UK - Source of batteries for harvesting

hermitdave

hermitdave

Member
Joined
Aug 12, 2018
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254
Hello all,

As they say.. better to be late than never... I finally got hooked into 18650 and battery recycling. It seems folks have been doing this for 10+ years now. There are a few things I'd like to do.

A power-wall isn't a bad idea though I haven't thought of the capacity. I don't have solar / wind power at the moment and I am thinking of using power-wall to charge at night and supply for day time electricity usage (at least help where it can). From what I read, a hybrid inverter is what I might need.

Though before I get started, I need a source of batteries. Whilst many eventually go for new batteries, I would like to play with recycled / harvested batteries and see how it pans out.

I have contacted a local scrap metal merchant asking to buy batteries. Seems like laptop batteries are not common. Power tools batteries however do come up. Will ping again tomorrow and check how and what size do they sell those.

Any one know any other source around South East England ? I am based in Hertfordshire if that helps.

Regards,

Hermit
 
Only way you could be late is if all the lithiums were taken and there were none more to be had ;)

Power Tool packs can do some good, as most of the time it's the BMS that fails with those, and not the cells. Just remember you'd need to have more in parallel to increase capacity, not amps. They are more the capable of providing the amps.
Check out hospitals or other medical areas to see what they do with their batteries. They have to cycle them out every 2 yrs whether they were used or not.
 
Korishan said:
Only way you could be late is if all the lithiums were taken and there were none more to be had ;)

Power Tool packs can do some good, as most of the time it's the BMS that fails with those, and not the cells. Just remember you'd need to have more in parallel to increase capacity, not amps. They are more the capable of providing the amps.
Check out hospitals or other medical areas to see what they do with their batteries. They have to cycle them out every 2 yrs whether they were used or not.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I will get at least 1 Opus charger to test out the harvested batteries. I might ping a few hospitals nearby regarding medical batteries.

Hermit
 
A note with power tool batteries, or indeed any high current pack. The spot welds are often quite strong on these, and sometimes it is worth just snipping the nickel back, rather than trying to tear it off, often you will tear a hole in the cell.

Usually you get one of two scenarios. As Korishan stated, the kind where the BMS has failed and the cells are perfectly fine. Or the other where the cells are so badly abused they either are beyond recovery, or their capacity is so degraded they are of little or no use.
 
Geek said:
A note with power tool batteries, or indeed any high current pack. The spot welds are often quite strong on these, and sometimes it is worth just snipping the nickel back, rather than trying to tear it off, often you will tear a hole in the cell.

Usually you get one of two scenarios. As Korishan stated, the kind where the BMS has failed and the cells are perfectly fine. Or the other where the cells are so badly abused they either are beyond recovery, or their capacity is so degraded they are of little or no use.
Click to expand...

Many thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I now have 3 companies who said they'll call me when they have done batteries.

One power tool batteries and other 2 laptop batteries. I'm going to call a wwhol lot of PC repair shops around central London today.
 
hermitdave said:
Geek said:
A note with power tool batteries, or indeed any high current pack. The spot welds are often quite strong on these, and sometimes it is worth just snipping the nickel back, rather than trying to tear it off, often you will tear a hole in the cell.

Usually you get one of two scenarios. As Korishan stated, the kind where the BMS has failed and the cells are perfectly fine. Or the other where the cells are so badly abused they either are beyond recovery, or their capacity is so degraded they are of little or no use.
Click to expand...

Many thanks. I'll keep that in mind. I now have 3 companies who said they'll call me when they have done batteries.

One power tool batteries and other 2 laptop batteries. I'm going to call a wwhol lot of PC repair shops around central London today.
Click to expand...

Going in person tends to be the best approach. RC shops will probably have mostly NiMh and LiPo batteries. LiPo batteries could be used with 18650s, but would be clumsy, as they come in many different shapes and sizes.
 
Out of interest what kind of shops have you been successful with? Im having a hard time in north london, most larger companies hide behind WEEE regs, small ones (the mobile/computer/tablet repair + intrnet cafe types) say they dont have any.

A few of the specialist companies said they dont keep them... any one had any luck with the big boys - curry's pc world or the like?

So far ive resorted to scavenging from the local recycling center and hope that they dont see me!
 
unclebob said:
Out of interest what kind of shops have you been successful with? Im having a hard time in north london, most larger companies hide behind WEEE regs, small ones (the mobile/computer/tablet repair + intrnet cafe types) say they dont have any.

A few of the specialist companies said they dont keep them... any one had any luck with the big boys - curry's pc world or the like?

So far ive resorted to scavenging from the local recycling center and hope that they dont see me!
Click to expand...

My local recycling center suggested a local metal company that takes the stuff off their hands. They were clear that they wouldn't let me have any of it :)
The recycling company said that they will ping me if they have batteries.. mostly power tool batteries.

I have called Computer recyclers and repair shops with offer of buying batteries.. a few took my number that said that they will ping me when they have stock.. most just say no.

I so far have 0 batteries at hand and a promise of some in future..

Going through a list calling repair shops.. mostly getting no where.

Curry's PC World said that they send it off to their HQ.. talk to HQ for those.
 
So i got my first ever laptop battery pack from work today.. I'm hoping to get some more from local PC repair shop tomorrow but excited.
image_abmbnq.jpg
 
I'm in Lincolnshire in England and am also struggling to find a supply. So far, a local PC repair shop said he'd save some for me and let me know when he's got some. Not holding my breath. I've bought a few off ebay (120+ decent cells so far), but they've been a mixed bag to say the least. I've had to throw away about 1/3. One laptop battery was positively oozing when I opened it up! I got a load of cheap pink chinese ones in the last lot, about 400mah, if that, some were heaters, and some wouldn't charge at all. Had to throw away the lot.

It's been costing me 70-80p per decent cell buying them off ebay, which is too much. I'm going to try at the local rubbish dump when i get around to it.
 
Kenbat said:
I'm going to try at the local rubbish dump when i get around to it.
Click to expand...

I'm going to try swipe a pack or two from recycling center.. it's a shame they wouldn't let one reuse those.. I've asked 2 centers and both said no.
 
God Speed my good man! We'll have to compare notes. What's life come to when you have to steal batteries from the rubbish dump...
 
Executed it like a pro.. opened the bin as of to put something inside. Scan showed 2 laptop batteries at the top, pocket one, picked other.. closed the bin and walked away ?

One hp and other lenovo.. will rip them open today.
image_sbaulu.jpg


Nitcore i4 comes tomorrow so charging will begin tomorrow
 
keaton85 said:
The sneaky NiCd got in there! I ended up doing that a few times in the beginning..
Click to expand...

I'm going to keep the dyson andthe power tools ones for further raids ?

Didn't realise NiCd in there.. the 5 laptop battery packs yielded only 16 batteries with right voltage ?
 
hermitdave said:
keaton85 said:
The sneaky NiCd got in there! I ended up doing that a few times in the beginning..
Click to expand...

I'm going to keep the dyson andthe power tools ones for further raids ?

Didn't realise NiCd in there.. the 5 laptop battery packs yielded only 16 batteries with right voltage ?
Click to expand...

Hi Dave....another uk er here, been long time lurker .....I should try stripping the Dyson, could give you some high drain cells
and good for the learning curve :)

What voltage are you classing as right ? I've had good reults rescuing very low volt cell 0.2 up...you just have to be gentle with them.

DIY tech and repairs has some good youtube vids on the subjectl

cheers Steve
 
18650stevey said:
hermitdave said:
keaton85 said:
The sneaky NiCd got in there! I ended up doing that a few times in the beginning..
Click to expand...

I'm going to keep the dyson andthe power tools ones for further raids ?

Didn't realise NiCd in there.. the 5 laptop battery packs yielded only 16 batteries with right voltage ?
Click to expand...

Hi Dave....another uk er here, been long time lurker .....I should try stripping the Dyson, could give you some high drain cells
and good for the learning curve :)

What voltage are you classing as right ? I've had good reults rescuing very low volt cell 0.2 up...you just have to be gentle with them.

DIY tech and repairs has some good youtube vids on the subjectl

cheers Steve
Click to expand...
Thanks Steve,

I'll try striping the dyson..

I've so far been filtering based on 2.5v minimum. 4 cells from not acceptable lot jumped to 2.5v aftera day's rest earlier.

Could be a badcell draining the good ones. I'll check those videos you mentioned.
 
Yeh, he has some great vids on the subject.

I copied his technique bumping from another cell with resistor and it works great,

I just need to make another rig as its a patience game, set and forget is what I do and when they come up to 3v+
put them in regular charger at lowest mah charger will do. I treat every cell below 2.5v this way

You often find cells bouncing back when their out of the pack...its a good sign for those cells.

What cells did you get from your raid ? LG in the Lenovo at a guess
 
Steve,

That sounds like a simple battery balancing mechanism. Must try out once i have a few well tested18650s.

Yes i did see a few LG ones (2 sets), though my classification skills are shite.
 
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