Battery "conditioners"?

[diesel research]

Over the past few years I have seen a number of devices claiming to "condition", "rejuvenate", "desulphate", or otherwise "prolong" the life of automotive type lead-acid batteries.

What is the consensus on these devices?

Some are plug in trickle chargers, while a few are meant to be installed on vehicles, semi-permanently.

Any one able to use them with a measurable amount of success?

Specific brands/models/features?

 

[Danglerb]

I've been looking at this for YEARS, and never found anything remotely like serious tests or a consensus on results.

Opinions that are common are:

They work, but most commercial products have pulses too weak to do much of anything.

The simple float charger does a huge amount to keeping a modern battery happy.

Fairly cheap "high power pulser" kits are available from the solar power guys that are into batteries on a larger scale.

Batteries have improved over the years in some respects, so could be the improvement people are seeing or the float charging, not the pulsing.

******************* I haven't bought anything pulse or desulphating yet. If I did I think it would be one of the kits the solar types use.

 

[HOTFR8]

My experience with C-Teks and Deltrans chargers has been very good as a conventional battery lasts much longer even when the vehicle is not used with any regularity.

 

[malibu101]

My experience with C-Teks and Deltrans chargers has been very good as a conventional battery lasts much longer even when the vehicle is not used with any regularity.

I have never owned a C-Tek.
However, myself and few of my buddies use Battery Tenders (Deltran) on the seasonal toys.
My experience is the same as above. They do keep the batteries happy.

 

[DrkMtnDew]

i was hoping this thread would get around to talking about C-Tek's. i too have been looking at them but was not sure if they were worth the money. howerver it sounds like they work well.

 

[Fedwrench]

I have a handful of vehicles in my fleet that are rarely driven. I was replacing their batteries annually. I installed CTeks on each one and two years later, I haven't had to replace a battery and they start each and every time. As long as the driver hooks it back up. Mine are hard wired to the battery with a supplied connector that plugs in. the toolwarehouse.net was the cheapest place I've found them at. I also had a battery tender on a gator until the operator misplaced it.

 

[Kurn]

A couple of centuries ago,there was a product sold thru Whitney called VX-6.Some kind of liquid you poured in the battery.This stuff may have actually worked,cuz around 1970 I bought a '56 Ford off of the original owner,and it had the original battery in it that worked fine.The owner had used this stuff over the years.

 

[diesel research]

i was hoping this thread would get around to talking about C-Tek's. i too have been looking at them but was not sure if they were worth the money. howerver it sounds like they work well.

I mention no specific brand because I simply could not remember CTEK's name and hoped someone else would chime in. Lots of older threads related to CTEK, but hard to search for if you cannot remember name.

Still interested to hear of other brand opinions as well.

A couple of centuries ago,there was a product sold thru Whitney called VX-6.Some kind of liquid you poured in the battery.This stuff may have actually worked,cuz around 1970 I bought a '56 Ford off of the original owner,and it had the original battery in it that worked fine.The owner had used this stuff over the years.

Also interested in this, as it pertains to the goal at hand. I have saw 2 kinds available. The jc whitney kind was some kind of chemical that *claimed* to desulphate. No idea how/if that worked. Also was available semi recently, as I am not that old. Had multiple sizes up to 1gal I think the stuff was some type of calcium or something...

The other additive I saw was an oil that floated above the water level. Was supposed to protect the plates from oxidation, and supposedly reduce outgassing and evaporation. Yet again, no experience, as most of my previous batteries had nearly impossible to remove vents.


Also wondering if these cteks and battery tender type pulsers have marked performance increases over standard trickle chargers?

 

[terabyte]

C-Tek and I love it!

 

[Teken]

The solar guys are the place to be and ask the Q for sure. The one thing people need to keep in mind is that IF you decide to use the high powered PWM modules.

1. You better make sure the area is well ventilated.

2. The battery is sitting in a protective tray to hold any over spill.

3. Do not leave the battery unattended during the first 2 hours of desulfication.

4. Have a fire extinguisher and baking soda ready at all times.

5. Have a kill switch ready to shut off the power if something goes wrong.

Bottom line they work, but trying to revive a fully discharged and heavily suflicated SLA battery is extremely dangerous and have been known to explode during the revival process.

Eye and hand protection is a must at all times . . . Don't even think about doing this if the kids are going to be walking past the battery while this event is happening . . .

 

[jam0o0]

teken - got a link to where you found this info? i've been figuring out a solar system for a future RV.

 

[dwm]

I've had 2 CTEK chargers for many years. I really like them, and use them regularly.

Several years ago, I had an older SLA battery that wouldn't take a charge from my larger battery chargers. Both would just fault after a few minutes, declaring the battery dead. The CTEK 7000 (modern version is the 7002) charged it. I'n still using that battery, it's in my daily driver.

A good friend had a similar experience with the battery in his midsize tractor. My conclusion is that the desulfation cycle actually works, as long as the battery isn't too far gone. But even if it didn't, I'd still like my CTEKs. They're small, sealed and convenient.

 

[diesel research]

I should note, what ever device I end up using, I would like to use LONG before plates are so sulfated that I HAVE TO get out any kind of charger (ie dead battery) More along the lines of preventative maintenance, maybe a few hours a month or something? Would prefer not to even remove the battery if I could get away with it.

 

[dwm]

In that case, I'd say the CTEK 7002 is definitely the one you want. Their main target is float and maintenance charging, and they've been the best at that of the ones I've owned (I stopped using the Battery Tender once I got the CTEKs). I have a seasonal car and my tractor on CTEKs from November 'til the snow goes away in Michigan, every year. The winter drivers sometimes gets one in the summer while I spend time driving the summer car. Summer car has an Odyssey PC925, winter car has a typical lead acid, tractor has a small lead acid. Previously I had an Optima in the summer driver. The CTEK 7002 does the right thing for all of them.

There's a cigar lighter adapter available if you want to avoid even opening the hood or trunk.

 

[diesel research]

There's a cigar lighter adapter available if you want to avoid even opening the hood or trunk.

Sweet option, although I drive dodges so it no-worky for me. (switched power at outlets)

I know I can set up a quick connect very easily, no issues there.

 

[dwm]

I don't use a cigar lighter adapter, but I installed something similar for charging, under the hood: a Powerlet socket with spring-loaded cap. Common on BMW motorcycles, more robust and foolproof than a cigar lighter.

I have one in the interior too, but just use it for accessories like GPS.

I've bought many Powerlet pieces from Eastern Beaver.

 

[HOTFR8]

I mention no specific brand because I simply could not remember CTEK's name and hoped someone else would chime in. Lots of older threads related to CTEK, but hard to search for if you cannot remember name.

Still interested to hear of other brand opinions as well.


Also interested in this, as it pertains to the goal at hand. I have saw 2 kinds available. The jc whitney kind was some kind of chemical that *claimed* to desulphate. No idea how/if that worked. Also was available semi recently, as I am not that old. Had multiple sizes up to 1gal I think the stuff was some type of calcium or something...

The other additive I saw was an oil that floated above the water level. Was supposed to protect the plates from oxidation, and supposedly reduce outgassing and evaporation. Yet again, no experience, as most of my previous batteries had nearly impossible to remove vents.


Also wondering if these cteks and battery tender type pulsers have marked performance increases over standard trickle chargers?

Just watch out for CHEAP imitations of C-Tek sold on Ebay. If you buy one of those you will be sorry.

I have been selling the Deltrans & C-Teks for years as well as a few other models and been very happy with them.