MANUAL
ON-LINE
Copyright © 2015 A to Z Global Marketing Inc. All Rights Reserved. Battery Chem is a trademark of A to Z Global Marketing Inc.
Sulfation Removal Chemical
TM
Sulfation Removal Chemical
TM
HOW DO YOU CHECK A SEALED TOP BATTERY?
Note:
You can purchase our special plugs and use a stop drill to avoid damaging the battery plates when you drill the holes into
the top of each cell, or, you can do the following. Personally we prefer the plugs because it makes it much easier to check
the water levels in the batteries.
The first step is to purchase a small metal punch with a sharp tapered end. Then, peel off the labels on the top of the
battery lids. Inserting a knife blade under one corner of the label can do this. As soon as you have curled up enough of
the label to grasp with your thumb and adjacent finger, just simply peel the label off. Underneath, you will then see the
circular outline of a hole in the plastic directly above each cell. Using a hammer, drive your punch right through the middle
of each circular outline. Don’t go too deep or you could hit and damage the plates. Just make the hole wide enough so
that you can insert the prod on your 2-volt tester. Test each cell, as you would do to any top post battery. Some sealed
lids have a circular (green eyed plug) in them. This is easily be removed by driving a flat head screwdriver into and below
the top and prying out this plug. It can later be hammered back in. Some advise you to drill out holes in the tops and
later use excess battery caps to plug them shut. We have found this to be time consuming and you never seem to get
these caps to stay on tight or in a neat straight row. We have a solution for this. After you have punched the holes and
the battery tests OK, with the 2-volt tester, proceed to recondition. If you need to add water to any cells, use your
hydrometer for this purpose. The tip end will go over the holes enough for you to “squeeze in” the water. If this battery
reconditions, clean it and wipe it dry. Be careful when scrubbing the top, not to use too much kerosene.
Now to seal back the tops –
First, you can plug the large hole by taking this same plug and just hammering it back in. As for then sealing the other
holes, we use a self-adhesive film. Put a piece of this film across each battery top and trim off the excess. We use a single
edge razor blade and ruler edge for making a straight cut. Press the film down firmly all the way to the edge of the lids.
The small holes will show through the film, but so what. You can then place your label over one of these lids if you prefer
and leave the other lid as is. You can tell them if you want, that the holes were necessary in order to properly chemically
treat the battery as part of your reconditioning process. You then create a mysterious era about your work without
revealing what you are actually doing.
BATTERY DISPLAY:
After you have reconditioned, cleaned, numbered, labeled and determined the cold crank amperage of each battery, they
are now ready to display. We move ours to the front room of our building and arrange them neatly by group size on a
long table. From left to right, we begin with group 24 batteries, and then group 74. Next is group 22, 72, 27, 77 and then
Volkswagen batteries (group 42), followed by any odd sizes and finally any 6-volt batteries we have reconditioned. This
arrangement makes a neat and orderly display.
CUSTOMER WANTING YOU TO RECONDITION HIS BATTERY:
As you know by now, not all batteries can be reconditioned. First, customer’s battery will have to be checked as to age
and condition. You can immediately rule out his battery if your 2-volt cell tester shows a dead cell. If his battery passes all
of the other tests do try and recondition it, but inform your customer that even after you have reconditioned his battery it
may not produce the correct amperage output. I always charge a customer the same price if his battery does recondition
properly as I would for one of my reconditioned batteries. There would be no charge for a battery that you can’t
recondition. This customer will more than likely buy one of your batteries anyway if his doesn’t recondition. And, he will
appreciate your efforts in trying to save his battery because it has cost him nothing. Always show the customer why his
battery failed, using a model SB-5 tester or equivalent.
HOW TO DISPOSE OF YOUR BAD BATTERIES:
These are batteries that have failed the reconditioning process, damaged or old, and some batteries you took in on
exchange. In other words, batteries that are of no use to you. Usually, most junkyards or metal recycling plants buy used
batteries every day. If you accumulate around 300 to 400 batteries you can usually sell them direct to the company that
buys from the junkyards. This price difference can run from 25¢ to 50¢ more per battery. However, if you don’t have
storage space or need a faster turnover, the junkyards are your best bet. ALWAYS FOLLOW EPA GUIDELINES WHEN
HANDLING OR DISPOSING OF BATTERIES. YOU CAN CHECK WITH YOUR LOCAL MAJOR BATTERY
WAREHOUSE WHOLESALE SUPPLIER. WHILE YOU ARE AT IT GET A WHOLESALE PRICE LIST FROM HIM SO
YOU CAN BUY NEW BATTERIES FROM HIM AND SELL THEM TO YOU CLIENTS. Locally, we use DEKA Battery.
They are on the Internet and very nice people to do business with.
HOW TO MAKE BATTERY ACID, INEXPENSIVELY:
You must first, take a plastic 5 gallon bucket, and pour the liquid from several batteries that you can determine would not
recondition. Fill the bucket about ¾ full. This acid will be weak in specific gravity and have water in it plus impurities.
Purchase a gallon of 66 degrees sulfuric acid from most chemical companies. The cost will usually run $6-$8. Slowly pour
in about a quart. Stir with a wooden stick. The 5-gallon bucket will get very warm. This is o.k. Remember to handle this
concentrated acid very carefully. If you should splash your skin, wash off immediately with water. Allow this mixture in the
5-gallon bucket to settle for a day. The dark impurities will sink to the bottom. Proper strength acid for adding to batteries
should have a specific gravity reading of at least 1250. Using a hydrometer, take a reading of you 5-gallon bucket mixture.
If it is still too low in specific gravity add a little more of the 66 degree concentrate. What you have done here is take free
acid from your unusable batteries and brought it up to proper strength. Your actual cost for a gallon of acid is very low.
You can sell it for $4 to $6 per gallon, easily.
HOW TO CONVERT AMP HOURS TO COLD CRANK AMPS:
Many batteries are still being marketed with amp hour ratings. An approximate cold crank amperage rating can be figured
by multiplying the amp hours by 5 and ¼ times. Example: 59 amp hours x 5 ¼ = 309.75 cold crank amps at 0 degrees F
or –17.8 degrees C. Also, a close relationship can be obtained by relating a car engine’s cubic inches to cold crank amps.
WAYS TO NOTICE AND ELIMINATE BATTERIES THAT WILL NOT RECONDITION:
First of all, understand that it is good used batteries that you want. Batteries that are over three years old will usually not
completely recondition. An easy test is to remove the caps and look into each cell. If the fluid is dark and so murky that
you cannot see the tops of the plates, this type will not recondition. After you have seen hundreds of batteries you can
usually tell which ones to immediately avoid. This is why a 2 volt cell tester will pay for itself hundreds of times over as it
will show you immediately if a battery has a dead cell. Remember – you are reconditioning batteries, not rebuilding them.
Put batteries with dead cells in your junk pile, as they cannot be reconditioned. You can make more money per man-hour
reconditioning batteries than you could ever make in trying to rebuild them. Forget batteries that are labeled “2 year”
batteries. They usually have not had time to go bad due to sulfating. Also, this type battery is not made up of heavy or
numerous plates and when they fail, it is more than often a dead cell situation. Even if you did successfully recondition a
2-year battery, the remaining normal life left is very short. Batteries that are labeled as having a low amperage output are
not worth trying to recondition. The demand for this type is not sufficient to cover your expenses. Also, these types are
much lighter in weight due to thin and very few plates.
LAWNMOWER AND MOTORCYCLE BATTERIES:
As a rule, these types are not very durable and not worth the effort to try and recondition. However, if you get some
lawnmower batteries that are around less than a year old, give them a try if they pass the usual preliminary tests. Charge
them at a slower rate then cut off and check.
Batteries that have just one or more cells not showing fluid over the tops of the plates should be avoided, with one
exception – those that have just recently acquired a crack or hole in the case causing the acid to leak out. These can
usually be repaired. How to do this is explained in this manual. Absence of fluid in any cell for any length of time is
damaging to the plates. Also, avoid side post batteries that have had the posts stripped out. These can seldom be
repaired since the seal is usually damaged inside the battery behind the lead slug. These will always leak and not be
satisfactory. You can usually see fluid leaking at the bottom of the post. If you cannot find a hole or crack in the case on
any battery showing little or no fluid in any of the cells, forget these for reconditioning. In this instance a dry cell or
extremely low fluid showing in any cell usually means that particular cell has had its plates overheated and boiled dry. A
short can cause this; a voltage regulator set too high can also cause it.
MATCHING AMPERAGE TO VEHICLE REQUIREMENT
The Battery Council International publishes a Battery Replacement Data Book listing all vehicle battery requirements and
in terms of the necessary cold cranks amperage. By using the BCI book there will be no guesswork. The very worst thing
you can do is selling a battery that doesn’t have the proper amperage. Just having a BCI book also makes your business
look more professional and convinces the customer that he has been served correctly.
ABOUT BATTERY INSTALLATION:
I usually try to avoid this and suggest that you display a sign inside your shop above your batteries reading: ALL SALES
CASH & CARRY. INSTALLATION SERVICE $10.00 EXTRA. It usually does not take more than 10 minutes to change
one and the extra cash is nice. If you are busy or have no helper at the time, and would have to cause another customer
to wait, you may never want to start this. It is up to you. Just having the above worded sign on display lets the customer
know that he cannot expect you to install a battery free of charge. Very few battery shops install batteries free. If they do,
you can bet that they charged enough for the battery they sold to cover the labor to install it. Remember – you are
operating a discount type store anyway. Most of your customers have come to you because of the attractive prices and
the nice guarantee. They should not even expect you to provide free installation. However, there will be exceptions – such
as: a physically handicapped person or a lady customer. In either case, it is better to install the battery at no charge than
possibly lose the sale.
ADDITIONAL MONEY-MAKING SERVICE
You know, years ago I discovered by opening up dead sealed batteries and checking inside, that they were sometimes low
on water. Now everyone thinks that sealed batteries do not need distilled water added, but I have found from checking
dead sealed batteries on our own vehicles, that it just isn’t true. I propose that you start a service doing preventative
maintenance on sealed batteries that would consist of the following steps:
1. Remove the battery from the vehicle and clean it thoroughly, including the posts and cable ends.
2. Place the battery on a test bench in dim light and shine a bright extension light on the rear long side of the battery.
When you do this, you will be able to see the fluid levels inside of most batteries. If the fluid is low, proceed to step 3.
3. Using our special stop drill, you will bore a ½ inch hole into each cell using the dividing lines on the top of the battery
as a guide. Add a tablespoon of our dry chemical formula to each cell and then top off each cell with distilled water.
NEVER USE TAP WATER! (see our video below on reconditioning sealed batteries for more info)
4. Place one of our specially provided sealing caps in each ½ inch hole you bored and seal the battery up. Now in the
future you can easily check the water levels and service the battery without removing it from the vehicle.
5. Place the battery back in the vehicle; make sure the battery connections are clean and shiny and put them back.
6. Make sure the battery is bolted securely in place using the hardware provided.
7. Charge the customer fairly for your labor and materials. Remind them to come back every two months for a quick
health check up on their batteries and ask about their other vehicles and equipment. Also remind them how expensive
new batteries are. Never use any other chemical additives no matter what you hear or read. There are no miracle
products and not all batteries can be recovered. When the paste falls off of the plates, the battery is junk –Period. Never
spend thousands of dollars to get into this business; only a shoestring budget is needed and anyone can get in and do it!
Be sure to watch our videos posted on YouTube.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW BUSINESS!
NOTE: If you need larger quantities please send for a quote and include your shipping address and postal code, and
phone number. Write to: batterychem@aol.com
PAGE 4
PAGE 4
MANUAL
ON-LINE
Copyright © 2015 A to Z Global Marketing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Battery Chem is a trademark of A to Z Global Marketing Inc.
Sulfation Removal Chemical
TM
PAGE 4
HOW DO YOU CHECK A SEALED TOP BATTERY?
Note:
You can purchase our special plugs and use a stop drill to avoid
damaging the battery plates when you drill the holes into the
top of each cell, or, you can do the following. Personally we
prefer the plugs because it makes it much easier to check the
water levels in the batteries.
The first step is to purchase a small metal punch with a sharp
tapered end. Then, peel off the labels on the top of the battery
lids. Inserting a knife blade under one corner of the label can
do this. As soon as you have curled up enough of the label to
grasp with your thumb and adjacent finger, just simply peel the
label off. Underneath, you will then see the circular outline of a
hole in the plastic directly above each cell. Using a hammer,
drive your punch right through the middle of each circular
outline. Don’t go too deep or you could hit and damage the
plates. Just make the hole wide enough so that you can insert
the prod on your 2-volt tester. Test each cell, as you would do
to any top post battery. Some sealed lids have a circular (green
eyed plug) in them. This is easily be removed by driving a flat
head screwdriver into and below the top and prying out this
plug. It can later be hammered back in. Some advise you to
drill out holes in the tops and later use excess battery caps to
plug them shut. We have found this to be time consuming and
you never seem to get these caps to stay on tight or in a neat
straight row. We have a solution for this. After you have
punched the holes and the battery tests OK, with the 2-volt
tester, proceed to recondition. If you need to add water to any
cells, use your hydrometer for this purpose. The tip end will go
over the holes enough for you to “squeeze in” the water. If this
battery reconditions, clean it and wipe it dry. Be careful when
scrubbing the top, not to use too much kerosene.
Now to seal back the tops –
First, you can plug the large hole by taking this same plug and
just hammering it back in. As for then sealing the other holes,
we use a self-adhesive film. Put a piece of this film across each
battery top and trim off the excess. We use a single edge razor
blade and ruler edge for making a straight cut. Press the film
down firmly all the way to the edge of the lids. The small holes
will show through the film, but so what. You can then place
your label over one of these lids if you prefer and leave the
other lid as is. You can tell them if you want, that the holes
were necessary in order to properly chemically treat the battery
as part of your reconditioning process. You then create a
mysterious era about your work without revealing what you are
actually doing.
BATTERY DISPLAY:
After you have reconditioned, cleaned, numbered, labeled and
determined the cold crank amperage of each battery, they are
now ready to display. We move ours to the front room of our
building and arrange them neatly by group size on a long table.
From left to right, we begin with group 24 batteries, and then
group 74. Next is group 22, 72, 27, 77 and then Volkswagen
batteries (group 42), followed by any odd sizes and finally any
6-volt batteries we have reconditioned. This arrangement
makes a neat and orderly display.
CUSTOMER WANTING YOU TO RECONDITION HIS
BATTERY:
As you know by now, not all batteries can be reconditioned.
First, customer’s battery will have to be checked as to age and
condition. You can immediately rule out his battery if your 2-
volt cell tester shows a dead cell. If his battery passes all of the
other tests do try and recondition it, but inform your customer
that even after you have reconditioned his battery it may not
produce the correct amperage output. I always charge a
customer the same price if his battery does recondition
properly as I would for one of my reconditioned batteries.
There would be no charge for a battery that you can’t
recondition. This customer will more than likely buy one of your
batteries anyway if his doesn’t recondition. And, he will
appreciate your efforts in trying to save his battery because it
has cost him nothing. Always show the customer why his
battery failed, using a model SB-5 tester or equivalent.
HOW TO DISPOSE OF YOUR BAD BATTERIES:
These are batteries that have failed the reconditioning process,
damaged or old, and some batteries you took in on exchange.
In other words, batteries that are of no use to you. Usually,
most junkyards or metal recycling plants buy used batteries
every day. If you accumulate around 300 to 400 batteries you
can usually sell them direct to the company that buys from the
junkyards. This price difference can run from 25¢ to 50¢ more
per battery. However, if you don’t have storage space or need a
faster turnover, the junkyards are your best bet. ALWAYS
FOLLOW EPA GUIDELINES WHEN HANDLING OR
DISPOSING OF BATTERIES. YOU CAN CHECK WITH
YOUR LOCAL MAJOR BATTERY WAREHOUSE
WHOLESALE SUPPLIER. WHILE YOU ARE AT IT GET A
WHOLESALE PRICE LIST FROM HIM SO YOU CAN BUY
NEW BATTERIES FROM HIM AND SELL THEM TO YOU
CLIENTS. Locally, we use DEKA Battery. They are on the
Internet and very nice people to do business with.
HOW TO MAKE BATTERY ACID, INEXPENSIVELY:
You must first, take a plastic 5 gallon bucket, and pour the
liquid from several batteries that you can determine would not
recondition. Fill the bucket about ¾ full. This acid will be weak
in specific gravity and have water in it plus impurities. Purchase
a gallon of 66 degrees sulfuric acid from most chemical
companies. The cost will usually run $6-$8. Slowly pour in
about a quart. Stir with a wooden stick. The 5-gallon bucket
will get very warm. This is o.k. Remember to handle this
concentrated acid very carefully. If you should splash your skin,
wash off immediately with water. Allow this mixture in the 5-
gallon bucket to settle for a day. The dark impurities will sink to
the bottom. Proper strength acid for adding to batteries should
have a specific gravity reading of at least 1250. Using a
hydrometer, take a reading of you 5-gallon bucket mixture. If it
is still too low in specific gravity add a little more of the 66
degree concentrate. What you have done here is take free acid
from your unusable batteries and brought it up to proper
strength. Your actual cost for a gallon of acid is very low. You
can sell it for $4 to $6 per gallon, easily.
HOW TO CONVERT AMP HOURS TO COLD CRANK AMPS:
Many batteries are still being marketed with amp hour ratings.
An approximate cold crank amperage rating can be figured by
multiplying the amp hours by 5 and ¼ times. Example: 59 amp
hours x 5 ¼ = 309.75 cold crank amps at 0 degrees F or –17.8
degrees C. Also, a close relationship can be obtained by
relating a car engine’s cubic inches to cold crank amps.
WAYS TO NOTICE AND ELIMINATE BATTERIES THAT
WILL NOT RECONDITION:
First of all, understand that it is good used batteries that you
want. Batteries that are over three years old will usually not
completely recondition. An easy test is to remove the caps and
look into each cell. If the fluid is dark and so murky that you
cannot see the tops of the plates, this type will not recondition.
After you have seen hundreds of batteries you can usually tell
which ones to immediately avoid. This is why a 2 volt cell tester
will pay for itself hundreds of times over as it will show you
immediately if a battery has a dead cell. Remember – you are
reconditioning batteries, not rebuilding them. Put batteries with
dead cells in your junk pile, as they cannot be reconditioned.
You can make more money per man-hour reconditioning
batteries than you could ever make in trying to rebuild them.
Forget batteries that are labeled “2 year” batteries. They
usually have not had time to go bad due to sulfating. Also, this
type battery is not made up of heavy or numerous plates and
when they fail, it is more than often a dead cell situation. Even
if you did successfully recondition a 2-year battery, the
remaining normal life left is very short. Batteries that are
labeled as having a low amperage output are not worth trying
to recondition. The demand for this type is not sufficient to
cover your expenses. Also, these types are much lighter in
weight due to thin and very few plates.
LAWNMOWER AND MOTORCYCLE BATTERIES:
As a rule, these types are not very durable and not worth the
effort to try and recondition. However, if you get some
lawnmower batteries that are around less than a year old, give
them a try if they pass the usual preliminary tests. Charge
them at a slower rate then cut off and check.
Batteries that have just one or more cells not showing fluid
over the tops of the plates should be avoided, with one
exception – those that have just recently acquired a crack or
hole in the case causing the acid to leak out. These can usually
be repaired. How to do this is explained in this manual.
Absence of fluid in any cell for any length of time is damaging
to the plates. Also, avoid side post batteries that have had the
posts stripped out. These can seldom be repaired since the seal
is usually damaged inside the battery behind the lead slug.
These will always leak and not be satisfactory. You can usually
see fluid leaking at the bottom of the post. If you cannot find a
hole or crack in the case on any battery showing little or no
fluid in any of the cells, forget these for reconditioning. In this
instance a dry cell or extremely low fluid showing in any cell
usually means that particular cell has had its plates overheated
and boiled dry. A short can cause this; a voltage regulator set
too high can also cause it.
MATCHING AMPERAGE TO VEHICLE REQUIREMENT
The Battery Council International publishes a Battery
Replacement Data Book listing all vehicle battery requirements
and in terms of the necessary cold cranks amperage. By using
the BCI book there will be no guesswork. The very worst thing
you can do is selling a battery that doesn’t have the proper
amperage. Just having a BCI book also makes your business
look more professional and convinces the customer that he has
been served correctly.
ABOUT BATTERY INSTALLATION:
I usually try to avoid this and suggest that you display a sign
inside your shop above your batteries reading: ALL SALES
CASH & CARRY. INSTALLATION SERVICE $10.00
EXTRA. It usually does not take more than 10 minutes to
change one and the extra cash is nice. If you are busy or have
no helper at the time, and would have to cause another
customer to wait, you may never want to start this. It is up to
you. Just having the above worded sign on display lets the
customer know that he cannot expect you to install a battery
free of charge. Very few battery shops install batteries free. If
they do, you can bet that they charged enough for the battery
they sold to cover the labor to install it. Remember – you are
operating a discount type store anyway. Most of your
customers have come to you because of the attractive prices
and the nice guarantee. They should not even expect you to
provide free installation. However, there will be exceptions –
such as: a physically handicapped person or a lady customer. In
either case, it is better to install the battery at no charge than
possibly lose the sale.
ADDITIONAL MONEY-MAKING SERVICE
You know, years ago I discovered by opening up dead sealed
batteries and checking inside, that they were sometimes low on
water. Now everyone thinks that sealed batteries do not need
distilled water added, but I have found from checking dead
sealed batteries on our own vehicles, that it just isn’t true. I
propose that you start a service doing preventative
maintenance on sealed batteries that would consist of the
following steps:
1. Remove the battery from the vehicle and clean it thoroughly,
including the posts and cable ends.
2. Place the battery on a test bench in dim light and shine a
bright extension light on the rear long side of the battery. When
you do this, you will be able to see the fluid levels inside of
most batteries. If the fluid is low, proceed to step 3.
3. Using our special stop drill, you will bore a ½ inch hole into
each cell using the dividing lines on the top of the battery as a
guide. Add a tablespoon of our dry chemical formula to each
cell and then top off each cell with distilled water. NEVER USE
TAP WATER! (see our video below on reconditioning sealed
batteries for more info)
4. Place one of our specially provided sealing caps in each ½
inch hole you bored and seal the battery up. Now in the future
you can easily check the water levels and service the battery
without removing it from the vehicle.
5. Place the battery back in the vehicle; make sure the battery
connections are clean and shiny and put them back.
6. Make sure the battery is bolted securely in place using the
hardware provided.
7. Charge the customer fairly for your labor and materials.
Remind them to come back every two months for a quick
health check up on their batteries and ask about their other
vehicles and equipment. Also remind them how expensive new
batteries are. Never use any other chemical additives no matter
what you hear or read. There are no miracle products and not
all batteries can be recovered. When the paste falls off of the
plates, the battery is junk –Period. Never spend thousands of
dollars to get into this business; only a shoestring budget is
needed and anyone can get in and do it! Be sure to watch our
videos posted on YouTube.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW
BUSINESS!
NOTE: If you need larger quantities please send for a quote
and include your shipping address and postal code, and phone
number. Write to: batterychem@aol.com
PAGE 4
