Battery Reconditioning Epsom Salt
An easy, step-by-step guide to recondition dead batteries with epsom salt at home.
Kevin Miller width=100 height=100 /
Last Updated on July 8, 2021
B attery reconditioning with Epsom salt is a cost-efficient method of extending and reviving the natural life of your lead-acid battery. Like me, I am quite stingy when it comes to paying a hefty price for brand new items when I can still squeeze some juice from my old stuff.
There are several other additives you can use in making your electrolyte solution. However, I am to FOCUS on Epsom salt today in my sharing. Above all things, you need to secure your safety before doing the whole process at home. Battery solutions are made from acidic liquids, so you need to wear your gloves and goggles for protection.
I have here some of the things you need to know about battery reconditioning Epsom salt. Just continue reading up to the last portion of my article.
Benefits of Epsom Salt Lead Acid Battery Reconditioning
You can experience a few benefits from reconditioning your old batteries. Below are some of the essential benefits you can have.
Huge Cost Savings Reconditioning your car batteries allows you to avoid shelling out huge money for a brand new cell. The standard 12V car battery costs around 50 to 120, while the expensive brands are between 90 to 200. By reconditioning, you can save around 25 to 50 percent of the retail cost.
Earn a few bucks How many of your neighbors have old car batteries that are not damaged but are still functional? Say, you have 10 of them. A brand new battery would cost around 100, but if you recondition their batteries and charge them about 20 to 50. You will earn around 200 to 500 for all 10 of them. That is already good money.
By learning the concepts of battery reconditioning Epsom salt, you can start your own business and earn a decent profit.
Reduce Waste There are millions of car owners all over the United States. If all of them would replace their old car cells, then that is around 1million lead-acid battery waste for disposal. To help minimize this waste, reconditioning your 12V car cells will be a good practice.
Tips and Warnings
I always prioritize safety among all things, precisely when dealing with chemicals. Please bear in mind that battery solutions are acidic and they contain traces of lead metal. These chemicals are harmful to our health and the environment.
Car battery solutions are mostly made up of sulfuric acid, which is highly corrosive and generates some fumes which you must not inhale. To protect yourself, wear the proper safety attire, that is, goggles, gloves, and apron.
When doing the reconditioning process, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area with an available supply of water. Likewise, avoid directly pouring out the old electrolyte solution as it might splatter everywhere and in your clothes.
How to Recondition a Old Battery with Epsom Salt
We are now in the reconditioning proper, and you have to prepare the required materials for this process. Here are the materials and tools you need to make beforehand.
Materials and Tools
- Epsom salt
- Baking soda
- Distilled water
- An old or new toothbrush
- Steel wool or sandpaper (optional)
- Voltmeter
- Bucket
- Battery load tester
- Battery reconditioning charger
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Apron
- Flathead screwdriver
- funnel
Procedure
STEP 1 Wear your protective safety attire – gloves, apron, and goggles.
STEP 2 Remove the battery from your car and place it on your working table.
STEP 3 Remove the corrosion in the battery terminals. Prepare a baking soda (2 parts) and distilled water solution (1 part). The resulting solution is sticky and paste-like.
STEP 4 Get your toothbrush and dip it into the baking soda solution. Then brush the battery terminals to remove the corrosion.
STEP 5 WIf the corrosion is hard to remove, use steel wool or sandpaper.
STEP 6 After, remove the battery caps using a flat head screw and place it in one container to avoid losing them.
STEP 7 Gently tilt the battery and pour the old electrolyte solution in your bucket.
STEP 8 Depending on the volume of the battery solution, you can pour 1 lb of baking soda into the bucket to neutralize the acid.
STEP 9 You can prepare another baking soda (1 part) and distilled water solution (1 part). Use your funnel, and pour some volume in each cell. Return and close back all battery caps, and shake the battery for 30 seconds to 1 minute. In this way, the lead sulfate solids in the plates are dissolved. You can do this process twice. Remove the battery caps, and pour out the solution into the same bucket.
STEP 10 Preparation of the Epsom salt battery solution
- Heat 1/2quart of distilled water to 66 degrees Celsius. We do this to ensure all salts are dissolved later while mixing.
- Dissolve 7 to 8 ounce of Epsom salt into the warm distilled water and stir until completely dissolved. You can repeat the process if not all cells in the battery are filled with the new electrolyte solution.
STEP 11 Use your funnel, and pour the prepared Epsom salt solution into each cell of your car battery.
STEP 12 Return and secure the battery caps back into your car battery.
STEP 13 Connect your battery charger to the 12V car battery, and put it in slow charge mode 12V/2amp. Let it charge for 12 to 24 hours.
STEP 14 After charging, measure the voltage of the battery using a voltmeter. A battery that is in full capacity and good condition will have a reading of 12.4V to 12.43V.
STEP 15 If the battery did not reach that voltage reading, you need to discharge the battery and recharge it again adequately.
STEP 16 Place the battery in a load test. You can buy a battery load tester from any hardware store. It comes at an affordable price only.
Benefits of Epsom Salt Lead Acid Battery Reconditioning
You can experience a few benefits from reconditioning your old batteries. Below are some of the essential benefits you can have.
Huge Cost Savings Reconditioning your car batteries allows you to avoid shelling out huge money for a brand new cell. The standard 12V car battery costs around 50 to 120, while the expensive brands are between 90 to 200. By reconditioning, you can save around 25 to 50 percent of the retail cost.
Earn a few bucks How many of your neighbors have old car batteries that are not damaged but are still functional? Say, you have 10 of them. A brand new battery would cost around 100, but if you recondition their batteries and charge them about 20 to 50. You will earn around 200 to 500 for all 10 of them. That is already good money.
By learning the concepts of battery reconditioning Epsom salt, you can start your own business and earn a decent profit.
Reduce Waste There are millions of car owners all over the United States. If all of them would replace their old car cells, then that is around 1million lead-acid battery waste for disposal. To help minimize this waste, reconditioning your 12V car cells will be a good practice.
Tips and Warnings
I always prioritize safety among all things, precisely when dealing with chemicals. Please bear in mind that battery solutions are acidic and they contain traces of lead metal. These chemicals are harmful to our health and the environment.
Car battery solutions are mostly made up of sulfuric acid, which is highly corrosive and generates some fumes which you must not inhale. To protect yourself, wear the proper safety attire, that is, goggles, gloves, and apron.
When doing the reconditioning process, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area with an available supply of water. Likewise, avoid directly pouring out the old electrolyte solution as it might splatter everywhere and in your clothes.
How to Recondition a Old Battery with Epsom Salt
We are now in the reconditioning proper, and you have to prepare the required materials for this process. Here are the materials and tools you need to make beforehand.
Materials and Tools
- Epsom salt
- Baking soda
- Distilled water
- An old or new toothbrush
- Steel wool or sandpaper (optional)
- Voltmeter
- Bucket
- Battery load tester
- Battery reconditioning charger
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Apron
- Flathead screwdriver
- funnel
Procedure
STEP 1 Wear your protective safety attire – gloves, apron, and goggles.
STEP 2 Remove the battery from your car and place it on your working table.
STEP 3 Remove the corrosion in the battery terminals. Prepare a baking soda (2 parts) and distilled water solution (1 part). The resulting solution is sticky and paste-like.
STEP 4 Get your toothbrush and dip it into the baking soda solution. Then brush the battery terminals to remove the corrosion.
STEP 5 WIf the corrosion is hard to remove, use steel wool or sandpaper.
STEP 6 After, remove the battery caps using a flat head screw and place it in one container to avoid losing them.
STEP 7 Gently tilt the battery and pour the old electrolyte solution in your bucket.
STEP 8 Depending on the volume of the battery solution, you can pour 1 lb of baking soda into the bucket to neutralize the acid.
STEP 9 You can prepare another baking soda (1 part) and distilled water solution (1 part). Use your funnel, and pour some volume in each cell. Return and close back all battery caps, and shake the battery for 30 seconds to 1 minute. In this way, the lead sulfate solids in the plates are dissolved. You can do this process twice. Remove the battery caps, and pour out the solution into the same bucket.
STEP 10 Preparation of the Epsom salt battery solution
- Heat 1/2quart of distilled water to 66 degrees Celsius. We do this to ensure all salts are dissolved later while mixing.
- Dissolve 7 to 8 ounce of Epsom salt into the warm distilled water and stir until completely dissolved. You can repeat the process if not all cells in the battery are filled with the new electrolyte solution.
STEP 11 Use your funnel, and pour the prepared Epsom salt solution into each cell of your car battery.
STEP 12 Return and secure the battery caps back into your car battery.
STEP 13 Connect your battery charger to the 12V car battery, and put it in slow charge mode 12V/2amp. Let it charge for 12 to 24 hours.
STEP 14 After charging, measure the voltage of the battery using a voltmeter. A battery that is in full capacity and good condition will have a reading of 12.4V to 12.43V.
STEP 15 If the battery did not reach that voltage reading, you need to discharge the battery and recharge it again adequately.
STEP 16 Place the battery in a load test. You can buy a battery load tester from any hardware store. It comes at an affordable price only.
Epsom Salt Battery Myth
I still hear some rumors about the Epsom salt battery myth, and if it works for reconditioning. Here, I have a few ideas on why it works in bringing back the life of your car battery.
Epsom salt has the chemical name Magnesium sulfate. This salt has many applications, and its food grade brand is used for cooking. During the reconditioning process, one thing that must be remedied is the sulfation in the plates.
Sulfation happens when the solid lead sulfate builds around the battery plates inside. Epsom salt or Magnesium sulfate solution is capable of softening these solid salts.
Mythbusters: Magnesium sulfate and lead sulfate undergoes a single replacement reaction. Magnesium metal is more reactive than lead, so it is capable of replacing it in the plates. Take note; Magnesium sulfate is highly soluble in water. With this, lead metal is gradually restored and removed around the plates.
Overall, the Epsom salt solution helps in the desulfation process and serves as a good conductor for current.
How We Tested
The car battery chargers in this article went through two rounds of reviews. We started by searching retailers like Amazon, RealTruck, and Advance Auto Parts for top products, looking at factors such as battery type, voltage, customer ratings, and prices.
Our product testing team then ordered the car battery chargers that best met these standards. A team member tested each product on a 2004 Subaru Forester, taking note of how quickly the car battery charger could charge a car battery, versatility, ease of use, and value. Each car battery charger was given a rating out of 5 stars based on these criteria.
Best Car Battery Chargers Testing Process
To test each car battery, we unpackaged it and attached it to a 12.0-V wet cell battery. We started the battery charger according to the instructions and measured the voltage using a multimeter.
During testing, our review team recorded careful notes about each feature of every battery. Evaluation across our review categories is based on our in-person experience and online customer reviews.
Charging Speed
By considering a battery charger’s voltage and amp hours, you can determine the approximate charging speed. Batteries that charge a car faster received a higher rating in this category.
Most car batteries are 12.0-volt. A higher voltage will charge a battery more quickly, but too many volts can damage your battery. A few volts above a battery’s rating are acceptable and even desirable, but a car battery charger must produce at least 12.0 volts to charge a 12.0-volt battery. Maintaining a consistent voltage is also important for charging speed and battery protection.
Versatility
Not all car battery chargers will work with every type of battery. While most cars use a wet cell battery, some may use an AGM, gel, or lithium-ion battery. Chargers compatible with the most types of batteries scored best in this category.
Additionally, some car battery chargers have features such as overcharge protection and trickle charging options. Such features also contribute to a battery’s versatility rating.
Ease Of Use
An easy-to-use automotive battery charger has long clamp cables and durable alligator clamps. Battery chargers are also easy to use if they have long outlet cords and straightforward interfaces and instructions.
Value
Our value score is based on the relationship between a battery’s rating in all other categories compared to the price.
Why You Can Trust Us
Each year, we test over 350 auto products on vehicles and in our testing lab. Our team of product testers thoroughly researches top products, unboxes and puts our hands on each component, and tests the items on real vehicles before making recommendations to readers.
We publish hundreds of product and service reviews to bring car enthusiasts detailed guides on automotive tools, detailing kits, car seats, pet products, and much more. For more information on our testing methodology and how we evaluate every product, check out our methodology page here.
Best Overall: Schumacher SC1280
The Schumacher SC1280 is a quick battery charger putting out 13.0 volts at a 15.0 amp current. It can fully charge a 105.0-Ah battery in 16 hours (this is relatively fast). The SC1280 is lightweight, portable, and easy to set up and use. It can automatically detect the battery voltage and adjust between 6.0-volt and 12.0-volt modes. While most cars use a 12.0-volt battery, 6.0-volt batteries are common in motorcycles. This charger includes a two-year warranty, trickle charging, and desulfation mode. It also has an automatic shutoff feature to help prevent overcharging. However, several reports say this automatic charging feature can malfunction.
Key Features
- Cost: About 50
- Battery type(s): Standard (wet cell), absorbed glass mat (AGM), and gel
- Amperage: 15.0 and 3.0 amp modes
- Voltage: 13.0 volts
- Weight: 3.0 pounds (lbs.)
- Warranty: 2 years
What’s In The Box?
There’s nothing included with the Schumacher SC1280 other than an instruction manual. The clamps are permanently attached to the device, which is designed such that the clamps are easily wrapped and stored.
Our Experience
The alligator clamps are a good size with long cables and therefore easy to use. The power cord is also fairly long, making it easy to set up to SC1280. The device’s computer automatically detects the proper voltage, so all you need to do is attach the SC1280 and press the start button to enter charging mode.
The voltage was tested at 13.0 amps while the battery charger was in use, which is in the ideal range for a 12.0-volt car battery. This voltage stayed consistent throughout. Perhaps our favorite feature is the LCD display, which can even provide an estimate of your vehicle’s battery charge.
What Customers Are Saying
Amazon Review Score : 4.6 out of 5 based on over 10,000 ratings
Many users are impressed with the charging speed of the SC1280 and appreciate that it can automatically detect battery voltage and adjust accordingly. Several reviewers note that this battery charger restored otherwise dead batteries after other chargers failed to do the same. Many say this is the best battery charger they’ve ever used with several others mentioning how helpful the LCD screen is.
The most concerning negative reviews are from customers who say the automatic shutoff feature failed to work. This can result in overcharging, which can permanently damage your car battery. While this doesn’t appear to be a common issue, it’s a concerning malfunction. Make sure the automatic shutoff works properly before leaving any charger on your battery unattended.
Most Rugged Design: NOCO Genius PRO50
Pros Includes 24-, 12-, and 6-volt charging modes High-quality components and clamps Very fast charging speeds
We recommend several NOCO battery chargers because all are built with reliable quality and backed by top-notch customer service. The Genius PRO50 is NOCO’s most powerful and versatile battery charger. In addition to offering many voltage and charging modes, this car battery charger features braided cable sleeves and the strongest alligator clamps of any battery charger that we’ve tested. Compatible with both gas- and diesel-powered vehicles, the Genius PRO50 is suitable for just about any battery you’d need to charge, even lithium-ion batteries. This charger is expensive and relatively heavy, so it’s not the best choice for those who only need a casual-use battery charger. For those with a fleet of batteries to maintain, the Genius PRO50 is a good item to keep in your garage.
Key Features
- Cost: About 740
- Battery type(s) : Standard, AGM, SLA, VRLA, and lithium-ion
- Amperage : 25.0 and 50.0 amp modes
- Voltage : 24.0-, 12.0-, and 6.0-volt modes
- Weight : 17.7 lbs.
- Warranty : 3 years
What’s In The Box?
The Genius PRO50 includes a solid EVA carrying case as well as several different power cords (for North America, European Union, United Kingdom, and Australia outlet types).
Our Experience
The first thing that stood out to us about the Genius PRO50 was the quality of the alligator cables. While many of our other recommendations (including other NOCO products) have well-made alligator clips, the Genius PRO50 has thick, braided cord sleeves that provide extra protection and longevity.
This car battery charger is a little heavier than a portable battery charger, but still smaller than stationary units like the Schumacher SC1309. We do note the lack of a display screen to provide battery data. While this isn’t a necessity for a battery charger, it’s a modern feature that would be nice to include on a unit this expensive.
What Customers Are Saying
Amazon Review Score : 4.4 out of 5 based on over 250 ratings
Most reviewers rave about the charging speed of the Genius PRO50 battery charger. Those looking to top up batteries for large engines like this charger. They claim it’s capable of bringing dead batteries back to life in fairly short order.
A few reviewers are upset that there is no display screen. There are indicators for the voltage, battery type, and charging mode, but no screen to show battery status. Another complaint some have is that some units arrive damaged because of poor packaging. However, NOCO does include a three-year warranty and customer reviews speak highly of the company’s customer service.
Fastest Charging: Schumacher SC1309
Unlike the other battery chargers on this list, the Schumacher SC1309 is capable not only of charging a vehicle but also provides a good jump start. The built-in tester can detect battery charge levels and even has some diagnostics features. While a bit heavier than our other recommended best car battery chargers, the Schumacher SC1309 is versatile and charges quickly. It’s easy to operate and includes desulfation and float modes. The SC1309 can fully charge a 105.0-Ah battery in about 16 hours.
Key Features
- Cost: About 175
- Battery type(s): Standard (wet), AGM, and deep cycle
- Amperage: 40.0 and 400.0 amp modes
- Voltage: 15.0 volts
- Weight: 30.0 lbs.
- Warranty: 1 year
What’s In The Box?
The necessary alligator clamps are the only item that comes with the Schumacher SC1309.
Our Experience
This battery charger is simple to use and has large, strong alligator clamps. We found it one of the easier chargers to operate. Its size and long clamp cables allow you to rest the charger on the ground (other smaller chargers with short jumper cables can’t reach the battery from the ground).
The voltage output is consistent at 15.0 amps, which is a little high for a 12.0-volt battery but not high enough to endanger battery health. This voltage also means a fast charge rate and minimal charging time.
What Customers Are Saying
Amazon Review Score : 4.5 out of 5 based on over 1,700 ratings
Satisfied customers express surprise with the SC1309’s charging speed. Many say they used this battery charger to rejuvenate long-dead batteries with little difficulty. Several reviewers mention being able to use the engine start feature to revive SUVs and other large vehicle batteries.
One recurring negative comment comes from customers who report that the SC1309 stopped working properly after a couple of months. While this doesn’t seem typical, it’s not uncommon either. This charger comes with a one-year warranty, and one reviewer says they received a replacement from the company.
Several users also mention receiving faulty products with scratches and other damages. The company appears to have a good record of refunding these mistakes, but it’s a pain not to get a functioning car charger from the start.
Hybrid Battery Replacement vs Repair: Options, Costs, Testing
There are a few different ways that Hybrid Battery Repair can be performed. Of course, there are pros and cons for every method:
- replacing bad cells
- replacing all cells with rejuvenated cells
- installing a new battery
Before doing any of the below, it is important to note that you should have your hybrid battery tested first to determine what state it is in. Now, let’s take a few minutes and go over your hybrid battery replacement or repair options.
Hybrid Battery Cell Repair
The least expensive way is to replace a couple of bad cells. Cost: 499 – 699
There are many (20-40) cells that are connected to make one battery pack. For example, Prius C has 20, Prius has 28, Camry has 34 and GM trucks have 40. Usually all the cells don’t go bad at the same time. When the hybrid battery is tested, a technician usually finds 2-8 cells that are bad and should be replaced.
Hybrid Battery Testing: Exclusively Hybrid vs. Others
Most “Hybrid Battery Repair Specialists” use a voltmeter to find bad cells. That doesn’t always give you proper results. At Exclusively Hybrid, we use a time-tested process to find bad or even weak cells and put the results down in a “battery test report” for our customers.
The report shows how many bad and weak cells your battery has, and our recommendation on how many should be replaced. During this process all the good cells in your battery pack get rejuvenated and now have a higher capacity. We replace the bad and weak cells and balance the battery pack as one unit.
When the “other guys” just replace the bad cells, the problem may be fixed for a short period of time. Their finished product is a battery pack that has cells with different capacity, which means it will not stay balanced. Also, older cells that are still in your battery pack and have not been rejuvenated have a higher chance of going weak (bad), making the system fail again.
Our process takes a full day, but using it gets you a better battery. This is the least expensive way to get your battery repaired.
Hybrid Battery Rejuvenation
Replacing all the cells in the battery with rejuvenated cells. Cost: 890 – 1890
This option gets you a completely rebuilt and reconditioned battery pack. All our cells go through the rejuvenation process before we use them. After the process each cell gets tested for capacity.
After the capacity test we put them together in a battery pack and use a high voltage charger to charge and balance the cells. We also replace all the copper tabs on the bus terminals, because the old ones are usually corroded. This refurbish process takes a longer time and has a higher cost, but it will last longer. This option only takes 1 to 2 hours, depending on the vehicle. We can also go to your location and replace the battery there.
New Hybrid Battery Replacement
Replacing all the Cells and Wire Harness with NEW PARTS. Cost: 450,990
New batteries are always better than used or refurbished.
We found that one of the reasons cells go bad is poor air circulation inside the battery pack. The less air goes through, the hotter the battery gets. Heat is not good for the batteries. The new cells are configured differently than the original cells in your hybrid battery. The way our battery is set up allows air to go in between every cell in the battery pack, which keeps the temperature down and lets the battery perform at its best.
We value our customer satisfaction. For this reason, we always suggest rejuvenating all the cells or using all new cells when it comes to repairing or replacing the Hybrid Battery in your vehicle. All our products come with a warranty on replaced parts.
In December of 2017 we started testing new cells from different vendors to put into our batteries. I am proud to announce that in August of 2018 we started selling Hybrid Batteries with NEW modules.
New Vs Refurbished Hybrid Batteries
Many people ask me, “Why should we buy a new hybrid battery for my Toyota Prius vs. a refurbished one?” There are three factors that make your battery good or weak.
Unfortunately, there is no simple way to detect a weak battery. Here is the explanation of these factors.
Declining Battery Capacity
Energy storage in a battery can conceptually be divided into three imaginary segments of:
- empty zone that can be refilled,
- available energy,
- the unusable part (rock content).
As the battery gets older, the performance declines further and the battery gets smaller in terms of holding capacity. With nickel-based batteries, the so-called rock content is often the result of crystalline formation, also known as “memory,” and a full discharge can sometimes restore the battery.
Batteries begin fading from the day they are manufactured. A new battery should deliver 100% capacity; most packs in use operate at less than that. For example, your Toyota Hybrid Battery operates at a state of charge between 38% to 80%.
Rising Internal Resistance
A high capacity battery has limited use if it is unable to deliver the stored energy effectively. To bring the power out, the battery needs low internal resistance.
Measured in milli-ohms (mΩ), resistance is the gatekeeper of the battery; the lower the value, the less restriction the pack encounters. This is especially important with heavy loads and high current pulses, as elevated resistance causes the voltage to collapse and trigger an early shutdown.
In hybrid cars you will feel as if your transmission is slipping or loss of acceleration. A hybrid battery on a car never fully discharges. Sulfation and grid corrosion are the main causes of increased internal resistance. Temperature also affects the resistance. As the batteries discharge, the resistance increases further, making the cells more prone to fail when you actually need the energy, as in accelerating or using the air conditioner.
Elevated Self-Discharge
All batteries are affected by self-discharge. The amount of electrical leakage varies with chemistry, and primary cells, such as lithium and alkaline, are among the best in retaining the energy. Nickel-based rechargeable systems, in comparison, leak the most and need recharging if the battery has not been used for a few days.
High-performance nickel-based batteries are subject to higher self-discharge than the standard versions with lower energy densities. Energy loss is asymptotical, meaning that the self-discharge is highest right after charge and then tapers off. Nickel-based batteries lose 10 to 15 percent of their capacity in the first 24 hours after charge.
Self-discharge on all battery chemistries increases with age and at higher temperatures. The rate typically doubles with every 10°C (18°F). A noticeable energy loss occurs if a battery is left in a hot vehicle.
Conclusion: A New Hybrid Battery is Better than a Rejuvenated One
In summary, even after we rejuvenate all the cells in the battery pack, there is still an aging process that cannot be reversed. Getting a new battery means better energy capacity, better flow of energy due to low resistance, and less energy loss while the car is not in use. For the owner, it means better fuel economy, better car acceleration, and longer battery life.
Shop new or refurbished batteries for Toyota or Lexus cars or if you’re in the South Florida area, contact us for battery testing services.
Conclusion: A New Hybrid Battery is Better than a Rejuvenated One
In summary, even after we rejuvenate all the cells in the battery pack, there is still an aging process that cannot be reversed. Getting a new battery means better energy capacity, better flow of energy due to low resistance, and less energy loss while the car is not in use. For the owner, it means better fuel economy, better car acceleration, and longer battery life.
Shop new or refurbished batteries for Toyota or Lexus cars or if you’re in the South Florida area, contact us for battery testing services.