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Drake,<br>
Here's the only HP article I could find in HP's online search:<br>
<br>
<p class="LetterTitle">
Battery Reconditioning
</p>
<p class="LetterQuestion">
Dear Richard, I had an accident here and some of my
nickel iron batteries lost their electrolyte. I need to know
how to recondition them and where to purchase the
electrolyte. Thanks for your help.
</p>
<p class="LetterQuestion" align="right">
Bob Feyen, Muscoda, Wisconsin
</p>
<p class="LetterAnswer">
Hello Bob, Reconditioning alkaline cells (either NiCd or
NiFe) means cleaning them out, replacing the old
electrolyte with new electrolyte, and charging the hell
out of them.
</p>
<p class="LetterAnswer">
Safety first! Use rubber gloves and goggles! Have a
supply of vinegar on hand in case you spill electrolyte
on yourself. While alkaline electrolyte is not as fierce as
the sulfuric acid used in lead-acid cells, it can still burn,
especially if it gets into your eyes.
</p>
<p class="LetterAnswer">
Rinse the emptied cells with distilled water until they are
clean. Dispose of this wash water, and any spent
electrolyte, in a responsible manner. In NiCd cells, the
electrolyte can contain minute amounts of cadmium, so
handle it as hazardous waste. In NiFe cells, the
electrolyte is easier to dispose of—just neutralize it with
vinegar (or hydrochloric acid, HCl, available from any
pool supply house) and you can compost it.
</p>
<p class="LetterAnswer">
Mix the new electrolyte using technical grade potassium
hydroxide (KOH). This is available from most chemical
supply stores. Stir the KOH into distilled water in a large
plastic container. I use a clean, 32 gallon, heavy duty,
plastic trash can. Keep adding KOH until the specific
gravity of the electrolyte is between 1.2 and 1.25. This
amounts to about 1 pound of KOH to 1 gallon of distilled
water. If you add too much KOH, simply bring the
specific gravity down by adding more distilled water.
Use a clean (never used with a lead-acid battery),
temperature-compensated hydrometer to measure the
specific gravity of the new electrolyte. When the KOH
dissolves, it will give off heat, so add the KOH slowly
(about a pound at a time), mix thoroughly (I use a hunk
of clean plastic conduit to stir the mixture), and wait for
everything to cool off before making the specific gravity
measurement. Mix all the electrolyte you will need at the
same time if possible. This assures uniformity in the
electrolyte.
</p>
<p class="LetterAnswer">
When the electrolyte is cool and at the proper specific
gravity, refill the cells. Add a thin (1/8 inch thick) layer of
pure (USP) mineral oil (from any drug store) to the top
of each cell and you’re ready to put the cells back in
service. Expect the cells to take five or six cycles before
coming up to full capacity.
</p>
<p class="LetterAnswer" align="right">
Richard Perez • Home Power
</p>
<br>
<div class="moz-signature">
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<title></title>
<font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><b>Allan Sindelar</b></font><br>
<small><a href="mailto:Allan@positiveenergysolar.com"><font
color="#000099" face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><u>Allan@positiveenergysolar.com</u></font></a></small><font
face="Times New Roman, Times, serif"><br>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;">NABCEP Certified Photovoltaic
Installer<br>
NABCEP Certified Technical Sales Professional<br>
New Mexico EE98J Journeyman Electrician<br>
<b>Positive Energy, Inc.</b><br>
3201 Calle Marie<br>
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507<br>
<b>505 424-1112</b><br>
<a href="http://www.positiveenergysolar.com/" target="_blank"><u>www.positiveenergysolar.com</u></a><o:p></o:p></span></font>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: 722.25pt;"><span
style="font-size: 10pt;"><font face="Times New Roman, Times,
serif"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on"></st1:city><st1:state
w:st="on"></st1:state><st1:postalcode w:st="on"></st1:postalcode></st1:place></font><b
style=""><br>
</b></span></p>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><br>
</span> </div>
<br>
On 5/1/2011 8:43 AM, PRP wrote:
<blockquote
cite="mid:BF2D5EB3EA9F4A1487F35F9A93D8EB0F@pineridgeproducts.com"
type="cite">
<div>
<div> <span>Hi Drake</span></div>
<div><span><br>
</span></div>
<div><span>Richard Rerez did a good story on this and used the
ED 160's as the subject example. If you can find a reprint
of that it would help you make that call.</span></div>
<div><span><br>
</span></div>
<div><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:
Times; font-size: medium;">
<pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Cost Comparisons between Nickel-Cadmium & Lead-Acid
Batteries
Richard Perez
</pre>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><br>
</div>
</span> </span> <span><br>
-- </span></div>
<div><span>Logan Bryce</span></div>
<div><span><br>
Pine Ridge Products LLC
<div>1646 East Highwood Rd</div>
<div>Belt, MT 59412</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.pineridgeproducts.com">www.pineridgeproducts.com</a></div>
<div><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.chinookturbines.com">www.chinookturbines.com</a></div>
<br>
</span>
<!-- <p style="color: #a0a0a0;">On Sunday, May 1, 2011 at 8:37 -May 1, Drake wrote:</p> -->
<p style="color: rgb(160, 160, 160);">On Sunday, May 1, 2011
at 8:37 -May 1, Drake wrote:</p>
<blockquote type="cite" style="border-left-style: solid;
border-width: 1px; margin-left: 0px; padding-left: 10px;"> <span>
<div>
<div>
Hello Wrenches,<br>
<br>
A friend was given some old Nicads (ED 160s). These
are single cell
batteries that are roughly 16" tall, but much smaller
than an L-16
in the other dimensions. After being used for an
unknown amount of
time, they were stored in a barn for 10 years with no
maintenance.
<br>
<br>
If these were lead acid batteries, they would clearly
be scrap. Is
there any chance that these could be any good? If so,
what steps
should be taken to get them out of mothballs? <br>
<br>
Thanks,<br>
<br>
Drake <br>
<br>
<br>
<x-sigsep>
<p>
<font size="2">Drake
Chamberlin<x-tab> </x-tab>
<br>
ATHENS ELECTRIC<br>
OH License
44810<x-tab> </x-tab><br>
CO license 3773<br>
NABCEP Certified PV<br>
</font>
</p>
</x-sigsep></div>
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