home
Programs
How to restore and repair Ni─Cd batteries. How to restore a nickel cadmium screwdriver battery? Is it possible to restore a ni cd battery?

How to restore and repair Ni─Cd batteries. How to restore a nickel cadmium screwdriver battery? Is it possible to restore a ni cd battery?

Well, tell me, who doesn’t have dead batteries?

Where will they go? Well, yes, to the landfill. By the way, nickel-cadmium batteries contain cadmium, a heavy metal that is extremely harmful to people.
How many millions of batteries end up in landfills?
How much cadmium is sent to the soil, water, and to our table?

You will need a disposable camera.
If there is one, then there is a holder for the battery, but if not, there are alligator clips.
Charging switch
Button.
You can borrow a camera for free at any photo center, they throw them away.
Let's move on.

Here is the diagram you will need.


here it is on the other side.
It may be different, depending on the model. It doesn’t matter, any will do.
Important. Short-circuit the capacitor with a screwdriver, there will be a spark and a small pop.
If you do not do this, then while working on the circuit you may get a little electric shock.
330 volts, unpleasant....

Break off this plate.

and solder two wires there. This will be for charging the capacitor.

That's about it.

That's it, it's ready.

Please note that the gray stripe is the negative electrode!
The minus of the battery that you will restore will then go to it.

That's about it.
If the battery is large, as is the case with a drill (there are a lot, from 12 to 15 elements), then it is more convenient to make crocodiles. Disassemble the battery and restore element by element.

Very important.
ISOLATE the circuit. It's 330 volts, it can give a lot of shock.

Ready scheme.
Charge the capacitor, press the discharge button and give the battery “shock therapy”.
The dendrite crystals inside are destroyed by high voltage and your element works again!
Congratulations, you just saved yourself some money. new battery and saved yourself from cadmium, which would come to your table in the event of a discarded battery.

Yesterday I restored an 8 year old battery from a drill.
Didn't hold a charge at all.
I disassembled it, found 6 bad elements, each of them was restored using the above method.
Two "shocks" for each element. The battery is like new and holds a charge remarkably well.

ADDITION.
After treating the battery, perform two charge and discharge cycles.
You need to discharge the element to approximately 0.6 volts and charge it with a full charge.
This will help restore the structure of the element.
How much this method restores batteries, 100% or 80%, I don’t know.
I haven’t done any research and I don’t have any evidence with graphs.
And from experience, a battery with a declared capacity of 1.2Ah was restored after 8 years of service (1 year “on the shelf”)
up to 85-90% approximately from the original (discharged while measuring current consumption).
In general, according to experts from the CADEX company, about 50-70% of nickel-cadmium batteries (of those sent to landfill) can be restored.

A replacement battery for a screwdriver is a fairly expensive element, because its price share in the total cost of the tool reaches about 30%. Therefore, it is not at all surprising that many craftsmen are trying to extend the life of the battery. various methods. How to restore a screwdriver battery? - we would like to cover this topic in today’s feature article.

Design features of the battery for a screwdriver

Regardless of the type of power tool, brand and its technical characteristics, the design of batteries is not much different from each other. After all, when disassembled, the battery is a series circuit consisting of identical batteries.

Moreover, in most cases (for various types batteries) such cells have the same size and output voltage (V), and differ only in capacity, which is expressed in mA/h and is indicated on the cell body. In addition, when independently repairing a battery for a screwdriver, you should pay attention to the type of elements used (Ni-Cd, Li-Ion, Ni-MH), since the recovery method for each of them may be slightly different.

It should also be noted that in order to charge the cells and power the power tool, the battery design provides power contacts (“+” and “–”) connected to the terminals of the serial circuit. Well, to protect equipment from overheating (during forced charging) and equalize the charge level on all battery banks, two more control contacts are used, through which a thermistor and resistance are connected.

We recommend that the reader read about how to use a stand-alone screwdriver.

Method for determining battery failure

Considering the series connection of batteries, the primary task of the performer will be to find the “weak link”, because if at least one element fails, the battery will function with significant technical deviations. If we take into account that simultaneous failure of all components of the circuit is not possible, you should understand how to determine the deviations of individual batteries.

Method 1. Use a multimeter

Considering the identical voltage level of all components of the circuit, you can determine the faulty element using a multimeter (switching it to the DCV voltage measurement mode). It should be remembered that the nominal voltages for different types of batteries have different values:

  • Ni-Cd and Ni-MH (voltage 1.2V);
  • Li-Ion (voltage 3.6V).

The very method for determining a failed battery is carried out according to the following algorithm:

  • The battery is set to fully charged;
  • The device body is disassembled, and voltage measurements are taken one by one (using a device) on each of the cans;
  • Elements whose voltage is below the established norm are marked (for Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries, the voltage should vary in the range of 1.2 - 1.4 V; for Li-Ion - within 3.6 - 3.8 V).
  • The battery is assembled and installed in the screwdriver, after which it should be discharged until a noticeable decrease in power, for which a number of power operations can be performed using a power tool.
  • After discharge, the battery case is disassembled again, and voltage measurements are again taken in all sections of the circuit (special attention should be paid to marked elements)
  • If the voltage drop across the cell is 0.5 - 0.7 V, such a battery is considered unusable.

Method 2. Use load

The technology for identifying weak batteries in this case is similar to that described above, with the only difference being that to discharge the battery, a 12-volt light bulb (for example, 40 W) is used, which will act as a load. And in order to solve the problem, you will not need to assemble/disassemble the battery pack several times.

Having completed all the above-described manipulations, all unreliable elements of the battery circuit are identified, and only after that a decision is made to replace or restore them.

Restoring battery cells

It should immediately be noted that to restore Li-Ion battery a screwdriver is practically impossible, and all that can be done in this case is to identify weak elements and replace them.

Sometimes the problem can also be hidden in the charger, which is why special attention should also be paid to its correct operation.

If we talk about resuscitation of blocks, then the recovery method can be applied exclusively to Ni-Cd batteries, which are the most common for screwdrivers.

Among the main methods for restoring Ni-Cd batteries are the following:

  • Compaction (compression);
  • Elimination of memory effect;
  • Adding boiled-off electrolyte.

How to eliminate the “memory effect”

Sometimes, the battery needs to be restored, which is associated with erasing the memory effect. Moreover, it is quite simple to recognize such a “disease”: after a full charge, the battery discharges very quickly, and can function again after a short period of time. The “memory effect” can be partially eliminated as follows:

First, the battery is fully charged (if possible) with a small current, after which the battery should be completely discharged, applying a small load and thereby ensuring a slow (soft) discharge, which will allow not only the outer layer to sag, but all the plates as a whole. In this case, it is advisable to use an ordinary lamp with a voltage of 220V and a power of 60W as a load and discharge up to 30% of the rated capacity (approximately up to 5V).

Before using the battery, the above procedure should be repeated at least 5 times. And although the capacity of such a “reanimated” battery will be somewhat lower than a new battery, still, as a temporary measure, this technique is quite successful (it can extend the work for at least a year).

Adding boiled-off electrolyte

The most common problem with rechargeable batteries for a screwdriver is the boiling off of the electrolyte (especially during forced charging), which is why we should dwell on the solution to this issue in more detail.

So, after identifying the failed cans, you should cut them connection plates and dismantle the required elements. After that, using a thin punch (with a diameter of no more than 1 mm), a hole should be made in the body of the jar (from the minus side), through which it is necessary to add from 0.5 to 1 cubic centimeter of distilled water into the element (after having previously pumped out a similar volume of air). The final restoration work will be sealing the jar (you can use epoxy resin) and connecting the element to the existing circuit.

In the future, in order to equalize the potential of all constituent elements, using 1.5 V light bulbs, you should discharge all battery banks, then perform 5 - 6 full charge/discharge cycles, and only after that use a power tool.

Replacing battery cans

Most effective method Battery repair is the replacement of worn-out cells with new elements. Why, before restoring the screwdriver battery, you should purchase the required items, taking into account the technical and overall characteristics donors (must be identical).

Replacing failed components itself does not cause any particular difficulties and requires the use of a soldering iron and soldering materials (tin and alcohol flux with rosin). Moreover, in order to ensure full-fledged work battery During the work process, it is advisable to adhere to the following recommendations:

  • It is advisable to use existing plates as elements for series connection of cans, or use copper conductors with the appropriate cross-section (due to high charging currents);
  • To prevent overheating of the cans (which can lead to breakage), soldering should be done quickly;
  • The connection diagram of the batteries must be sequential, and therefore the minus of each previous battery must be connected to the plus of the next one.

The final part of the work should be equalizing the potentials of all components that make up the battery. To do this, it is necessary to carry out a complete discharge-charge cycle of the battery, and after cooling, repeat these steps at least twice.


A process such as restoring a screwdriver battery requires a certain amount of knowledge. How to resuscitate this tool, how not to make a mistake and not damage the battery and the screwdriver as a whole—many people ask these questions. Let's look at them.

The screwdriver is a special hand tool, which is used for tightening and unscrewing bolts, screws, nuts, self-tapping screws and screws. Also, a similar device is used for high-quality and fast drilling of holes and for the thread cutting process. To modern masters The tool replaces a regular screwdriver, but saves money a large number of time.

The tool is simply irreplaceable in a variety of construction processes, including repair work Oh. If you need to assemble furniture, you can't do without a screwdriver. Every master who for a long time worked with a screwdriver, after using a screwdriver he realizes how much more time is saved. The versatility of the tool and its functionality are becoming increasingly greater.

The modern market offers a wide variety of models, but regardless of the brand, the batteries have an identical structure. If you disassemble the battery, you can see that it is assembled from relatively small structural elements assembled strictly sequentially.

The special typesetting parts present in the composition have standard sizes and voltage level. Only the capacity, which is measured in A/h and is indicated strictly on the element itself, can differ.

The housing has four contacts. Among them, the following can be noted:

Two power ones, for discharge and charge;
Upper control, which is connected via a special thermal sensor. Such a device is necessary to effectively protect the battery; it also turns off and specially limits the charging current by raising the temperature to certain levels. The heating process is carried out due to sufficiently large currents when carrying out a forced charge, that is, a special “fast” charge is carried out;
You can note the presence of a so-called “service” contact, which is connected through a special resistance. It is used for rather complex charging stations, which are designed to equalize the charge of all battery elements without exception. It is worth noting that such stations are not needed in everyday life, since the cost is high.

During operation, the tool may fail. When such a situation occurs, it is necessary to be able to determine the malfunction. All present elements cannot fail at the same time, since their circuit is strictly consistent. When one part fails, the entire chain fails. It is for this reason that it is important to identify that very weak point.

Approximately 70% of the total cost of a brand new screwdriver comes from the battery, which is usually included.

Typically, the battery of this tool fails after a certain period of use. In such a situation, you will have to purchase a completely new battery or manufacture high-quality repairs screwdriver, saving a significant amount of material resources.

What repair tools are needed?

To repair a screwdriver battery with your own hands, you should have the following tools with you:

Ammeter 2 A;
tester;
voltmeter for 2 and 15 V;
ohmmeter;
milliammeter;
screwdriver for opening the case;
magnifying glass;
scissors;
pliers.

Repairing such a tool generally consists of searching for and then replacing a faulty one. battery cell. To achieve this goal, it is important to know the order and sequence of the check, and you will also need to analyze the parameters.

Features of repair technology

Often during the repair process it is necessary to use technologies for the complete restoration of terminals and capacity restoration. Often a breakdown is indicated by the fact that the screwdriver battery does not charge. There are many reasons for this:

Malfunction of the included charger;
The reason may be a severely worn battery;
There is a violation of strong contact between the installed terminals.

If signs of failure appear, the battery must be repaired immediately. The exact cause of battery failure can be determined by measuring the voltage level with a special tester. Each battery needs to be checked in a similar manner. All faulty batteries discovered during the inspection process must be marked and separated from those that are working properly.

If your battery is draining quickly, before you immediately disassemble it and change anything in it, first try to restore the battery capacity through several cycles of deep discharge and full charging. In 7 out of 10 cases, this helps restore battery capacity.

Often the cause of the breakdown is a faulty terminal. During the use of the device, they unbend, which entails poor contact; accordingly, the battery will be charged every other time. To carry out repairs, you must first disassemble the charger, carefully bend all the terminals, and then simply control the charging process using special devices.

If during the operation of this device its capacity is lost, and a series of sequential charging and discharging did not help, then it is worth replacing this element, which is important for operation.

Below are videos, it is better to see once what to do with a broken battery than to listen or read, the first one shows disassembling the battery case, the second video already shows the process of restoring the battery.

Capacity recovery method

Often the battery needs to be restored to its capacity. This volume is usually lost due to memory effect erasure. Identifying this problem is quite simple. Once the battery is fully charged, it usually discharges very quickly and begins to function again only after a certain period of time. Fixing a problem like this is quite simple. Just follow the following instructions:

1. A small current is required to fully charge the battery.
2. After this, completely discharge it, using a small degree of load. In this way, it is possible to ensure a slow, that is, relatively soft discharge, which will allow the outer layer and the entire plate to sag.
3. For a load of this type, it is better to use a standard lamp, the voltage of which is 220 V and the power parameters are 60 V.
4. Discharge is required to approximately 30% of the total rated capacity, that is, up to 5 V.

Before using the screwdriver battery, it is advisable to repeat this procedure up to 5 times. Although the capacity of a refurbished device will be slightly lower than that of a new one, as a temporary measure, this method quite successful. Such manipulations can extend the operating time of a screwdriver by about a year.

And in this video we'll show you how to reassemble the batteries, how to make one working one out of 2.

Various alternative solutions to the issue

There are a few alternative options complete restoration of the battery. Among them, the following methods are very popular:

1. Gentle compression and slight deformation of the body. In other words, you can do what you did with the battery before, that is, compress it a little with light blows.
2. You can carry out the following process - charge the batteries strongly with a higher current. After this, they are completely discharged and charged again. Typically, such shock therapy gives a fairly good result, that is, it is able to bring back to life batteries that previously seemed hopeless.

If, through the use of certain mechanical influences functionality cannot be restored and will need to be replaced.

The nuances of self-repair

Repairing the battery of a tool such as a screwdriver with your own hands can be done by replacing all existing faulty parts. When purchasing a new element, you must carefully ensure that the dimensions and capacity completely coincide with all the original components. If a faulty component is found, it will need to be cut off and then a new one soldered in its place.

Talking about important points and the nuances of this process, the following factors can be noted:

When using a soldering iron, you need to work quickly so that the battery does not heat up;
The joining process must be done using plates;
It is worth constantly remembering that the connection of all elements is carried out strictly sequentially.

After basic repair work, the battery potentials may be completely different. Therefore, they need to be aligned. For this purpose, you will need to charge the battery for 12 hours, then let it cool for a day. A device for measuring the voltage present should show the same parameters of 1.3 V on all components without exception. It is recommended to do this several times.

Restoring a screwdriver yourself will save you money material resources in the workshop and without the need to purchase new tool. To achieve an ideal high-quality result, it is enough to follow the rules and instructions outlined above.

This video shows disassembling the battery

The ability to work with a tool such as a screwdriver without connecting it to an electrical outlet is convenient, practical and, most importantly, necessary. After all, you often have to do some work in places where you can reach network cable almost impossible. Construction tool stores offer a wide selection of screwdrivers, including Bosch, as well as the popular Hitachi and Makita. But, unfortunately, the service life of the battery of any drill or similar tool is short - a maximum of 5 years. It happens that after a shorter period of time. It is not profitable to buy a new battery immediately. For the same amount you can buy a new screwdriver. Therefore, it is worth trying an option such as restoring the screwdriver battery yourself.

Types of batteries used in screwdrivers and their differences

As you know, the battery of any screwdriver includes several batteries that are connected in one chain in a certain sequence. There are (Ni-Cd), nickel-metal hydride () and elements.

Nickel-cadmium batteries, in in this case, are the most popular and frequently used. The voltage of each individual cell is 1.2 Volts and the capacity is 12000 mAh if we have a 12 Volt tool. It’s worth noting right away that, unlike lithium ones, they can be restored because they have the so-called “memory effect” in the form of a reversible loss of capacity.

As for batteries that contain lithium, it is unlikely that it will be possible to restore their capacity using the popular Imax B6 charger - due to the fact that lithium tends to decompose over time.

Restoring a screwdriver battery in a similar manner may also not be successful for cadmium batteries. Such a battery differs in that the electrolyte in them sometimes completely boils away. However, in the case of cadmium batteries, the chances of “reanimating” them are much greater. But at the same time, it is important not to rush and not to rashly use common methods of “quick recovery” of Ni Cd batteries.

How to restore a screwdriver battery

There are a large number of videos on the Internet that, for example, clearly show battery restoration Hitachi screwdriver using Imax B6. It consists in “reanimating” nickel batteries by supplying high currents. Proponents of the express recovery method suggest reviving the battery by using simple settings Imax B6. The mode is set to nickel-cadmium, and the battery can be revived in this mode.

However, warming up with pulsed power and subsequent charging are rather risky methods for nickel-cadmium batteries. A broken connection in an element cannot be restored by high currents. In addition, if there is little or no electrolyte inside the battery, high currents will finally “kill” the battery. Therefore, in order to prevent irreversible damage to the batteries, it is recommended to first replenish their electrolyte supply with distilled water and only then charge them using Imax B6.

There is an extreme option for how to restore nickel cadmium battery a screwdriver - you can “pull” them with a large current. They will start charging, but not for long. Electronics enthusiasts who criticize this method claim that there has not been a single case where a pulsed current restored the battery capacity for a long time. As a rule, it will rise for a very short time, and then, after a few days, the battery will “go low” again.

Whether it is possible to use the pulse current method is up to the owners of the batteries to decide. There are many videos on the Internet on how to restore a Ni Cd battery from a screwdriver. But there is an opinion that in reality quick ways They don't work very long. For example, if the electrolyte inside a battery has boiled away or dried out, the pulsed current will “kill” the element completely.

If possible, you can carefully disassemble each nickel-cadmium battery and see what condition the electrolyte is in. If it turns out to be dry, you can use the method of adding a small amount of distilled water through a syringe.

Restoration with water

In order to drill a neat hole in the battery, you will need small drill. The hole should be made away from the center, preferably in the upper side of the element, where there is a small recess. Then fill the battery with distilled water using a syringe to the last.

After this, the battery can be fully charged Imax B6 and allowed to “settle”. The procedure is long. Restoring 8-, 12-, 14-battery “cans”, depending on the voltage, can take a long time. Ideally, you should not charge them immediately, but give the “jars” of water time to sit for a day. You cannot charge batteries one at a time; it is better to have at least three or four of them in a bunch to distribute the voltage evenly.

Short-term current pulses through a 40 Ohm resistance at 12 V should be applied after water has been poured into the element to be reanimated, and not “dry”, as is often done.

After the batteries have stood for a day, you can start charging them. Do not close the holes yet. Connect to Imax so that the device “sees” them. Charge and let it sit again if any one battery is not restored. Find the weak element in the bundle using a multimeter and add water to it again.

The main essence of this meticulous method is to restore the connection of the battery plates with their contact-adapter buses (internal organization Ni-Cd is similar to the scheme by which they are manufactured solar panels). main reason When batteries stop working, the positive contact is separated from the inside of the battery.

Do not close the holes drilled in the batteries until the battery charge remains stable. Once the charge has stabilized, carefully seal the holes with silicone. Water can be added periodically at any time.

As has already become clear, this method is not intended for the lazy and for those who do not want to delve into the intricacies of electronics. However, the method with distilled water helps save a lot of money and is the answer to the question of how to restore a screwdriver battery using the most gentle method. Typically, a screwdriver comes with two batteries. One can be used, and the other can be gradually restored. This method, despite its duration, seems to be more humane and safe for batteries.

Battery restoration by replacing several elements

Restoring a screwdriver battery by replacing several elements can be successful for all types of batteries. It also does not pose any risk to them, as does manipulation with distilled water, provided that care is taken during soldering.

First, the output voltage of each “can” is measured using a multimeter, which in total should be 12-14 V. Accordingly, the voltage of one “can” should be 1.2-1.4 V. The U indicators are compared with each other, the most weak elements.

After this, the battery is inserted into the screwdriver and works until the moment when the power begins to noticeably decrease. The voltage readings are taken again, and those “banks” whose voltage difference is 0.5-0.7 V compared to the “stronger” ones should be removed and replaced with new ones, similar to the old ones, having previously ordered them from the online store.

It is recommended to solder the battery circuit spot welding, but if there is none, there is nothing left to do but use a regular soldering iron and do everything as quickly and accurately as possible, so as to, if possible, prevent the battery from overheating.

The “original” battery connecting plates should not be lost; they must be soldered back without reversing the polarity. In addition, all elements of the chain must have the same capacity.

After finishing soldering, insert the battery back into the screwdriver and carry out 2-3 complete charge-discharge cycles to equalize the energy potential of all batteries. In order for the updated battery to last longer, it should carry out such training 2-3 times a month.

Restoring a screwdriver battery by purchasing new Ni-Cd cells

In this case we're talking about about complete and so-called “erasing of the memory effect” from new batteries in order to ensure their more productive operation. The memory effect is that the battery “remembers” all possible charging cycles that it could theoretically be subjected to in production before falling into someone’s hands. The more such cycles in its “memory”, the more likely it becomes that the capacity will begin to decrease much earlier than expected. Also, nickel-cadmium batteries love similar “boosting” processes. If they are carried out immediately before use, they will work much better.

The required number of batteries can be ordered online, for example, on Ali-Express. You need to keep in mind that they already have a certain factory charge, which it is advisable to “remove” in order to “save” the battery power during operation. This can be done using the same Imax B6 charger, the menu of which is easy to understand.

Let's say the screwdriver battery should consist of 10 elements with the following indicators: the output voltage of each is 1.2 V, and the capacity is 1200 mAh, which is a total of 12 V. The advantage of completely replacing the battery with the subsequent “erasing” of the factory “memory effect” is that in any online store you can order elements with higher capacity than the old ones. For example, 1800 mAh. And the battery will last an order of magnitude longer. Of course, such batteries will be more expensive. But their price always justifies itself.

First, the voltage on each “bank” is checked with a multimeter. This will immediately help determine what quality the new batteries have and whether there is dishonesty of sellers who could sell old elements instead of new ones. The voltage level on each battery should be approximately 1.3 V. When taking measurements, it is important not to confuse the terminals.

Next, “memory erasing” is carried out with each element in turn. The following charge parameters are set on the charger: if the capacity is 1800 mAh, it can be set a little more - 1900, with a little margin. Then you should switch to the charging mode for nickel-cadmium batteries. The charge parameters should be as follows: current indicator 0.9 A (half of the capacity of 1800).

Each new element is subjected to training according to the “charge-discharge” principle in order to remove the factory parameters. At a current of 1A, all batteries are discharged one by one to a voltage of 1 V (the minimum permissible voltage so as not to kill the battery).

Then you should switch to the “charge-discharge” cycle mode and start it with the “start” button.
After discharging and removing the factory memory, put the batteries back into the block, focusing on how the old ones were placed there before. Therefore, when disassembling the plastic case, you need to remember how the batteries were stored before.

Thus, there are many ways to restore a screwdriver battery with your own hands. Each of them has certain nuances, disadvantages and advantages that should be considered depending on how you restore capacity. Sometimes you should try to purchase a particular tool or necessary ingredient (for example, distilled water) in order for the restoration to be as successful as possible. But this is exactly what will help you avoid additional costs in connection with the purchase of a new screwdriver or a completely finished battery.

A practical owner, like no one else, understands how convenient and effective an autonomously operating hand power tool. A professional builder who primarily deals with finishing works, can’t do without a screwdriver at all. A battery, of any type, begins to lose its energy potential after a certain time. Purchasing a new battery is not a cheap pleasure. But who said that restoring a screwdriver battery is impossible in principle? What prevents the owner of a brand modification from saving on expensive batteries? You probably won't be surprised by the universality of the answer. Ignorance. Developing the topic, we note: it is possible! The material in the article will help you solve the problem of “global aging” of the battery. You just have to read about how and what needs to be done.

“Banks” that do not store money

Speaking about restoring a screwdriver battery, one cannot fail to mention that the batteries that are equipped with the specified construction tool may have different specifications. Often this kind of “energy individuality” of the power source plays an important role at the time of operation. For example, under low-temperature operating conditions, preference should be given to nickel-cadmium batteries. While the nickel-metal hydride type of battery is more durable in use and can have relatively large capacity. Meanwhile, lithium-ion batteries have also become widely used. This type does not require maintenance at all, has no “memory effect”, and most importantly, with a high capacity, “energy banks” batteries have more compact dimensions than those of “competitors”.

Restoring a screwdriver battery after freezing

Most likely, your power tool is equipped with a nickel-cadmium battery. Because this type of battery (in the context of the presented article) is the most common. That is why our material is dedicated specifically to this type of battery. However, the recommendations below are also effective regarding the use of metal hydride energy sources. So, the procedure is:

  • Place the packed battery (completely discharged!) in the freezer.
  • After 10-12 hours, remove the battery from the refrigeration unit.
  • Charge the battery for several hours.
  • After which you need to drain the battery. Let it work until the energy in the containers runs out.
  • Repeat the described procedure 2-3 times.

But what to do if such restoration of the screwdriver battery is not fully successful? In this case, you should resort to a comprehensive solution to the problem, which you will learn about in the sections below.

Disassembling the housing part of the autonomous power supply

After you have made sure that several deep charge/discharge cycles of the battery did not give positive result, and your battery still drains quickly during operation, follow the step-by-step action scenario. As an example, let's take the battery for a Makita screwdriver.

  • Before starting the actual disassembly process,
  • To gain access to the capacitive elements of the battery, you need to unscrew several fixing screws.
  • In some cases, it is necessary to carefully break open the housing at the junction of structural parts.

Attention: when implementing the last dismantling option, do not use excessive physical force, as you can deform the plastic housing of the battery. Remember: after “restoration” work, the container must fit securely into place.

Search for the “weak link”: identifying a failed “can”

So, the battery for a Makita screwdriver is several batteries connected in series. However, the standard circuit (when the positive contact of one of the containers is connected to the negative of the next “can”) is used in almost all such devices. Of course, we mean a self-powered power tool. So, the algorithm of actions:

  • Using a multimeter, methodically measure all elements of the “energy harness”.
  • In order not to get confused - do not grin, because nickel-cadmium batteries for screwdrivers (18 volts) usually consist of 15 series-connected capacities - on each “can”, use a regular pencil to make notes of the “current” voltage.

Attention: when taking measurements, you should use a simple device, which consists of two wires and a load resistance of 0.5 Ohm. As a result, you will receive the most plausible data about the state of the batteries involved.

  • By connecting the “load” to check the values ​​​​produced by the capacitors.
  • The element with the most low rate must be replaced with a known functional component of the power supply system.
  • It is worth noting that a deviation of 0.5-0.7 V from the norm is considered critical.

Forced retreat: energy characteristics of the battery

As you already understand, the battery design of a screwdriver is no different in any way. However, a sequential circuit of connected batteries may have an additional component in the form of an installed thermistor (heat sensor), the principle of which is to open the charging circuit at the moment when the temperature reaches a critical level - overheating. At the same time, when repairing a battery, you should take into account the output rating of the battery used in the power tool, and also adhere to the same standard layout.

In other words, sufficiently powerful batteries for screwdrivers (18 volts is a very common standard) are usually assembled from fifteen nickel-cadmium cells. Each individual capacity has an energy potential of 1.2 V. In the case when the device is equipped with a lithium-ion type battery, the 18-volt battery consists of five elements with a nominal value of 3.6 V. As a result, Li-ion batteries are more compact and lighter than batteries of previous technologies.

The process of replacing a defective battery

  • Using a sharp knife ( perfect option- scalpel) “cut off” the contact plates “+” and “-” from the malfunctioning container.
  • Using a household soldering iron and low-melting solder, add a new capacitive element to the overall “energy circuit” of the battery.
  • Observe polarity when installing a new container.

Important: do not allow the case to overheat when soldering. Use special acid and catalytic fluxes.

Assembly and initial charging of the screwdriver battery

  • After you have replaced the defective elements, carefully check the solder joints.
  • When installing the battery “bundle” in a protective container, do not forget about the insulating substrates that protect the elements from short circuits.
  • Carefully glue or tighten the fixing screws at the connecting points of the housing.

It doesn’t matter at all what kind of screwdriver battery (Interskol, Makita or Bosh) you restored. The main thing is how well you assembled the energy device. Since any minor error during installation, be it a body gap, a jammed wire, or incorrect positioning of the contact plates, can nullify all your efforts. Only after you have visually verified that everything is assembled correctly, you need to completely discharge the “new” battery. The battery for a screwdriver (12V) will run out very quickly if you “load” it to its full capacity. The next thing you have to do is perform 2-3 deep charge/discharge cycles. It is worth noting that this kind of prevention should be performed at least once every three months.

As a bonus, take a few valuable tips into account, perhaps they will help you in solving energy problems:

  • Don't bother if your battery is a lithium-ion type. It is unlikely that you will be able to restore it.
  • A traditional nickel-cadmium battery can always be "pumped" by briefly applying a higher voltage. However, before resorting to such radical measures, it is necessary to study this electrical issue of “reincarnation” in more detail.
  • You may not know, but the traditional type of battery, which is a nickel-cadmium battery, cannot be connected to a charger if its capacity has sufficient energy potential. Otherwise, the destructive consequences of the battery “memory effect” simply cannot be avoided.

Instead of an afterword

The Russian battery for the Interskol screwdriver is not inferior in quality to branded analogues. However, the cost of a domestic battery, without exaggeration, is reasonable. For those who are not confident in their abilities, for whom it is “easier” to purchase a new battery than to restore the old one, this is an option. However, in the case where the structural part of the energy container has exclusive shapes (grooves, clamps and specific bends), you still have to devote a few minutes of your precious time to technical creativity. Because you may need to repack the battery into its “original” case. Well, what about a screwdriver and what needs to be done when the battery does not charge due to long downtime in a discharged state, you already know. We wish you effective recovery methods and do not forget about the safety of yourself and others!

Sections