What Is Battery Reconditioning On Charger | A Complete Guide

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If you have a severely uncharged battery because of several years of unuse, a standard battery charger won’t get things running. In this case, what’s better than getting a battery reconditioning charger and blowing new life into your battery? Surely not spending hundreds of dollars on a new battery.

There are tons of other reasons why you should use a battery reconditioning charger. Not only do they make your life easier with their AI technology, but they also make the charging process safer. And while we won’t be wasting your time on reasons, it is time we get to the real and fun stuff.

What Does a Battery Reconditioning Charger Mean?

A battery reconditioning charger is just a simple battery charger, but just better.

While a normal battery charger will easily overcharge the battery, the reconditioning battery charger will not. This is because the advanced artificially intelligent technology incorporated into its microprocessors makes sure that the reconditioning battery charger monitors the current and voltage very closely so as not to cause your battery to overcharge.

While a normal battery charger will easily overcharge the battery, the reconditioning battery charger will not. This is because the advanced Artificially Intelligent technology incorporated into its microprocessors makes sure that the reconditioning battery charger monitors the current and voltage very close so as not to cause your battery to overcharge.

Plus, thanks to its microprocessors and power monitoring technology, it can easily breathe a new soul into a severely overcharged battery. This is not possible with a normal battery charger because no matter how long you keep it connected, it just doesn’t have enough capacity to reverse the chemical reaction and crystal formation on the battery cell’s electrodes.

Finally, you can use the battery reconditioning charger to essentially recondition a battery. This is practically the same thing as renewing your battery on a chemical level by reversing all the bad chemical reactions between the electrolyte and electrodes over time and under increased, constant usage.

So, all in all, a battery reconditioning charger is a technologically advanced form of a battery charger with better and safer features. If you can afford it, you should buy it today!

How Does It Work?

We won’t be going into the deep physics of how the battery reconditioning charger works by desulfurization and sending low-frequency signals to allow the sulfur deposits on the electrodes to break apart on the atomic level and re-dissolve back into the electrode, hence reconditioning the battery on a chemical and atomic level. But we will be talking about some general stuff.

Essentially, a battery reconditioning charger is a smart battery charger that works by first monitoring the battery’s voltage and current and then computing through its microprocessors and artificially intelligent programs to calculate whether the battery needs a whole reconditioning or a simple charge.

That’s right. You can use the battery reconditioning charger to charge your batteries as well as recondition them.

The batteries are a significant improvement over normal battery chargers in that they not only incorporate automaticity but also make charging batteries a whole lot safer. 

In addition, they continuously monitor the voltage and current of your batteries to make sure they do not overcharge. This is not the case with normal battery chargers since they will keep on charging your batteries endlessly, leading to them ending up overcharged.

One of the biggest perks of using a battery reconditioning charger is that it can essentially reverse the chemical reactions that lead to the permanent non-functionality of the batteries. For example, if sulfur crystals build up on the electrodes of the battery’s individual cells, the battery may not work at its full capacity.

The reconditioning charger works by removing these sulfur crystals and, in the process, reviving both the integrity of the electrolyte and the cells’ electrodes.

Advantages of Battery Charger Reconditioning Mode Feature

A battery charger reconditioning mode is a feature of a smart battery that automatically turns on when your battery needs reconditioning. So how does it know when your battery needs reconditioning? First, hop over to the section “How does a battery charger recondition a battery?” But several advantages come with a battery charger reconditioning mode:

Economically Friendly

Battery reconditioning is financially friendly. It’s just a one-time investment, and after that, you can revive batteries that haven’t felt electricity for decades, as many times as you want. Plus, they are very sturdy and durable as well. So don’t feel shy while using them and get your hands a little dirty.

Environmentally friendly

While you might not realize it yet, lead-acid batteries generate 2.8 million tons of solid waste every year, constituting 1-2% of the total solid waste in the US. When calculated per person, it comes to roughly 19 pounds per person per year.

That’s a huge number, but it can be reduced drastically if people want. One way to do this is to recondition your batteries instead of throwing them around and getting a new battery. Help save the planet.

Start your own business

It’s as easy as that. But unfortunately, not a lot of people have the time or patience to recondition a battery manually, and neither can they afford the hassle of having their battery charged by a battery reconditioning charger.

People will pay you if you bring value to them. And what better value than reviving their car batteries and saving them tons of money and trips to O’Reilly Auto Parts.

Best Battery Reconditioning Chargers In The Market

CTEK Battery Charger Reconditioning Mode

With three lines of reconditioning chargers, namely CTEK MXS 3.8,
CTEK MXS 5.0
(on Amazon), and CREK MXS 7.0, it is one of the best reconditioning battery chargers for all you battery geeks out there.

The 3.8 version uses a 7-step charging process, while the 5.0 and 7.0 ones use an 8-step charging process. The 7.0 one, however, has higher power potential.

Dewalt Battery Charger Reconditioning Mode

The DEWALT 80 amp 12V battery reconditioning charger (on Amazon) is industrial grade, heavy-duty, and a beast in what it does. It can recondition in less time than some other chargers, which is one of its best features. It is also very durable.

Stanley Battery Charger Reconditioning Mode

15 amperes reconditioning battery charger with a built-in 40 amperes engine starter. The Stanley reconditioning charger (on Amazon) will calculate the appropriate amount of current to charge your battery properly without overcharging. However, if your lead-acid battery needs reconditioning, it will carry out the desulfurization for you, hands down.

Black and Decker Battery Charger Reconditioning Mode

40 amps smart charger with a built-in 110 amps engine starter function. Just like any other reconditioning battery, this one too can monitor the voltage and current of the battery and compute whether the battery needs reconditioning or not. Plus, being black and decker, this one is not too costly.

Vector Smart battery charger reconditioning Mode

With three charge rate settings of 2 amps, 10 amps, and 20 amps, this battery can be used on a battery of various sizes. Small batteries, such as those found in lawnmowers, benefit from 2 amps; small cars, 10 amps; and light trucks, 20 amps. However, do remember that the battery is intended to be used for 12V lead-acid batteries only.

Everstart Plus Battery Charger Recondition Mode

Another one of our favorite reconditioning battery chargers is intended for 12V lead-acid batteries only. The reconditioning function works separately from the charging function and must also be treated as such.

Key Features of Battery Reconditioning Chargers

Dissolves crystals

This is one of the most critical features of the battery reconditioning charges. Their sole ability to dissolve sulfate crystals deposited on the individual cell’s electrodes makes them stand apart from normal battery charges.

This ability to dissolve sulfate crystals is one of the reasons why battery reconditioning chargers can essentially recondition a battery while a normal battery charger cannot.

The built-in microprocessors send signals at certain frequencies that break the bonds between the solid sulfate crystals. This lets the sulfate ions dissolve back into the electrolyte, rejuvenating both the battery and the electrodes. This process is called “reconditioning.”

Regulators

These are smart batteries, which means they can perform decisions by computing results based on a complex algorithm of inputs and outputs. A reconditioning charger gives input to the battery and receives an output from it.

This output signal from the battery allows the reconditioning charger to set up its voltage and current input to the battery. It will not be harmful to the battery and, at the same time, charge it fully and recondition it when needed.

This regulation and monitoring of current and voltage input and output come from hundreds of built-in microprocessors in the reconditioning battery charger that function based on an artificial intelligence program.

Voltage and current readings

This relates to the previous point. The battery reconditioning charger must be able to properly read and calculate the voltage and amperage of the battery. This will allow it to monitor and adjust its current and voltage input to the battery itself.

Suppose you get one of those modern battery reconditioning chargers. In that case, chances are that the charger will allow you to read the voltage and amperage of the battery in real-time while it is charging it—no need to invest in an ammeter or a voltmeter once you get one of these bad boys.

How Does A Battery Charger Recondition A Battery?

There are seven simple steps based on which a battery charger reconditions a battery.

1. Desulfuration

In this phase, the battery charger sends short bursts of low-frequency signals to the battery, and it allows the sulfur precipitates on the battery electrodes to disintegrate on a molecular level, convert into sulfur ions, combine with hydrogen and oxygen in the media, and re-form the sulfuric acid of the electrolyte.

2. Slow amperage

After desulfurization, the charger essentially readies the battery to be reconditioned appropriately and recharged. The charger gives the battery 50% of the total current to get the battery ready.

3. Max amperage

After slow amperage, the charger delivers 100% of the current to the battery but does not fully capacitate it yet. The max amperage lasts as long as the battery reaches a capacity of around 75-80%.

4. Steady amperage flow

Once 80% capacitated, the charger reverts to slow charging the battery until it reaches a capacity of 100%.

This cycle of slow and fast charging the battery makes sure that the charger monitors the voltage and power closely and allows the battery to reach 100% capacity.

5. Test

The built-in voltmeter of the charger tests if the battery has reached 100% capacity; if not, it reverts to the slow charging step and repeats the loop. If yes, then it proceeds to the next step.

6. Recondition via steady amperage

The battery charger sends a constant, steady flow of low current to the battery. This ensures that the battery is fully reconditioned by allowing the chemical reactions to reverse between the electrolyte and the electrode, using the low current as a catalyst. Once done, the electrolyte and the electrode will have the same charge.

7. Float charging

Once 100% capacitated and fully reconditioned, the charger switches to float charging, which allows the charger to maintain the battery at a 100% capacity without overcharging it.

How Long Does It Take For A Charger To Recondition A Battery?

The process essentially depends on the quality of the battery, its amperage, and the voltage and size of the battery. That being said, the average time to recondition a battery varies somewhere around 24-36 hours.

FAQs

Frequently Asked Question - What Is Battery Reconditioning On Charger

Do battery reconditioning chargers work?

Yes, they not only work… They work wonders.

Can you charge a battery without a charger?

You cannot charge a battery to its full capacity without a charger.

What is the difference between battery reconditioning chargers and battery chargers?

Battery reconditioning chargers are smart chargers that prevent overcharging and recondition the battery. Normal battery chargers will overcharge your battery and not recondition it as well.

When should I recondition a battery?

When you see that the battery does not charge to its 100% capacity even after fully charging it, you should also recondition a battery if it’s very old, hasn’t been used for quite some time, or doesn’t respond to normal chargers.

How do you recondition a sealed car battery?

The easiest way to recondition a sealed car battery is to use a battery reconditioning charger.

How does a battery charger desulfate a battery?

By sending low-frequency signals that essentially break the sulfur crystal deposits at the atomic level.

How do I know if my battery is sulfated?

It doesn’t charge to 100%, discharges very slowly, and does not give the voltage and current output as it is supposed to. If that is the case, it is time to recondition your battery.

Can you recondition a deep cycle battery?

Yes, you can.

Conclusion

Battery reconditioning chargers are truly marvelous. Not only do they eliminate the need to manually recondition a battery or take it to an auto-parts store, but they also make things super fun, easy, and most importantly, environmentally and financially friendly.
James Owen

James is an engineer and a professional blogger. He has gained extensive experience over the years, handling all types of power projects. He loves to share his experiences with all things related to batteries, generators, and other power-related topics.

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