De-Sulfator Instructions and Operational Limitations

Aero Bat Pac 12 volt & 24 volt De-Sulfator/Smart Chargers
 
 

      Diagnose Your Battery Accurately   
Sometimes too much sulfation has occurred for de-sulfation to be successful and/or other problems such as a "shorted cell" exist which can't be fixed by de-sulfation; and thus your only choice is to replace the battery.  If in doubt as to your battery's overall condition or ailment, test your battery under load, including a specific gravity test of each cell.  You can use the hydrometer tester supplied with your unit, or (preferably) have your battery checked for "shorted cells" and/or excessive  loss of reactive material (plates) etc. professionally by a competent shop.  Occasionally you can distinguish "shorted cell(s) by cells which do not "boil" when forced charged by shop charger, but the most common method is by the proper use of a hydrometer.
Generally sulfation manifests itself as an insulation or coating (so to speak) which tends to keep a battery from accepting or effectively holding a charge across the board to all cells somewhat equally.  Pulse De-Sulfation will not repair "shorted cells" and other maladies such as vibration damage and a battery severely weakened by un-attended sulfation resulting in excessive plate sloughing-off of reactive material, etc..  Thus, we do not recommend you attempt to de-sulfate/charge any battery with these problems as you will be disappointed. 

      Discharged, Heavily Sulfated, Or Semi-Dormant Batteries:  Unlike normal or "dumb" chargers, these units will not charge a completely dead battery.   If for any reason the subject battery is totally discharged or nearly so, it may be necessary to first charge with a regular charger for a short period so as to "excite" or turn on the de-sulfator.  For example, the de-sulfator typically needs to see a minimum of 10.5 volts on a 12 volt battery in order to begin its process. 
 Once the battery has accepted some level of charge and it has been determined that it doesn’t have any bad or shorted cells (as indicated by the hydrometer etc.), simply connect the Bat Pac and let it go for a few days or longer.  The green light should stay on steady for a time while the unit brings the battery up to proper voltage prior to beginning its de-sulfation mode.  After the Bat Pac unit senses the battery has received sufficient charge, it will automatically switch to the de-sulfation mode indicated by a blinking green  light.  This could take a few hours or days, depending on how long it takes to bring the battery up to full rated charge.  It the green light doesn’t switch from steady to blinking within a reasonable time, say a few days or the time allotted in the instructions such as to allow the battery to reach it operational voltage, check the battery again with a load tester or hydrometer as it probably isn’t a candidate for de-sulfation as it probably has one or more “dead” or shorted cells.  

       In-Use/Charged Batteries:   If the battery has been in use and has been operating relatively satisfactorily, chances are it is already in somewhat of a charged state ready for the de-sulfator.  After hooking it up initially, simply press the manual pulse button to "force start" the de-sulphation process manually to verify the de-sulfator recognizes the battery to be a satisfactory candidate.  Then if you like, you can then temporarily disconnect the de-sulfator from the battery only to reconnect it again to allow the unit to function totally automatically where it will eventually automatically switch to its de-sulfaton mode on its own when ready.
Unique patent pending PulseMode creates high-frequency pulses that break down the sulphated crystals. The battery is then able to reach its full level of charge, without excessive heat generation common to regular chargers.  Remember, if the green light isn't blinking, the unit IS NOT de-sulfating.  If after a reasonable period of time the unit won't automatically switch to the de-sulfation mode OR you can not force it to by depressing the manual De-sulfation Button, the battery probably isn't a candidate for de-sulfation and has other problems. 

       Note:  Typically even if left unattended for extended periods of time (months on end), and if used in accordance with directions, generally water never needs to be replaced while batteries are being automatically maintained with Aero Bat Pac as the unit is designed to never "boil out" the electrolyte (battery acid).

The unit plugs directly into a standard wall outlet (or extension cord) typically eliminating the need to remove the battery from its "in-use" location.  However, while no damage has ever been recorded to any on-board electronic equipment or avionics, when used on aircraft, it is recommended all on-board avionics be shut down including various "keep alive" circuits during the on-going pulse de-sulfating process.  Alternatively, ideally the battery should be removed or disconnected from the aircraft just in case.  In any regard make no mistake; we do not warrant any damage to outside electronic components.  

The Underwriters Lab (UL) and CSA LISTED Aero Bat Pac has both Charge/ Power On as well as Battery Condition / Polarity indicators.   The unit isn't designed for un-protected use outdoors.   If used outdoors in potentially wet areas, it should be protected from rain and heavy dew etc.

Both 12v & 24v units will typically reject* a "shorted cell" junk battery while ensuring a full charge (and pulse De-Sulfation) to all others, including deep cycle marine, gel and maintenance free automotive. See box below for more detail on the diagnostic capabilities of this unit.  In some cases however, it may be necessary to charge a fully discharged battery with a normal or "dumb" charger prior to engaging a de-sulfator.

The 1 to 1.5 amp charger function on the 12v unit operates similar to other automatic chargers, but may not charge a totally dead battery.  Generally the de-sulfation process takes several days if not weeks (or longer) to remove significant sulfation deposits from battery plates.  Generally, the larger the battery and/or the more sulfation present, the longer it takes to de-sulfate. Pulse de-sulfation is a process for long-term preventative maintenance.   Unit comes complete with a simple to use hydrometer type battery tester, quick connect terminal assemblies.   Both Bat Pac units come with a 5 year “no hassle” warranty. 

Typically, otherwise good but operationally non-functional heavily sulfated batteries can be restored to approx.70- 80% of original rated capacity if they have no other physical maladies such as a shorted cell or excessive plate "fall out" or deterioration etc.  This unit will not repair shorted cells or physical damage to batteries and will not restore reactive material which has already sloughed-off to the bottom of the case.  It will however, remove (and help keep from forming in the future), most problematic sulfation which has formed due to neglect or in batteries which have not been charged on a regular basis etc.  Usually on batteries which are not used on a regular basis de-sulfation is necessary in order to keep batteries from becoming re-sulfated in the first place.

Note:  The Pulse de-sulfation process can take weeks (or longer) depending on the level of sulfation and size of the battery etc.  Typically the more plate area the longer it will take.  G-35 aviation batteries should only take a few weeks to de-sulfate initially.  If the battery doesn't respond in a month (or so) of cumulative pulse de-sulfation it is beyond help and should be replaced.

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Click Here To Learn More About Battery Sulfation And How It Especially Affects Typical GA Batteries
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