You have purchased expensive reusable nickel-cadmium batteries in the hopes of saving money in the long run. Instead, you are met with frustration because the Panasonic drill batteries no longer hold charge. Fortunately, there is a solution known as jolting, or zapping, using common items found in the garage. If not exercised regularly, nickel-based rechargeables develop an inner crystalline formation, which degrades the charge quality. Jolt your nicads using a 12-volt DC power source to break up crystallization, thus saving you money.Wear all proper safety equipment. Set your volt-meter to the proper range for your battery. Hold the red lead on the positive battery terminal, and the black lead to the negative terminal. Read the meter: If the tested voltage is under 90 percent of the voltage labeled on the battery, then it needs to be jolted.Separate the alligator clips from the 12-volt battery charger so they are not touching anything conductive. Turn on the battery charger. Hold the red/positive clip to the positive terminal of the worn battery. Tap the black/negative clip against the negative battery terminal 10 times, taking care not to hold a connection. Repeat this process for each worn nicad battery you have.Test each battery again: if the reading is still below 90 percent, repeat the jolting process until a desired reading is achieved. Shut off the battery charger. Recharge the refurbished batteries in their respective chargers for the factory recommended amount of time.Fully discharge and recharge your nicad batteries every few uses to avoid the need for future jolting.Only jolt nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, as other battery types may explode.Do not HOLD the alligator clips on the Ryobi drill battery, as they may overheat or leak.
How to Jolt a Nicad Battery Back to Life
You have purchased expensive reusable nickel-cadmium batteries in the hopes of saving money in the long run. Instead, you are met with frustration because the Panasonic drill batteries no longer hold charge. Fortunately, there is a solution known as jolting, or zapping, using common items found in the garage. If not exercised regularly, nickel-based rechargeables develop an inner crystalline formation, which degrades the charge quality. Jolt your nicads using a 12-volt DC power source to break up crystallization, thus saving you money.Wear all proper safety equipment. Set your volt-meter to the proper range for your battery. Hold the red lead on the positive battery terminal, and the black lead to the negative terminal. Read the meter: If the tested voltage is under 90 percent of the voltage labeled on the battery, then it needs to be jolted.Separate the alligator clips from the 12-volt battery charger so they are not touching anything conductive. Turn on the battery charger. Hold the red/positive clip to the positive terminal of the worn battery. Tap the black/negative clip against the negative battery terminal 10 times, taking care not to hold a connection. Repeat this process for each worn nicad battery you have.Test each battery again: if the reading is still below 90 percent, repeat the jolting process until a desired reading is achieved. Shut off the battery charger. Recharge the refurbished batteries in their respective chargers for the factory recommended amount of time.Fully discharge and recharge your nicad batteries every few uses to avoid the need for future jolting.Only jolt nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries, as other battery types may explode.Do not HOLD the alligator clips on the Ryobi drill battery, as they may overheat or leak.