Batteries… so useful until they aren’t. When a battery dies, it’s basically just dead weight and wasted space. Part of the problem lies in the fact that batteries aren’t easy to dispose of; since batteries usually contain harmful chemicals, they have to be taken to a hazardous waste disposal site or a battery recycling center, and this can be inconvenient if you don’t happen to live near a place like this.
That’s why many people tend to let old batteries accumulate and take up space. But what if I told you it was possible to refurbish old batteries and get them working again? You may not be aware, but it’s entirely possible to recondition old batteries and have them working like new again.
Today, I want to go over some of the reasons why it’s a good idea to try and refurbish your old batteries instead of just throwing them out. I’ll also be going over how you can refurbish different types of batteries at home, and at the end I’ll be giving you a resource that you may find particularly helpful if you want to try reconditioning batteries on your own.
Why Should You Refurbish Your Batteries?
So, why go to the trouble of refurbishing your old batteries if it’s easier and more convenient to just throw them out or shove them in a drawer somewhere? Well, as it turns out, there are plenty of valid reasons why you should consider refurbishing your batteries. Let’s go over some of them now.
It’s Better for the Environment
As I’ve mentioned, to properly dispose of batteries you need to take them somewhere that is equipped to deal with old, dead batteries. This is important because batteries usually contain caustic acid and heavy metals like lead and cadmium. These materials are toxic to humans.
However, many people dispose of batteries the same way they dispose of all their other trash; they simply throw them out with the rest of the garbage, where they eventually get tossed in a landfill.
While dead batteries aren’t inherently harmful if they’re sealed correctly, once they sit in a landfill for a while they will inevitably start to rust. When a battery has rusted enough, its contents will leak out into the soil and eventually enter our water supply.
While batteries are usually pretty small, consider just how many of them get thrown out improperly each day. That’s a lot of toxic material just sitting there, slowly making its way into the water we drink. Not exactly a pleasant thought.
The good news is that by refurbishing your old batteries, you’re not just being resourceful but environmentally conscious (How to reduce your carbon footprint) as well. Reconditioning your old batteries is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment.
It Saves You Money
Batteries can be pretty expensive, regardless of what type of battery you’re buying. Car batteries in particular are fairly pricey; it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to find any car battery that costs less than $100, and if you’re in the market for a powerful, high-end battery, then you’ll probably pay considerably more for a new one.
Or perhaps you frequently use battery-powered devices, and you find yourself needing to buy replacement batteries often. In any case, it’s not very cost-effective to always be buying new batteries.
If you refurbish your batteries instead of simply throwing them out, then you’ll ultimately be saving money by not buying new batteries as often. Refurbishing an old battery is almost like getting an entirely new battery for free in a way. And on top of this, refurbishing any kind of battery is usually pretty inexpensive to begin with.
It’s a Useful Skill to Have
Knowing how to refurbish batteries is useful for a number of reasons. As we’ve already established, refurbishing batteries is good for the environment and good for your wallet, but it’s also just handy knowledge to have on hand in general.
Plus, if you’re the only one in your circle of friends who knows how to refurbish batteries properly, then you can use that knowledge to help out others in need. Or you could set up a side-business refurbishing people’s batteries for them and make a little bit of extra cash on the side. In any case, knowing how to properly refurbish all types of batteries is just good knowledge to have.
Is It Dangerous to Refurbish a Battery?
If you refurbish your batteries properly, there’s little risk of danger. However, batteries can certainly be dangerous when not handled properly.
Battery acid is dangerous, and you have to take care when handling batteries to ensure that you don’t get any acid on you. If you’re dealing with a battery that is already cracked, leaking, or otherwise damaged in any way, then unfortunately it can’t be saved through refurbishing. A battery that has been severely abused can also explode in some circumstances.
You can refurbish a battery repeatedly, but it’s not a good idea to do so more than three or four times. Refurbishing becomes less effective the more you do it.
How to Refurbish Batteries on Your Own?
Now that you know why it’s a good idea in general to try and refurbish your old batteries, let’s go over some of the methods you can actually use to refurbish them. I’ll be going over how to refurbish a few specific battery types.
Refurbishing a Car Battery
A new car battery can be expensive and refurbishing an old car battery is a viable option if your car needs a new one. It’s worth noting that a refurbished battery won’t have quite as much power as an entirely new unit, but in most cases a refurbished battery will provide adequate power for starting a car.
Here’s how you should refurbish a car battery:
- Remove the battery from your car and remove all of the vent caps from the battery.
- Fill up the battery with distilled water and connect it to a charger (but don’t put the vent caps back on). After charging your battery for about an hour, you should start to see bubbles coming out of the battery’s vent holes.
- If you don’t see any bubbles, then swap the position of the negative and positive charging wires. After a couple of minutes, you should be seeing bubbles appear. When they do, switch the charging wires back to the correct terminals and charge your battery for another half-hour. If you’ve done all of this correctly, your battery should be as good as new.
Refurbishing a Laptop Battery
If you have a laptop with a removable battery, then you can easily try to refurbish your battery using the following steps:
- Remove the battery from your laptop and place it in a sealed plastic bag.
- Place the bag in your freezer for about 12 hours.
- Remove the battery from the bag and clean it properly.
- Place the battery back into your laptop and fully recharge it.
Refurbishing Nickel-Cadmium Batteries
Refurbishing nickel-cadmium (NiCad) batteries can be a little tricky, since it requires you to do a little bit of jury-rigging. Once you have the hard part out of the way, however, you can easily refurbish multiple NiCad batteries.
- Find a cheap flash camera and disassemble it to access the flash capacitor.
- Connect a battery holder to the flash capacitor using wires and a switch. Make sure that all of your wires are insulated correctly.
- Put an alkaline battery and a NiCad battery in the battery holder together.
- Switch on the device. If you hear a noise, it means it’s working. If you don’t hear a noise right away, switch the device off and on a few times.
Extra Resource: The EZ Battery Reconditioning Program
My goal with this article was to give you a quick guide to refurbishing batteries on your own. However, if you’re in need of a more in-depth guide to battery refurbishing, then I have a resource I’d like to recommend to you.
The EZ Battery Reconditioning Program, created by Tom Ericson, is a comprehensive guide to battery reconditioning. It contains step-by-step guides for refurbishing basically every type of battery that exists, and it also contains tons of visual aids in the form of pictures and diagrams.
The EZ Battery Reconditioning Program is available as a digital download which you can access on any computer or mobile device. The program can be downloaded from the official website.
You can also access additional resources through the official website, like a guide for starting a battery-refurbishing business and a guide for performing preventative maintenance on your various batteries.
If you want to get the most out of whatever batteries you have lying around, then The EZ Battery Reconditioning Program is an invaluable resource to have.
Wrapping up How to Refurbish Batteries
Dead batteries don’t have to stay dead forever. With the proper refurbishing techniques, you can easily revive pretty much any dead battery and use it again.
If you find refurbishing your old batteries to be a challenging task, then The EZ Battery Reconditioning Program may be a great resource to invest in. With the helpful techniques contained in the program, you should find refurbishing your old batteries to be a simple process.
Learning how to refurbish batteries on your own is not only a practical skill but will also save you money in the long run. And on top of this, refurbishing your batteries instead of throwing them out is a great way to do something beneficial for the environment we live in today.