Can Mobility Scooter Batteries be Reconditioned? (With Tips)
A couple of years ago, I spent a lot of time researching how to recondition batteries since my father didn’t want to get a new lead-acid battery for his scooter.
And I’m here to share this experience with you and give you some invaluable tips on extending the battery life.
Quick Summary
Before I explain whether mobility scooter batteries can be reconditioned, let’s talk about the most common battery packs in mobility aids.
It matters because different models run on different types of batteries. And if you don’t know your battery type, you risk damaging it during repairs.
In general, mobility scooters run on four types of batteries:
- Lithium-ion batteries. They’re one of the most popular types because they’re long-lasting, safe for air travel, and hold a charge well.
- Sealed Lead-Acid batteries. They are affordable and easy to charge but heavy and can spill.
- GEL batteries. They are more expensive than SLAs, but they don’t spill and don’t require any maintenance. But overcharging can damage them.
- Absorbent glass mat batteries. They’re expensive but maintenance-free, charge quickly, and last long.
And now, let’s see if it’s possible to recondition batteries for mobility scooters.
Can Mobility Scooter Batteries be Reconditioned?
You can recondition some types of mobility scooter batteries.
According to Care and Mobility, you must fill the battery with distilled water and recharge it for an hour. You can repeat this process 3-4 times before replacing the battery. (1)
This type of reconditions is suitable only for sealed lead-acid batteries. And it’s vital to use distilled water, not tap water.
“Tap water contains minerals that are harmful to batteries, even if added in small amounts.” (2)
Another way to recondition an SLA battery is to use a battery charger, as this mobility scooter user does in the video. But the process is complicated and not for people that aren’t handy.
What do you think about this topic? Can mobility scooter batteries be reconditioned? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
Basic Info.
Storage Batteries Comprehensive Testing Regeneration System is the large-scale professional battery reconditioning equipment that is suitable for testing and reconditioning the lead-acid batteries. It is integrated with charge and discharge testing. pulse desulfurization. high-frequency activation. constant current overcharge repair. capacity grading. so on. It can repair the common issues of lead-acid batteries such as water loss, sulfurization, and slight voltage imbalance, etc. It is especially suitable for the maintenance and reconditioning of all kinds of lead-acid batteries, which has the obvious effect on prolonging the battery life and widely used in battery after-sales maintenance service, battery recycling industry, etc.
Battery after-sales maintenance service, e-waste recycling industries, etc.
- The voltage rises quickly when charging, and it turns green in 2-3 hours or less.
- When fully charged, the voltage is higher than 13.4V after standing for a long time (take 12V battery as an example)
- With your ear close to the battery, you can hear the sound of squeak.
- The battery generates heat and the temperature rises quickly.
- It’s full as soon as it is charged, and it’s gone as soon as it runs.
- Regularly insufficient charging.
- Not charging in time after discharging.
- Unplug the power supply when it turns green during charging, without sufficient floating charge.
- Long-term over-discharging.
- Self-discharge of the battery causes the deep discharge of a small current.
- New batteries’ long-term storage without regular charge-discharge maintenance causes battery self-discharge.
- Lay aside discharged or half discharged batteries too long.
- Electrolyte acidity is not high, purity is not pure.
- Charge
- Discharge
- Auto-cycle charge and discharge
- Water-replenishing maintenance charge
- Pulse repair
- Constant current overcharge repair
- Activation repair
- Independent modular design, easy maintenance, and the modules do not affect each other. Even if the individual modules fail, it will not affect the normal use of other modules.
- The circuit is connected by the connectors for convenient replacement.
- With over-current and over-voltage protection.
- Polar protection, anti-reverse connection
- Built-in fan to help the heat dissipation and improve the stability
- Capacity test: Suitable for 6V,12V,16V, 18V lead-acid battery, It integrates charge, discharge function, discharge current 0.5-10A is adjustable, the charge current 0.5-6A is adjustable, accurately detect the battery capacity(it can be discharged in parallel by multiple channels to increase discharge test current and achieve the purpose of a higher current discharge).
- Maintenance: Adopting the technology of high-frequency pulse desulfurization, it has a good non-destructive repair effect on the sulfated batteries. The current is adjustable during operation to accommodate the different specification batteries.
- Activation repair: Special strengthening treatment of batteries with pulse large current(Max. peak up to 200A), which has an obvious effect on activating badly sulfated batteries(can’t be charged and discharged).
Technical Specification
How to Recondition a Car Battery?
Most cars still use lead-acid batteries of some kind. wet/flooded, AGM or even Gel-cells, but these batteries over time lose their capacity and the ability to start the engine.
Since quality car batteries are not cheap, many people wonder how they can recondition a car battery at home. Reconditioning car batteries at home can be done successfully, but this also depends on the battery type, its use, age, current condition and similar.
Updated: January 14, 2022.
Lead-Acid Batteries 101
For short, lead acid batteries consists of positive and negative lead plates and diluted sulfuric acid as electrolyte.
Lead plates are sometimes made of pure lead, sometimes with added calcium and other alloying elements in order to achieve certain goals, like stiffer plates, lower self-discharge rate, etc.
Chemistry: Charging and discharging process is reversible and includes creation of Pb and PbO2 (charging) and PbSO4 (discharging) on the battery plates (very simplified). in the fully charged battery, the negative plate consists of Pb (lead), and the positive plate is PbO2 (lead dioxide).
However, charging/discharging cycles are not perfect. with each cycle, newly created Pb, PbO4 and PbSO4 are not formed in the ‘exact’ proper way as before.
Also, lead–acid batteries lose the ability to accept a charge when discharged for too long due to crystallization of PbSO4 (also known as sulfation process).
There are other processes that over time, little by little decrease the battery’s capacity and its ability to provide large currents.
Types: Most common lead acid battery types are wet/flooded, AGM (Absorbent Glass Mat) and Gel-Cell batteries.
Wet/flooded batteries have their electrolyte in liquid form, hence the name. Over time, water from the battery is lost and must be added in the form of distilled water. never add a tap water into the wet/flooded battery.
AGM and Gel-Cell batteries are Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries and there is nothing what common user can do regarding the electrolyte. there is no need (and no option to do so) to add water during the operating life of the battery.
Reconditioning Car Batteries at Home. Recommended or Not?
Well, there are several ways to recondition a car battery at home.
One of the ‘most famous’ methods which is applicable ONLY to wet/flooded batteries include removing sulfuric acid from the battery, cleaning the cells with baking soda and then adding custom electrolyte based on the Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and distilled water.
To do this at home, one requires open area (it should not be done inside, no matter ‘how well’ the area is ventilated. ), protective gear (gloves, goggles, etc), chemicals etc.
But, personally, it is not recommended for many reasons:
For short: not recommended, to say the least!
However, there is a much simpler and much safer method of reconditioning a car batteries at home, regardless of the type (wet/flooded, AGM, Gel-Cell) and charge/discharge level (even if the battery is fully discharged, down to the cell reversal) etc get a Smart lead-acid car battery charger. It is that simple.
Features and Specifications of Smart Lead-Acid Battery Chargers
Smart lead-acid battery chargers are microprocessor controlled devices that analyze the battery condition and charge it according to:
Note: Never, but really never charge lithium batteries with charges not designed for such batteries.
If you have wet/flooded battery, be sure to check electrolyte level prior charging and if required, add some distilled water. Also, check maximum allowed charging current of your battery and be sure to use battery charger that features maximum charging current lower than the battery‘s maximum allowed charging current. charging the battery with too strong currents may destroy it easily, especially AGM and Gel-cell batteries.
When charging process starts, Smart battery chargers analyze the battery and start with the recovery/charging (depending on the settings/model of the Smart battery charger):
Note: some battery chargers even feature ‘Force Mode’ allowing the user to override microprocessor and to ‘force’ the charge into the (almost) dead battery. This is not recommended charging mode, but if the battery is (almost) dead, this mode can bring it back to life.
Connecting the fully charged battery to the battery maintainer or to Smart battery charger is recommended method for wintering the lead acid batteries, although with newer batteries with 3% or less monthly self-discharge rate there is no need for maintainers at low temperatures for months.
Smart battery chargers also come with many safety features like overcharge/over-voltage protection, reverse connection protection, short circuit protection etc.
But, no matter how safe modern Smart battery chargers are, be sure to read their instructions/manuals and to act accordingly. Stay safe!
Long Story Short: If you want to recondition/rejuvenate your car battery and prolong its operating life, get a good, thoroughly tested in real life conditions Smart battery charger, take the battery out of your car (if allowed by the car’s manufacturer due to many onboard electronic systems powered by the main battery even when the engine is turned off), place it on flat, firm surface in well ventilated area, set the battery charger, connect it and let it do its job.
Again: reconditioning a car battery using baking soda, Epsom salt and similar chemicals. big no, no. Be Smart and stay safe!
How to Wire Solar Panels in Parallel
If you are going solar for your home or business, it is important you know why and how to wire solar panels in parallel. Mark just switched to solar energy as an alternative energy option. With all the talk about renewable energy and climate change, he decided to ‘go clean and green’ with his home energy supply. He is finding it quite confusing to understand how to install the system in his home. Mark isn’t sure he needs to learn how to wire solar panels in any specific way: parallel or series. This is because to him, once the connection provides electricity, it’s all good. But is it? Well, I‘m so not sorry to burst Mark’s bubbles, and yours too if you think the same way. How you wire your solar panels matters. It is one of the most important variables in your solar energy system. It determines the overall efficiency of your system and also affects the kind of equipment you would have to buy alongside it. For one, your choice of inverter is based on its current and voltage rating depends on how your solar panels are connected: series, parallel or both. I’m sure you want the best option for your home, right? This is why you have to take note of this. For those who are still in the dark as to what solar energy, solar panels, inverters and all the jargons we have just discussed, no worries. I got you. Let’s take a run down through the basic concepts. Shall we? What is Solar Energy? Solar energy is the most available energy source on earth. It is clean, renewable and cannot be used up. Solar energy is increasingly being integrated as an off-grid energy option in homes and offices. This is well in line with the Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, which targets a substantial increase in the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix as well as an improvement in energy efficiency globally. Functions of a Solar Panel and Solar Energy System A Solar panel is a very important component of the solar energy system. It is responsible for trapping sunlight and converting it into electrical energy. The panels are made of Photovoltaic cells or PV cells. They are spread about on the surface of the panel boards. When sun rays fall on these cells, they are converted to electricity. So, the more the panels, the more PV cells are available to generate electricity. This electricity is Direct Current (DC). However, most of our commonly used electrical equipment make use of Alternating Current (AC). An inverter is then connected to the solar panels. Inverters are electronic devices that convert DC to the required AC needed to power electrical devices. So, we have our needed current and so our system is set up, or is it? There is still one more thing. We also need batteries in our system. Since we do not have the sun in full intensity at every time of the day (of course night comes and the sun retires to bed), we cannot guarantee that we would always be able to constantly produce a certain amount of electricity. Also, during cloudy days and also in the winter, the many clouds that form in the sky reduce the intensity of the sun reaching us. This means that much electricity can be generated from our solar energy option. This is where batteries come in. Batteries help us store the energy generated for future use. During the day when the sun is at its peak, you can use electricity in your home and be rest assured that by night, you’d still have electricity running so you can continue from where you left off the Game of Thrones episode before work. I see it like a kind of savings account or piggy bank, where you save energy for the rainy day (pun intended). How Do You Increase Efficiency and Power of Your Solar Energy System? To increase the efficiency and power output of your solar energy system, it is advised that you buy more solar panels. When you have more solar panels, the ideal thing to do is to connect them. This is pretty much obvious. Now here’s the catch. Well, panels are not connected in just any way. All the types of connection are aimed at achieving one main purpose: to increase power output. However, each method employs a different strategy in doing this. We will see this as we proceed. Ways in Which Solar Panels Can be Connected There are three ways solar panels can be connected: In Series CircuitIn Parallel CircuitCompound circuit (Series-Parallel circuit) Series Wiring of Solar Panels What does a series connection mean? Well, whenever electrical components are connected in series, the aim is usually to increase the voltage of the circuit. Solar panels connected in series produce a combined total voltage of the sum of individual panel ratings. What this simply means is that if you have six 12 volts 5 Amperes panels connected in series, your total output would be 72 volts 5 Amperes (Amperes is the unit used to measure current). Series connection creates a single pathway for current to travel, which means that all the current must flow through all the loads (in this case the solar panels) in the circuit. This is why the current remains the same up to the output. One other characteristic of series connection is that when the circuit is cut at any point, the entire system stops operating. This is pretty much expected since the same current goes through all as we have seen, so cutting off one is stopping current flow in the circuit. Solar panels have negative and positive terminals. To connect panels in series, you connect the negative terminal of one to the positive terminal of the next. This way you can increase power without altering the value of current being fed into the inverter. A very common example of series connection is your TV remote control. Also, a string of Christmas lights too is connected in series. The lights would not come on if one of the bulbs is burnt or not in place. Current path, remember? Parallel Wiring of Solar Panels Parallel connection, on the other hand, provides multiple pathways for current to travel within the circuit. This is the most common of all types of electrical wiring. I’m very sure your house is wired the same. Want to know how? Your home has a primary point where electricity enters into the house. It is from this point that electricity is fed to different sockets, bulbs, heaters in your home. When your friend comes visiting and you turn off the microwave after heating your lunch, it does not also turn off the TV in the living room. Like we saw in series connection, one point in the circuit going off means the entire circuit goes off too. This is not the case in parallel wiring. Since we have multiple current paths, one path going off does not affect the other(s). This means that parallel connection allows for redundancy, that is the system is more reliable as a fault in one path does not affect the whole. What Are The Advantages of Connecting Solar Panels in Parallel? Aside from improving the reliability of systems, parallel connections also aim to increase the amperage at the solar panel output. This means more current is being fed to the inverter. So, taking our example of six 12 volts 5 Amperes solar panels, parallel wiring would produce an output of 12 volts 30 Amperes. If a consumer has an inverter with a DC input rating of 12 volts, then such consumer only needs to supply 12 volts from the solar panel for the inverter to function. In this case, the consumer can connect in parallel to increase the amount of current, since the panels are wired to feed in 12 volts. This way, power can be increased without going past the voltage limit of the inverter. How Do You Wire Solar Panels in Parallel? Mike and Tim live together and have decided to get a solar panel. They split the bill and both agree to buy two panels each when they return from work. Later that evening, they discover that they have bought dissimilar solar panels. There has been an argument all evening, and it looks like work was tough on both of them. Well, I can help. Connecting Similar Panels If you are wiring similar solar panels in parallel, it is pretty much straight forward. You connect all the positive terminals together into one terminal and all the negative terminals together too. So, I could convince Tim to go back with his and get one that matches Mike’s and then, case dismissed. Connecting Dissimilar Panels If Tim is hell-bent on keeping his, and Mike is not bending, they have science to thank that they can reach a compromise. When solar panels have different wattage but the same voltage, they can be connected in parallel. Wattage just means how much power is measured. If the voltage is constant, we can connect them just as we did the first instance. What that simply means is that current is the variable factor in the different panels. For parallel connection, once the voltage is the same, we are good to go. Had they each bought panels with different voltage ratings, well one person would surely have to give in because there is no way we can connect them in parallel. Solar Panels Connected in Compound Well, Tim and Mike’s case didn’t fall into any of my predicted events. Tim bought two 6 volts solar panels while Mike got two 12 volts panels. Well, science to the rescue! We can connect the two 6 volts panels in series to get a 12 volts output. We can then connect this result to Mike’s 12 volts panels and everybody is happy. This is called compound wiring of solar panels. Conclusion. How to Wire Solar Panels in Parallel It is important that you as a home or business owner are able to connect your solar panels yourself and understand what each type of connection entails. Parallel connection is the most commonly used type of connection and we have seen why. You can now make informed choices based on what is available to you and enjoy your solar energy option with maximum Returns On Investments (ROI).