Can a battery with a dud cell be fixed?

[AndrewB]

I have a 110Ah deep-cycle battery that has 5 good cells and one dud one. Full charged, five have an SG of about 1300, the dud one is about 1230. The battery voltage quickly drops from 12.6v to 10.5v in use, though it will continue to deliver at this voltage for a long time.

At present this battery seems to be dragging my entire bank down. Can it be fixed, or must I get a new one?

 

[pvb]

Best get a new one (nm)

/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Rowana]

[ QUOTE ]

At present this battery seems to be dragging my entire bank down.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that here is your answer. How many batteries in your bank?

Bite the bullet and get a new one. before you have to change the lot, but make sure you get one that is the same/compatable with the rest of the bank.

 

[steverow]

NO

Buy a new one.

Steve.

 

[VicMallows]

I agree with the others that its of no use as part of your main installation........but if you have any relatively low current applications which are happy at 10v, you can always isolate it after charging and use it just for those. Lighting (filament) might be a possibility. I have one such (nearly new from the marina scrap) which I use as a dedicated bilge-pump battery.

Vic

 

[omega2]

Re: Best get a new one (nm)

It will ruin all batteries in time

 

[paulcooper]

I dont know if it is still sold but a product from halfords called 'Battery Flush' worked for me a few years ago.

You empty the existing battery fluid into a glass container
add the flush liquid and then empty and flush out with a water hose. Then filter the old fluid and return and charge.

It goes without saying to use rubber gloves and face mask and old clothing as sulphuric acid is nasty stuff.

I was amazed at how much stuff came out of the battery
presumably this was shorting out the cell at the bottom.?

Worth a try if the battery was an expensive type.

 

[VicMallows]

Yep. Used to do that many years ago to squeeze a bit more life out of miners lamps as well as car batteries. I don't know what the 'battery flush' does....since I had bulk supplies of sulphuric acid available I just used to replace the electrolyte.

Vic