lead acid battery reconditioning

[yaz]

Really great info everyone!
I'll be trying the alum trick on one of my old batteries. 

I was wondering...what do I add to the water solution to keep it from freezing in the wintertime?
I'm sure that water and alum will make a nice battery popsicle.

Anyone try some windshield washer fluid or antifreeze solution, calcium chloride? Any ideas?

Also, do the reconditioned  batteries still hold a good charge at below freezing temperatures?

Thanks for any info!

[tom lee]

when I was young my dad and me would drain acid out fill with water shake and drain 3 times . Then leave upside down leting it dry  for a month or so then mix 4 ounces of red devil lye with quart of boiling water pored it into the battery and covered with old rag and shake for 3 minutes then rinsed it out sevreal times and refilled with same acid that we drained . Then charged it with a un regulated crysler alternator for 5 to 10 minutes till it was boiling . The batterys were like new or wouldn't take charge at all . I dont know the brand lye he used it was brown maby it was home made. I have also attached a bulb to a battery and leave it till its completely dead and recharged it backwards opposite polarity till full charged and they charged with no problem that seems to work on sulfated batterys. I dont know why I discoverd this buy mistake  when I conected the charger backwards . Im going to try vinegar to replace the acid and see if that will work . I tryed meratic acid when I first started experiments dont try that it makes chlorine gas . Rusty water with Epsom salt in one can be used as a hydrogen separator or brown gas fuel cell