In the matter of vehicles, each of us has our own tastes and preferences. Someone likes cars more, and here interests differ too, as there are a lot of types of bodies. There are connoisseurs who find large SUVs attractive. But there is a category of people who value scooters. These small vehicles can be found a lot of advantages, and they will delight their owners. At least until the gel battery fails. How to restore it later is an interesting question, and this article is dedicated to it.
What is characteristic, the number of people wishing to change to two-wheeled transport is only increasing from year to year. And when compared with a moped or motorcycle, they are inferior to scooters for obvious advantages. Well, with a bicycle it’s not worth making any comparisons at all.
What a strange beast?
Today, a gel battery can be found in almost any store that sells spare parts for different types of vehicles. Nevertheless, not everyone is aware of the issue of its device, since in appearance such batteries practically do not differ from their acid counterparts.
Some time ago, lead acid batteries in which liquid electrolyte was poured were very popular. However, progress does not stand still, and now acid batteries have already lost their former glory, which passed to their more advanced competitors. Nevertheless, there are also difficulties with them, and then the first question is: "Is it possible to restore gel batteries?" More about this later.
Initially, batteries made using this technology were created for military equipment, in particular aviation. Conventional devices could not cope with their task, as they underwent constant overloads that adversely affected the acid electrolyte. And as a result - an early failure of the battery without the possibility of recovery. It is for this reason that gel analogues appeared.
The benefits of a gel battery
You can list all the advantages of scooters over other vehicles for a very long time, but this is not included in the subject under consideration. It is better to evaluate the advantages that a gel battery has.
In conventional power sources, the chemical reactions of the electrolyte proceed quite rapidly with the release of vapors, and sometimes it just boils. Often during operation, acid batteries exploded. Will the gel battery suffer the same fate and how to restore it later? Most likely not, because here lies the main difference and superiority of this power source. It uses a special viscosity electrolyte that resembles jelly in consistency. And again the question: "How to restore the gel battery?"
Thanks to the addition of a thickener, the battery can be operated in almost any position. But, as practice shows, its effectiveness in the side position drops by a third, and it is highly not recommended to turn it over at all.
Among other advantages, the following can be distinguished:
- repeated charge-discharge cycle;
- there is no need for an initial charge of gel batteries immediately after purchase;
- at maximum discharge, the capacitive characteristics are not lost;
- high starting current;
- low capacity loss during long downtime compared with acid devices;
- long term of operation.
It is also worth noting that in case of damage to the case this will in no way affect the performance of the battery. And you won’t have to think about how to restore the gel battery. But for lead devices, this defect is dangerous because electrolyte leakage can occur. In the gel, the latter is not in a liquid state, and therefore there can be no talk of any leak.
In addition, modern analogues are recognized not only as high-tech, but also as the safest. As for the service life, theoretically it is up to 10 years. But, as practice shows, it is rare that a specimen lives so much.
The disadvantages of the gel battery
Unfortunately, with all the obvious advantages, gel batteries are not without some drawbacks:
- high sensitivity to charge voltage;
- gel batteries do not tolerate a short circuit in an electrical circuit;
- cost.
Despite the fact that they are highly resistant to frost and some mechanical damage, they must be properly charged. To do this, use only accessories specifically designed for gel batteries. Otherwise, damage to the gel battery cannot be avoided, and the question of how to restore it will disappear by itself. For there will be nothing to restore.
The voltage during charging should not exceed 14.2-14.4 V, otherwise the loss of performance is guaranteed. But there are no current limitations, since such batteries are characterized by low internal resistance.
Can modern gel batteries fail? It is quite possible. If, for example, the battery is completely discharged and left in this state for a long period, then subsequently, if necessary, it is unlikely to want to charge. Therefore, it is better to charge the battery in a timely manner. Also, do not use car devices for charging.
Fortunately, there are few shortcomings in the gel battery. However, in our world there is still no such thing or device that would be completely devoid of all the minuses and would contain only pluses. What an ideal! Although, maybe it's just a matter of time ?!
Recovery Issues
As practice shows, the first problems arise after 4 years of use. Loss of electrical capacity or boiling water from an electrolyte are some of the most common symptoms that a gel battery suffers. How to restore it - the first thing that comes to the mind of the owner. Despite the fact that this type of battery is a maintenance-free device and cannot be reanimated, you can still try to do it.
During operation, over time, the gelled electrolyte begins to dry even when there is a phenomenon such as gas recombination. The whole point of the recovery process is to add water, as is done with acid batteries. Only with a gel battery is not as simple as it seems, because it is more moody.
mission Impossible
Unfortunately, but maybe, on the contrary, fortunately, there are cases when it is not possible to restore the gel battery. One such irreversible malfunction is when the electrolyte begins to exfoliate from the plates.
Or they may begin to collapse. If this happened, then it also negates all attempts to revive the product. It is not difficult to detect such a malfunction - it is worth shaking the battery, and you can hear the noise that comes from inside. The presence of a crack is also an unpleasant sign. How to restore a gel battery (12V), if any? The answer is simple: no way.
Visual diagnosis
As a rule, it is worthwhile to restore the battery when the output voltage is less than 10 volts. First, you should carefully inspect the product for cracks or extraneous noise with a slight shake. If the listed defects are found, the restoration phase is completed, since the problem can only be solved by buying a new battery.
If everything is in order (nothing flickers, there are no cracks), it is worth paying attention to the residual stress. If it is less than 30%, then the conclusion is also disappointing. You can try, but here, as in roulette, it may be lucky, but hardly. It is good when the indicator of residual stress is close to 60%. In this case, you can proceed directly to solving the problem. So, how to restore a gel scooter battery?
Disassembly
The recovery process begins with disassembling the battery, for which you need a flat screwdriver, tweezers. Depending on the design of the battery, it has one lid (usually a 6-volt product) or several for each can (12-volt). In the latter case, under each cover there is a rubber protective cap, which also needs to be removed. This is where tweezers will be useful. You can proceed to the next step.
Water filling procedure
The water for the gel battery is not ordinary tap water, but distilled. For questions about its acquisition, you can contact one of the pharmacies or a store that is popular among motorists. But it’s best to buy distilled water at a pharmacy, as you can avoid fakes.
The water is filled with a syringe, and there are several effective methods that are essentially the same:
- The method is as follows. Using a syringe, each jar is completely filled with water, after which you need to leave the battery for a while. 5-10 minutes is enough, after which all water should be removed, you can use the same xs syringe. During this period, the electrolyte absorbs the required amount of water. In some cases, it is recommended to wait not for 10 minutes, but for half an hour. After the water is drained, you can close the caps and charge the battery.
- The next way to restore the gel battery (12V, 7 Ah) is no less effective. In each of the cans, no more than 3 cubes of water should be poured, after which they are closed with caps, and the power source is put on charge.
- Pour the cans with water until the plates close, but at the same time, it is necessary that the water does not reach the edges. Do not close with caps until excess water and gas come out. Now you can charge the battery, and at the end of the process you can close the banks with caps.
By installing the protective gum in its place before charging (except in the last case), you need to fix them well.
Charging Features
When charging a gel battery, the main thing is to remember to apply a voltage of not more than 14.2-14.4 V, as mentioned above. Unless, of course, we want to get a product unsuitable for use. But the current should pay attention. Its value should be 10% of the battery capacity. For example, 7-ampere products need to be charged with a current of 0.7 A.
In some cases, it does not always work out how to restore a gel battery at home. Rather, the result does not meet expectations. At first, when the product is connected to the charger, current consumption will not be observed, so the ammeter will not show anything. But after some time, the “hungry” battery will begin to take portion by portion. It remains only to wait until the battery voltage is set to the desired value.
As a rule, this is 12.6-12.8 volts. You will have to wait a lot - from 10 to 12 hours, no less, and therefore you can go about your business, only periodically checking how things are going.
What improper charging can lead to
A gel battery is a whimsical “creation”, and if a voltage of 15 or more volts is applied, it will simply swell, since the battery is completely sealed. In addition, delamination of the electrolyte from the plates may occur. In some cases, even gas evolution occurs. Then, how to restore the gel battery (6V) is out of the question.
Due to its good tightness, any room is suitable for charging the battery, the main thing is not to allow an increase in voltage. Turn off the charger only after the battery is fully charged, not earlier. It is also very important!
Summarizing
As you can see, the whole process, although it takes a long time, is fraught with nothing complicated. And the answer to the urgent question will be as follows: yes, you can restore the gel battery! True, this is not always possible.