uses of dead cell battery

solarking
solarking Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
what can be done with a dead cell battery?  I have a 12v deepcycle battery with one dead cell , is there a way to use the 10v from the healthy 5 cells from the battery?

Comments

  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    Most modern (non forklift or large industrial) batteries, you cannot assess the inter cell connections to bypass a bad cell.

    Large format batteries can bee a bunch of 2 volt cells soldered together in series. And it is not that difficult to drill out a connection and pop in another cell and torch solder a new connection.

    Without bypassing a bad cell, I am not sure how to continue using the rest of the cells in the typical battery.

    - Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • solarking
    solarking Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
    can I use a cheap pwm charge controller with a small panel to charge the battery  and using a boost converter to convert the 10v to usable voltage to power up some dc lights?
  • Estragon
    Estragon Registered Users Posts: 4,496 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Why bother? It stands to reason the other cells aren't that far from failure, and then what? Do you buy an 8v converter, then a 6v? Assuming the cell(s) fail shorted, are they going to heat and boil dry?

    The battery is probably most useful as the scrap/core charge offset on a new battery
    IMHO.
    Off-grid.  
    Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
    Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
  • BB.
    BB. Super Moderators, Administrators Posts: 33,431 admin
    edited May 2017 #5
    Remember, you have a dead cell that may be open (no current flow), or shorted (looks like a 10 volt battery with an unknown weak link in the bad cell); chemically injured (won't hold charge for long. Looks like a 12 volt battery charging, a 12 volt battery with small load, and transitioning to an 8 volt battery under heavy load (bad cell has -2 volts across it while discharging)....

    Can you make a charger/dc to dc converter to take the wide variations in voltage-- sure.

    Bore did the cell fail in the battery? An open cell, battery is useless.

    A shorted cell, the battery can work ok, but the short may open over time or overheat under load and fail.

    A variable cell. It will probably run hot during charging and discharging. Some risk of an ugly failure.

    Is it worth the costs and risks? Mostly NO for most people. And how long will a crippled battery operate... Don't know.

    - Bill
    Near San Francisco California: 3.5kWatt Grid Tied Solar power system+small backup genset
  • Lumisol
    Lumisol Registered Users Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    They make good paper weights, boat anchors or can be recycled. Your choice. :)
    If using as a boat anchor, cover the terminals with flex seal.
  • Nila
    Nila Solar Expert Posts: 173 ✭✭
    solarking said:
    what can be done with a dead cell battery?  I have a 12v deepcycle battery with one dead cell , is there a way to use the 10v from the healthy 5 cells from the battery?
    From my experience when a cell dies the other ones follow too very quickly ( i have seen it with batteries of sukaam and happened on multiple occasions / different batteries)

    I have seen some people offering to 'fix' the leadacid batteries in here for a cost, may be you can try that
  • solarking
    solarking Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
    Nila said:
    solarking said:
    what can be done with a dead cell battery?  I have a 12v deepcycle battery with one dead cell , is there a way to use the 10v from the healthy 5 cells from the battery?
    From my experience when a cell dies the other ones follow too very quickly ( i have seen it with batteries of sukaam and happened on multiple occasions / different batteries)

    I have seen some people offering to 'fix' the leadacid batteries in here for a cost, may be you can try that
    Sukam battery sucks, inverter companies make poor batteries. Exide is the only reliable option available. How much do they charge for repairing a cell?
  • mvas
    mvas Registered Users Posts: 395 ✭✭✭
    solarking said:
    Sukam battery sucks, inverter companies make poor batteries. Exide is the only reliable option available. How much do they charge for repairing a cell?
    "Repair a cell" = melt the lead and make a brand new battery?
  • Nila
    Nila Solar Expert Posts: 173 ✭✭
    solarking said:
    Nila said:
    solarking said:
    what can be done with a dead cell battery?  I have a 12v deepcycle battery with one dead cell , is there a way to use the 10v from the healthy 5 cells from the battery?
    From my experience when a cell dies the other ones follow too very quickly ( i have seen it with batteries of sukaam and happened on multiple occasions / different batteries)

    I have seen some people offering to 'fix' the leadacid batteries in here for a cost, may be you can try that
    Sukam battery sucks, inverter companies make poor batteries. Exide is the only reliable option available. How much do they charge for repairing a cell?
    Answer is I dont know, I have never tried those services and it is possible they can only fix minor issues and cannot resurrect a dead cell.

    I am never buying another other than exide.

  • Lumisol
    Lumisol Registered Users Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    I never had any luck with Exide personally and don't use the brand anymore. Everyone's experiences will be different based on circumstance. The company being based in India is something I don't like much either, I have had bad experiences with Indian outsourcing for technical services.
  • Nila
    Nila Solar Expert Posts: 173 ✭✭
    Ouch that hurts as we are from India and I actually run a tech company myself, maybe you ran into some sub-par companies.

    I have nothing to 'like' about exide but it is the best available for us and since batteries are heavy we cannot really buy from china  or anywhere.

    off-topic: 
    If you can PM me about your experience I can maybe help as well as prove its all case-by-case and not all indian companies suck :) 
  • solarking
    solarking Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
    Lumisol said:
    I never had any luck with Exide personally and don't use the brand anymore. Everyone's experiences will be different based on circumstance. The company being based in India is something I don't like much either, I have had bad experiences with Indian outsourcing for technical services.
    US Exide is the real exide, Indian exide is totally a different company started after US exide.
    http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/news/auto-components/india-us-companies-to-fight-in-supreme-court-over-exide-trademark/articleshow/54647083.cms

  • solarking
    solarking Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
    Nila said:
    Ouch that hurts as we are from India and I actually run a tech company myself, maybe you ran into some sub-par companies.

    I have nothing to 'like' about exide but it is the best available for us and since batteries are heavy we cannot really buy from china  or anywhere.

    off-topic: 
    If you can PM me about your experience I can maybe help as well as prove its all case-by-case and not all indian companies suck :) 
    I have read your some of your olds posts but not all I thought you are in solar business. What type of tech company you run?
  • Nila
    Nila Solar Expert Posts: 173 ✭✭
    I love solar & electronics in general but that's just a hobby, I run a web/mobile development/consulting & we also do hosting consultancy.
    will PM you more info .

    I wanted to do solar as a business but then later figured it is not suited to us and wanted to keep the focus on tech alone.

    Many people here consider solar as an investment only and compare it to fixed deposits lol.

    Solar, however taught me a lot and I even got to a point where I can make small circuits :)
  • Lumisol
    Lumisol Registered Users Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2017 #16
    solarking said:
    Lumisol said:
    I never had any luck with Exide personally and don't use the brand anymore. Everyone's experiences will be different based on circumstance. The company being based in India is something I don't like much either, I have had bad experiences with Indian outsourcing for technical services.
    US Exide is the real exide, Indian exide is totally a different company started after US exide.
    http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/news/auto-components/india-us-companies-to-fight-in-supreme-court-over-exide-trademark/articleshow/54647083.cms

    That's NOT the company we are talking about, It is a company based in India. http://www.exideindustries.com/

    This one: 

    Not this one: 
  • solarking
    solarking Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
    edited June 2017 #17
    Lumisol said:
    solarking said:
    Lumisol said:
    I never had any luck with Exide personally and don't use the brand anymore. Everyone's experiences will be different based on circumstance. The company being based in India is something I don't like much either, I have had bad experiences with Indian outsourcing for technical services.
    US Exide is the real exide, Indian exide is totally a different company started after US exide.
    http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/auto/news/auto-components/india-us-companies-to-fight-in-supreme-court-over-exide-trademark/articleshow/54647083.cms

    That's NOT the company we are talking about, It is a company based in India. http://www.exideindustries.com/

    This one: 

    Not this one: 

    I thought you are from US and didn't know Indian exide is also available in US I just assumed that only available exide is
  • Lumisol
    Lumisol Registered Users Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    Ah, there's the mistake, assuming that a person from the US speaking to a person from India is talking about a US company. It was a response to the person talking about Exide in India.
  • solarking
    solarking Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭
    Nila said:
    I love solar & electronics in general but that's just a hobby, I run a web/mobile development/consulting & we also do hosting consultancy.
    will PM you more info .

    I wanted to do solar as a business but then later figured it is not suited to us and wanted to keep the focus on tech alone.

    Many people here consider solar as an investment only and compare it to fixed deposits lol.

    Solar, however taught me a lot and I even got to a point where I can make small circuits :)
    Oh Great! nice to hear that.
  • Lumisol
    Lumisol Registered Users Posts: 374 ✭✭✭
    I learned a lot as a kid from my 65 in 1 electronic projects kit. It even has a photovoltaic cell included in it. I loved the 'sonic fish caller' project and it actually worked.
  • oilpond
    oilpond Registered Users Posts: 3
    Hey guy from straya i joined to give my two cents on an old post.
    I use old forby 12v batts with a dead cell to run cheap car 12v work lights and most other things needing 18650s they work great and run for ever. Cuddles?