Desuphation Gadgets

[catalac08]

Hi
I have 4x110AM Leisure batteries that are a mix of ages from 1-3 years old and do not seem to have the capacity I would expect from either bank. I appreciate that 220 AH on each bank probably only provides half this but even so I am a bit concerned. At times I do get the batteries more discharged than is ideal and I wonder if I have got sulphation problems.
Sterling (and others) sell desulphation modules for about £20 £50 (not up for a fancy battery charger with delulphation built in as most of my charging is wind and solar anyway) and I wonder whether they do what they claim-any experience of using these gadgets?
If they do work are the cheaper ones any good-a bit hard to see through the techno-jargon!

 

[nimbusgb]

There is some anecdotal evidence that some NASA led nav lights have expired following the use of desulphation pulsers.

If you are going to use one I'd only do so with the batteries totally disconnected from the rest of the boats systems.

 

[catalac08]

There is some anecdotal evidence that some NASA led nav lights have expired following the use of desulphation pulsers.

If you are going to use one I'd only do so with the batteries totally disconnected from the rest of the boats systems.

Thanks for that info -it does seem to make sense that pulses of higher voltage zap LED's but I probably would not have thought of that doooh...

 

[Trundlebug]

Hi
I have 4x110AM Leisure batteries that are a mix of ages from 1-3 years old and do not seem to have the capacity I would expect from either bank. I appreciate that 220 AH on each bank probably only provides half this but even so I am a bit concerned. At times I do get the batteries more discharged than is ideal and I wonder if I have got sulphation problems.
Sterling (and others) sell desulphation modules for about £20 £50 (not up for a fancy battery charger with delulphation built in as most of my charging is wind and solar anyway) and I wonder whether they do what they claim-any experience of using these gadgets?
If they do work are the cheaper ones any good-a bit hard to see through the techno-jargon!

I bought a Megapulse unit some years ago for a very sulphated battery at home, and also 2 for a deep cycle battery pack on a cherry picker at work. They definitely seem to have worked effectively in both applications, so I can recommend them.

Not an overnight fix I would stress, takes a few weeks, as per the manufacturers recommendations, but saved us a fortune in new batteries.

I bought the Megapulse as it's the original patented article from which the other models (Sterling et al) have been copied. Not much difference in price at the time, don't know what it's like now.

 

[Plevier]

If your batteries have been damaged and lost capacity through excessive cycling, which I think you are hinting may be the case, then a desulphation gizmo is unlikely to achieve anything. They are worn out. It's not just sulphation, there are other failure mechanisms at work.
Desulphation gadgets may (as battery manufacturers we were very sceptical about them) help where you have sulphation from inadequate charging. This is quite different.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

..... Desulphation gadgets may (as battery manufacturers we were very sceptical about them) help where you have sulphation from inadequate charging. This is quite different.

I think this was the case with my batteries. I do have "a fancy battery charger with delulphation built in" (Sterling ProUltra) and it has made a huge difference to my batteries ability to hold charge.

The previous charging regime was from old alternators and regulators, via a diode split charging device. A weekend sailing would hammer the batteries but now they perform with no trouble at all. Of course a large chunk of the improvement must be down to the better charging regime, but the so called maintenance cycle (which I think is the de sulphation programme) I am sure has contributed as well.

 

[lw395]

There is some anecdotal evidence that some NASA led nav lights have expired following the use of desulphation pulsers.

If you are going to use one I'd only do so with the batteries totally disconnected from the rest of the boats systems.

There is some anecdotal evidence to say that I'm not at all surprisd by this!

I faffed about with one of the kit built desulphators, with modest positive results.
However, looking at the voltage trace on a scope, the peak was sometimes around +40V, with a smaller negative spike.
These spikes got smaller after the battery had been connected for a few days, so it must have been doing something FWIW.

 

[catalac08]

Thanks for all the useful info-I am going to get a sterling desulphator. I will install it to one bank of batteries and monitor voltages and perceived battery capacities and give some feedback on how this works, in a couple of months.