How To Recondition Car Battery At Home

Knowing how to recondition a car battery at home will not only save you money, but also the headache of sitting in a mechanic's waiting room with a group of strangers. Car batteries are designed to be durable, and reconditioning one will extend the life of your battery. In order to recondition a car battery at home, it is important to work in a well-ventilated area. Also, wear safety goggles and rubber gloves while working on the battery.

Things You Will Need:

• Safety googles
• Epsom salts
• Rubber gloves
• Wrench 
• Distilled water
• Container
• Three-phased charger

1. Using a wrench, remove the battery cables from the car battery. After removing the battery cables, move the battery to the area you plan to work on it. The area should be well-ventilated and away from children and pets.
2. Remove the cell caps that are located on the battery. The cell caps should be easy to remove if they have not been sealed. Do not attempt to remove sealed cell caps. Locate the entry points on top of the battery if the caps are sealed and drill a hole into each.
3. Wearing rubber gloves, pour the contents of the battery into a container. It is recommended that a nonmetallic container is used to store the contents. If any fluids touch your skin, wash the area immediately.  
4. Mix together Epsom salts and distilled water in a separate container. Stir the water until the Epsom salts have dissolved completely. A good ratio of Epsom salts to water is 7 ounces of salts for every quart of water.
5. Pour the Epsom salts and water into the battery. Fill the battery completely with the mixture.  
6. Once the battery is full, connect a three-phase charger to the battery. Set the charger to 12 volts and leave it connecting for at least 12 hours. Prior to connecting the charger, read the instructions for the charger to ensure any recommended safety precautions are taken.
7. Reconnect the car battery to the car. The car battery should be reconditioned at this point.  

The process of reconditioning a car battery at home will give you a significant amount of time before you have to purchase a new one. It is a good idea to connect your battery to the charger in two weeks to ensure the battery is fully charged.