How to Bring a Deep Cycle Battery Back to Life

If you are stumbling around to know, how to bring a deep cycle battery back to life, you are at the right place. I will explain to you in detail, how you can repair an old battery so that you can use it for some more couple of years instead of buying a new one.

Deep cycle batteries are specially designed lead-acid batteries, known for maintenance-free and longer life span.  A normal car lead-acid battery gives a quick burst of current for ignition or other purposes. In contrast, deep cycle batteries are capable to provide steady current for a longer duration. Hence, deep cycle batteries are preferred in off-grid or hybrid solar power systems.

If a battery is left unused for a longer duration, it produces sulphate crystals on the plates of battery cells. The sulphate crystal minimizes acid contact with the cell plates, resulting in rapid charging and short discharging time. This makes the battery ineffective or sometimes useless.

Going straight away to buy a new battery is not a good option all the time. It will need an investment in new battery which is an expensive solution. In many conditions, you can recover the battery or enhance battery life for some more years.

In a battery, there may be a sign of not holding a charge, or even not taking a charge, you can try to repair it to get more out of it. A series of steps are given here which you can follow to get your battery back to life.

Precautionary Measures

Before starting off with the repairing procedure, you must take these points in mind,

• Strictly follow the precautionary measures where discussed in the procedure.
• Use proper or appropriate tools for every job done with the battery.
• Battery inspection is very important procedure, do not overlook it in any case.
• While caps of the battery cells are open, try to avoid contact with electrolyte (water) inside the battery as it is acidic in nature.
• While charging the battery for the first time, pay attention to it regularly for first couple of hours. If body of the battery is too hot to touch, disconnect the charger immediately.

Tools and Materials needed for the Repairing Process

These tools will be used in repairing process while performing different steps.

• Battery charger
• Battery Desulfator
• Battery Load Tester
• Flathead or Phillips head screwdriver
• Dry rag or a piece of cloth for cleaning
• Baking soda
• Distilled Water
• Wrench or spanner for battery clamps

Preliminary Inspection and Cleaning

You will need to thoroughly inspect the condition of the battery. Check for any leakage in the battery because water level may go down due to leakage. Remove the battery terminals if they are connected. You should have two wrenches or spanners of correct size to loosen the battery clamps. In some designs of the battery clamps, you may need to use a flat head or Philips head screwdriver to remove the clamps.

Battery terminals get corroded as the battery ages or due to environmental conditions. A white or greenish-blue powder forms at the terminals. You should use gloves and safety goggles while doing the cleaning as the powder is toxic. First, clean the battery using a dry rag or any piece of cloth. Add 3-4 tablespoons of baking soda in a glass of water. Then, use the solution to clean the battery surface with a piece of cloth.

Inspect for the battery cell condition

Open the cover or caps from the cells of the battery and check for the water level in each cell. If there is no or little wate