Battery question?

[Rickcin]

I have a Powermate generator with and electric start and it is about 2-3 yrs old. I start it every few months or so and use a battery tender on and off especially in the winter since the garage gets cold.

I just plugged it in a few days ago and it registers as still charging? Normally shows the normal light after a few hours, not days, so I am wondering if the battery has a problem??

Thanks

 

[possum]

About two to three years is how long those cheapo batteries last if taken decent care of. Have the battery tested if you are concerned. Years back guys would take a full sized auto battery and one way or another mount it on their lawn tractors to replace those little mower batteries. I am beginning to wonder if that is what we are going to have to go back to doing to get decent service from our OPE.

 

[mullins87]

Chances are the battery has bit the dust. One way to tell is check the voltage after you remove it from the charger, then check it again in the next day or two and see if there is a noticable drop in resting voltage. If you have a smart charger, or can buy one, that has the desulfation feature, you may be able to bring that battery back to life. I have one that I bought 7-10 years ago. I have paid for it many, many times over. One battery in particular, a golf cart battery, lasted over 10 years. It went the normal 3 years when new, but after that, all I would have to do was desulfate it once a year for the next seven years until it would no longer accept a charge. At that point I got a new battery. The process on my charger takes about 24 hours and will usually bring a battery back to life.

 

[reynoldston]

I would have to do was desulfate it once a year for the next seven years until it would no longer accept a charge. At that point I got a new battery. The process on my charger takes about 24 hours and will usually bring a battery back to life.

I would like to know more on this desulfate a battery? never heard of it

 

[mullins87]

I would like to know more on this desulfate a battery? never heard of it

I don't know the particulars of how it works, but I read somewhere the charger will send short, high voltage spikes to the battery to break up the deposits that build up on the plates within the battery. That's all I know, or think I know!! If someone knows, please chime in.

 

[Rickcin]

Chances are the battery has bit the dust. One way to tell is check the voltage after you remove it from the charger, then check it again in the next day or two and see if there is a noticable drop in resting voltage. If you have a smart charger, or can buy one, that has the desulfation feature, you may be able to bring that battery back to life. I have one that I bought 7-10 years ago. I have paid for it many, many times over. One battery in particular, a golf cart battery, lasted over 10 years. It went the normal 3 years when new, but after that, all I would have to do was desulfate it once a year for the next seven years until it would no longer accept a charge. At that point I got a new battery. The process on my charger takes about 24 hours and will usually bring a battery back to life.

The battery starts the generator so I guess it has some life, although it is only 3 years old. I do have a small slow charger so I should try to charge the batter?

 

[mullins87]

If the charger is taking days to recharge the battery when it used to only take hours, then the battery is getting weak eventhough there is enough charge to start the generator. Might as well start looking at replacement batteries....

 

[motoman]

A cheap bat hydrometrer is your good friend which will help diagnose the health of your battery. They are only a couple bucks. Remove each cell cap or the combined cell cap to access the electrolyte fluid. Withdraw the fluid (like a turkey baster) and read the color codes (good, weak, bad). Squeeze the bulb and do the next cell, etc. All sould read good with a healthy , charged battery.

Mullins has it right. I have a battery charger with the built in desulfate function ($35 range) . The manual will tell you if the desulfate cycle is on (mine is flashing and goes on for some time). I believe the action is like stated, pulsed voltage. (last time I named a vendor and model like schumaker and wal mart , my post was removed, so I won't)

A poor man's load test can be done . A voltmeter (vom) is placed on the bat and the engine is cranked (without starting) . Observe the voltage on the VOM. It should hold. Do not crank more than a few seconds. Dropping voltage during crank indicates weak bat. (You are better off with the hydrometer/charger testing above)

 

[motoman]

A little more on the desulfate function for members. They say 50% of premature battery failures are due to the sulfate which covers the lead acid battery cells and will not permit charging. This happens when a battery is not kept charged. Those "smart" chargers, as mullins calls them, have a feature which detects the sulfated condition and performs a cleaning by high frequency voltage pulses directed at the sulfate. This pulverizes the sulfate and allows it to become part of the electrolyte (fluid).

Today I looked at the new chargers on the shelf at wally world, ranging from $30 to over $100. None featured the desulfate function on the box, perhaps because few know what this is. As noted my mid range charger ($35) has the feature . The instructions state an led will flash during the desufate cycle and can take up to 10 hours. At that time normal charging will occur or, if desufate fails, a red light (led) will remain lighted. Only once have I seen the flashing light. Lasted only a minute.

 

[Rivets]

Desulfating a battery is nothing new, peopling have been trying to make it work consistently for the last 50 years. Problem is that it will only work on a mildly sulfated, and you also must have enough acid (liquid) to handle the high Ph levels. Many of today's batteries are not made to easily add water, which is needed if you are trying to properly desulfate it. It will also give off a higher level of hydrogen gas during charging, which is highly explosive, and can be dangerous.