The Low Down on Sulfation

The Problem: We've All Been There

Who hasn't parked their bike, ATV, personal watercraft, or snowmobile and thought "I'm tired, I need a drink, I'll hook up the charger later…" and then forgotten? Some of us even forget the ignition key on, which drains the battery within 24 hours.

Prevention is Key

If a battery is kept fully charged (at the correct voltage for that battery type), sulfation is prevented and the battery's life is extended. A good smart charger dialled in to deliver the correct voltage for your battery type (like TecMate's OptiMate range of chargers) can do this job well… that is, if you always remember to keep it hooked up!

What Happens During Sulfation?

A battery left unattended for weeks or months could discharge below 12V, and then sulfation starts developing. The more it discharges, the more it 'sulfates' and vice versa, until a point is reached where it cannot accept charge.

What actually happens?

• The sulfuric acid separates into free-floating sulphates and water
• Sulphates are attracted to lead
• Sulphate crystals start packing onto the lead plates, which decreases conductance (ability for current to flow)
• The greater the sulphate build-up, the lower the conductance becomes
• If not stopped and reversed in time, it can become so severe that mechanical damage occurs (plates are bent and buckled)
• Cold weather warning: In temperatures below freezing, water turns into ice. Ice expands, which buckles the plates and even cracks the casing

The Good News: Recovery is Possible!

A battery that has only suffered 'chemical' damage (sulfation build-up) and has even the lowest possible conductance left (usually indicated by a battery measuring at least 2V) can be recovered!

Many smart charger and battery companies say this is not possible—obviously because battery companies want to sell more batteries, and some charger companies cannot recover such batteries.

Why Other Chargers Fall Short

Some smart chargers tend to display "STORAGE" or "BATTERY READY" within minutes, even seconds, but of course the battery remains as 'dead' as it was before hook-up.

Since we brought 'sulfation' as the main reason for battery failure to the attention of the market, one of OptiMate's main North American competitors now claims to be "The world's best 'anti-sulfation' chargers!"—and that without making any changes to their basic charging program for over 10 years. I reiterate: it tends to work if you NEVER EVER forget to hook up the charger every time you store the vehicle.

Other European-based competitors also make claims like "The World's best Smart Charger!" or "The smartest battery chargers in the world." How many "best" or "smartest" chargers can there be?

The OptiMate Difference

Fact: None of them can bring back a neglected, sulphated/deeply discharged battery! Only OptiMate can!

This is not a claim TecMate makes—this is a fact proven and accepted (even promoted) by many powersport OEMs worldwide. And ask about a million or so happy OptiMate owners what it does for them.

Is it magic? No, it is simple, practical science—and it works!

Pro Tip for Best Results

Important: If your battery is deeply discharged and quite possibly sulphated, remove it from the vehicle, or at least disconnect one of the leads from the battery before hooking up your OptiMate desulfater-charger. Otherwise, OptiMate will sense the vehicle wiring as part of the battery and will not enter de-sulphation mode.

Protect your investment with the only charger that can truly recover deeply discharged batteries.