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'Bat-aid' battery pills

Alistair

By Alistair
in Boat Equipment

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Alistair Contributor

Alistair

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Well they're these little pills that you can get in a tube from motor factors (for a quid a tube), or H**fords for about four quid a tube.

 

One pill per cell, so they say, and your batteries will be so happy they glow. Or something.

 

What's this all about then? Anybody have anything specific about what's in them, how they work, if they work?

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Sir Nibble Veteran II

Sir Nibble

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These little pills wouldn't happen to have this printed on them.... would they?
Not at all officer.

I remember when I was at college we tried a few experiments with these things. They are a chemical desulphation, they didn't work, doubt if they do now. Having said that, I have heard anecdotal evidence of them working, but I've heard anecdotal evidence for fairies and elves. (Back to Melders' smiley). Certainly in 33 years in the trade I have never heard of a professional who would even stock them.

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Gibbo Veteran II

Gibbo

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Those pills do nowt other than contaminate the electrolyte. You might as well put a paracetamol or asprin in there.

 

Or piss in them.

 

It will have about the same effect.

 

Gibbo

Edited by Gibbo
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Alistair Contributor

Alistair

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Hmm.

 

According to this the pills contain sodium sulphate (50-75%) and magnesium sulphate (10-25%).

 

I'm no electrochemist, so can't see quite how the Na+ and Mg++ ions help stop sulphation happening.

 

Is there an electrochemist in the house?

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Keeping Up Veteran II

Keeping UpDonate to Canal World

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Those pills do nowt other than contaminate the electrolyte. You might as well put a paracetamol or asprin in there.

A better solution might be to just take the paracetamol yourself. It should take away some of the pain of paying for a new set of batteries.

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charles123 Rising Star

charles123

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I tried these 6 months back, I put 2 or 3 in the cells that were in the "orange section"using a hydrometer while the other cells were in the green, charged up the batteries a couple of times over a couple of weeks and checked again a couple of times, the cells were all about the same ie in the green. I checked the cells again a month back and they were all reading in the green after charging. So it appears to have worked but I dont know enough about batteries to be certain

 

Charles

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Gibbo Veteran II

Gibbo

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I tried these 6 months back, I put 2 or 3 in the cells that were in the "orange section"using a hydrometer while the other cells were in the green, charged up the batteries a couple of times over a couple of weeks and checked again a couple of times, the cells were all about the same ie in the green. I checked the cells again a month back and they were all reading in the green after charging. So it appears to have worked but I dont know enough about batteries to be certain

 

Charles

 

You can increase the SG of a tired battery by putting sugar, salt or even instant coffee in it.

 

That won't make the battery work any better either.

 

Gibbo

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Guest

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Those pills do nowt other than contaminate the electrolyte. You might as well put a paracetamol or asprin in there.

Or piss in them.

 

It will have about the same effect.

 

Gibbo

Just tried it. No improvement whatsoever :D

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smileypete Veteran II

smileypete

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You can increase the SG of a tired battery by putting sugar, salt or even instant coffee in it.

 

That won't make the battery work any better either.

 

Gibbo

 

BTW have you tried the method I mentioned the other day at all?

 

cheers,

Pete.

Edited by smileypete
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carlt Veteran II

carlt

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Please note this piece of important safety advice.

 

If you wish to put piss in your battery, please urinate into a jug, or other suitable vessel, then transfer the liquid into the battery.

 

Pissing directly into the battery can cause acid splash-back and severe blistering can occur.

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Gibbo Veteran II

Gibbo

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Please note this piece of important safety advice.

 

If you wish to put piss in your battery, please urinate into a jug, or other suitable vessel, then transfer the liquid into the battery.

 

Pissing directly into the battery can cause acid splash-back and severe blistering can occur.

 

The voice of experience?

 

Gibbo

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anhar Rising Star

anhar

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I guess then she also found out about Johnny Cash's "Burning Ring of Fire"!!!!
That's more apposite than you might think Chris because "johnny" is one of the slang words in London for urinating though it is some years old now. It comes from Johnny Cash, to rhyme with slash, the latter itself being an old and widely used slang word for urinating, though not a rhymer.

 

Incidentally "johnny" which has probably just reached somewhere like Marsworth in its percolation round the country has been replaced by those wanting to appear cool in town by "french". (french kiss if anyone wondered) Being versatile, it can be used in the direct sense of "I'm desperate for a french" and in the metaphorical "taking the french". In contrast, johnny was only ever used in the direct sense of micturition. Nobody ever referred to "taking the johnny", presumably because nobody ever referred to "taking the slash".

 

regards

Steve

Edited by anhar
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chris w Veteran II

chris w

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That's almost a PhD dissertation. You obviously have too much time on your hands!!!!

 

For the uninitiated, "taking the Mick" or "taking the Micky" are derived from the word micturate which, as Steve mentioned above, means to urinate.

 

Steve: as the fount of all knowledge on this body stuff, what's the "in" word these days for a "J. Arthur"?

 

Chris

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