additive  that did more than make you wallet thinner

Old F

[jimjjnn]

Old F said it. Need I say more?

[jacobs]

EDTA is a well known and proven battery additive.

[Capt Slog]

Yup, it's what is known as a chelating agent, it locks up metals that are in solution and stops them taking any part in further reactions.  I've forgotten the chemistry of batteries (the 6 or so redox reactions) but I don't recall there being any free lead knocking about, so I suppose that is how it is supposed to help.

,

[Flux]

Some of these things help sick batteries work a bit better. Nothing makes a scrap battery good. Certainly EDTA does no harm and seems to do some good for badly sulphated cells if there is enough plate material left.

I doubt that anything does much for mossing. Probably a good application of a heavy discharge tester and a severe boost charge is the only chance. Possibly a high power pulse so called desulphator may have similar effects, but the pulses need to be really high current.

Some spend their lives trying to salvage scrap batteries they must have more luck than me, I gave up long ago.

Flux

[jacobs]

I'm really not interested in trying to rejuvenate scrap batteries. With the present price of new batteries going sky high, and the labor of replacement, I'd just like to squeeze as much life as possible out of my present set consisting of 75 350AH 2 volt cells.

[Flux]

I appreciate your problem. I am not sure I would risk adding some brew to good batteries without knowing someone who has proved it to be effective. If you were in trouble then there would be less to risk.

Decent 2v cells normally have a long life but I have come across batches from two different manufacturers that had early failure from corrosion of the positive link bars, no doubt due to some change in the manufacturing process.

Flux

[Wombat]

Corrosion of the positive link bars is a manufacturing defect, due to different lead alloys in bars and grids. The way I read it, Battery Vitamin is supposed to act against positive corrosion. Mossing is incidental. This substance looks as if it can work in traction type batteries. Traction batteries die of grid corrosion and shedding. With the price of batteries skyhigh, anything that can make them last longer?

Sulfation is a different thing and is caused by PEOPLE who don't charge their batteries. Additives that are supposed to treat sulfated batteries work when the battery looks sulfated but only needs a good charge. Add some elixir, put it on charge and someone is happy because the battery works again. Same battery, just put it on charge and the outcome is exactly the same. I guess OldF's advice is good for this kind of stuff.