Industrial batteries are made using thick plates so that they can offer prolonged usage time. Sometimes, their performance may be reduced and this calls for them to be refurbished. Industrial batteries are much bigger than SLI, marine and automotive batteries. Refurbishing industrial batteries allow them to restore their capacity to store charge for longer periods of time. Below are the steps that you should take to refurbish an underperforming industrial battery.
A forklift is needed to lift the battery to a concrete wash. A forklift is used because these batteries are very heavy some of which weighing as much as 20,000 pounds. When in the concrete wash, record the voltage readings Electrical Degree in order to calculate the amount of current that is flowing between its terminals. If the voltage reading is more than 20 volts, you should further discharge it till you get a value slightly below 20 volts.
After discharging the battery, the next step is cleaning its terminals. Sprinkle the battery top and the terminals using baking soda and then wet using fresh water. Use a wire brush to scrub the top and terminals to remove all the corrosion that may be present. Use fresh running water to wash the top and the terminal to ensure that it is very clean.
The next step aims at measuring the acidity of the battery acid. Remove all the caps from the battery top and use a hydrometer to measure this acidity from each of the cells. Battery water should have a 30% sulfuric acid and 70% water. Record the concentration from each cell and see how they deviate from the normal concentration.
The deviation obtained from each cell should aid you in establishing the amount of water or acid that should be added to each cell to restore the required concentration. Adjust these concentrations while using the hydrometer to measure the concentration. When you are satisfied that the required concentration has been reached, connect the battery to the charger and allow it to be charged for about 8 hours.
After 8 hours the battery should be fully charged. Use a voltmeter to measure the voltmeter reading and record it. If the battery does not attain the expected voltage, it may mean that there is something wrong with some cells in the battery. Use the hydrometer again to measure the acid concentration from each battery hole. You will observe that there will be some cells whose will have changed and therefore you need to readjust them by adding distilled water or sulfuric acid. Repeat this process until all the parameters are correct. If after all these adjustments you realize that there are still those cells that are unable to hold charge, then you should go ahead to replace these cells because they are destroyed.
It is important to note that refurbishing an industrial battery should be done by a professional or somebody who have a great experience in handling Market Oriented Industry this type of batteries. This is because industrial batteries hold a very high voltage which if not handled correctly could be very dangerous.
