ThermOil Testimonials from the Aerial & Scissor Lift Industry

Don Beaupre - Beaupre Aerial Equipment Minneapolis, MN

A solid reputation is important to me as a business owner, and we’re always looking for ways to bring more value to our customers. And if we can save money doing it, I can’t think of a reason to pass it up. One of my employees discovered ThermOil® Battery De-Mister, and after testing it on one of our electric boom lifts for a year, we were so impressed with the results we treated our entire fleet of over 1500 aerial lifts. Batteries will always be one of our greatest costs—at least with Battery De-Mister, those purchases are far less frequent.

Bill Gegare - Wisconsin Aerial Lift ServiceLittle Chute, WI

Since 2003, I’ve been using Battery De-Mister® in my fleet of over 150 electric aerial and scissor lifts. My batteries used to last 2 or 3 years, but now I’ve had batteries in the field for 7 years that are still going strong! No corrosion anywhere, my watering cycles have been reduced at least 5 times and I’m not replacing switches, relays and other electrical components nearly as often. Just the savings on maintenance and service calls has been astronomical— one less service call and the product has more than paid for itself. If you own a rental fleet and you’re not using Battery De-Mister, your profit margins and ROI are definitely not what they could be. The fact is, Battery De-Mister WILL save you a boatload of money. Thank you Battery De-Mister!

Craig Beymer ~ Genie Access Services

Genie Industries began using in the Reconditioning program in January of 2004. Genie Access Services has installed the products in over 2000 units saving thousands in battery replacements for electric scissor lifts and electric booms over the last three years.

Juan Tomás Torres - General ManagerEskala, Mexico

Eskala-MexicoWe have owned a rental fleet of Work Aerial Platforms since 2004 and 98 % of our machines are electrical. That means that our principal problem was the batteries. In the past 4 years we started working with Thermoil and we have seen that the product really works. De-Mister is an excellent product for new batteries because you can extend the battery life to it’s fullest by treating them when they’re new.

We used that product in 2010 with a new machine and to our surprise, when we went to make the first monthly service call, the water was at the same level! There was no consumption whatsoever! A year later – an even bigger surprise. We barely needed to add water and the batteries are in perfecto condition. We used to have to perform preventive maintenance every month and now with De-Mister, we rarely have to make a service call. Battery De-Sulfater is also an excellent product that can rejuvenate the battery. We have used this product in batteries that have 50 % of health (almost dead) and we extend the life for one more year.

Now we are making a recovery battery program. In the past we mixed old batteries with new batteries and that was wrong. Now we change the complete set of batteries for new ones in every machine. We use De-Mister in those and the batteries that we remove get evaluated to see which of them are good for rebuild. Then we add De-Sulfater in those and make a set of rebuilt batteries for other machines. The results are perfect.

Eric Faber - NES RentalsCordova, TN

Dear Sirs, We have had great results using Battery De-Mister and Battery De-Sulfater products in our 6-volt aerial lift batteries. Using these products will increase battery performance, decrease maintenance, and eliminate corrosion. We have seen first hand the problems that occur when batteries are not charged and maintained correctly.

How it works

Lead-acid battery electrolytes are about 35 percent acid and 65 percent distilled water. When the battery is charged, a chemical process breaks down the water into oxygen and hydrogen, an explosive gas. Acid particles mixed with the gases are carried out of the tops of the battery vent tube wells. Over time, acid particles gassing from the battery will corrode the posts and cause the battery to take longer to charge. The longer the batteries resist charging, the more internal heat is created. This heat can speed up damage to the plates and lead to premature failure.

The Battery De-Mister additive floats on top of the water and battery acid. The oil in De-Mister increases the recombination of the hydrogen and oxygen gases. If a battery using Battery De-Mister becomes overcharged, the hydrogen and oxygen gases rising to the top of the electrolyte are slowed by the oil, which stops the acid mist and reduces the fumes generated by charging. The oil condenses the hydrogen and oxygen gases, returns the water molecules into the cell, and eliminates the sulfuric acid mist from being forced out of the vent during charging.

What the De-Mister seems to be doing is cutting down on any of the vapors coming out of there, which usually causes the corrosion,” Beck says. “We don’t have any buildup of corrosion on the terminals, which has always been a real issue.” Because the water molecules are returned to the cell, Battery De-Mister also extends intervals between water additions.

As the battery is gassing and bubbles race to the top, they hit this half-inch layer of oil, and now it has to slowly work its way through the oil,” says Terry Fellner, owner of Thermoil. “The bubbles slowly break on the surface, and no moisture comes out.”Battery De-Mister and Battery De-Sulfater are oil additives for the battery.

The user removes a small amount of liquid from the battery and replaces it with the additiveBeck says because the water is not evaporating, U’Ren Equipment hasn’t had to add water to the batteries with De-Mister as often. It also eliminates the need to frequently clean the battery, cables, and tray because the battery top remains free of acid deposits caused by misting. “The acid attacks all the areas that are open,” Beck says. “With the De-Mister keeping the vapors in and the acid from coming out, you won’t have that acid buildup.”

Beaupre says when his company started using Battery De-Mister, he wanted to get one more year of life out of its batteries. “We figure, on the average, three years for our batteries to run in a machine before we have to change them,” he says. “Add one year, and that’s 33 percent savings on our batteries.” Not only has it saved on replacement batteries and parts, but it also has reduced the amount of machine downtime for service, which keeps Beaupre’s customers working. He notes that Battery De-Mister and a diligent service regimen have helped maintain the batteries, reduce maintenance costs, and cut down on service calls.

Reviving dead batteries

Battery sulfation is another problem equipment owners face. When a deep-cycle battery is being used or discharged, acid will slowly seep into paste on the plates, which creates energy. If the battery is run down until it is dead, all the acid is in the plate. “Picture your plate like a sponge, and all the acid is inside the sponge,” Fellner says.

The Battery De-Mister additive floats on top of the water and battery acid. The oil in De-Mister increases the recombination of the hydrogen and oxygen gases. If a battery using Battery De-Mister becomes overcharged, the hydrogen and oxygen gases rising to the top of the electrolyte are slowed by the oil, which stops the acid mist and reduces the fumes generated by charging.

The oil condenses the hydrogen and oxygen gases, returns the water molecules into the cell, and eliminates the sulfuric acid mist from being forced out of the vent during charging. “What the De-Mister seems to be doing is cutting down on any of the vapors coming out of there, which usually causes the corrosion,” Beck says. “We don’t have any buildup of corrosion on the terminals, which has always been a real issue.” Because the water molecules are returned to the cell, Battery De-Mister also extends intervals between water additions.

As the battery is gassing and bubbles race to the top, they hit this half-inch layer of oil, and now it has to slowly work its way through the oil,” says Terry Fellner, owner of Thermoil. “The bubbles slowly break on the surface, and no moisture comes out.”Battery De-Mister and Battery De-Sulfater are oil additives for the battery.

The user removes a small amount of liquid from the battery and replaces it with the additiveBeck says because the water is not evaporating, U’Ren Equipment hasn’t had to add water to the batteries with De-Mister as often. It also eliminates the need to frequently clean the battery, cables, and tray because the battery top remains free of acid deposits caused by misting. “The acid attacks all the areas that are open,” Beck says. “With the De-Mister keeping the vapors in and the acid from coming out, you won’t have that acid buildup.” Beaupre says when his company started using Battery De-Mister, he wanted to get one more year of life out of its batteries.

We figure, on the average, three years for our batteries to run in a machine before we have to change them,” he says. “Add one year, and that’s 33 percent savings on our batteries.” Not only has it saved on replacement batteries and parts, but it also has reduced the amount of machine downtime for service, which keeps Beaupre’s customers working. He notes that Battery De-Mister and a diligent service regimen have helped maintain the batteries, reduce maintenance costs, and cut down on service calls.

Getting the most life from a battery

Even batteries that have been maintained properly will weaken with age and eventually die. Fellner likened a battery’s life to a car’s engine. “When it is new, it has a lot of power and doesn’t burn oil,” he says. After 200,000 miles, it will burn oil and lose power as it nears the end of its life, he says.

A deep-cycle battery will weaken with age and start to use more water at the end of its life, he adds. However, more than 90 percent of batteries don’t come close to living their full life, says Fellner. While Fellner makes a point to say that Battery De-Mister helps equipment owners get the full life from their batteries, he says the product will not increase the number of life cycles. The maximum number of life cycles is dependent on the batteries and how they are manufactured, he adds. Fellner acknowledges that using Thermoil products may void the battery OEM’s warranty.

However, he quickly notes that if a battery fails because of conditions his products help prevent—low water, corroding, or sulfation—its warranty will likely be void anyway because the battery has been misused and neglected. Fellner adds that Thermoil products are guaranteed 100 percent. For some owners with warrantied batteries, the lowered maintenance costs and repair costs have them sold. Bill Steinman, equipment service manager of Beaupre, is a believer. “The one battery in several hundred batteries that we would have to warranty,” he says, “wouldn’t compare to the cost of what we’ve saved using Battery De-Mister.”

Ninety percent of Beaupre’s fleet uses Battery De-Mister, and several hundred of its customers are on board with the product, Steinman says. “It’s not a gimmick,” he adds. To those uncertain about the product’s effectiveness, Fellner says to add Battery De-Mister to half the batteries in a machine and see whether there is difference in corrosion or water retention. “When batteries are hooked in a series, they have to charge and discharge identically,” he says.

Because the batteries will be identical in make, age, and size and are subjected to the same charge and discharge conditions, the test will show how the product stacks up. Battery additives are one way rental companies are overcoming the challenge of improperly maintained batteries. Beck notes that although there is a cost in using Battery De-Mister, R.B. U’Ren is saving money overall from reduced maintenance and replacement costs. “Our experience has been really great,” he says. “We’ve been using it since 2007, and we’ve had time to see its results.