I suspect that one of the batteries was damaged due to localized pressure during storage. The Classic Reform has been unused for a long time and doesn’t yet have the new battery board, which is why I suspect that all the batteries are deeply discharged. I have a few questions regarding the repair:
How can I properly dispose of a damaged battery? In Germany, most stores have special boxes for battery disposal located near the registers, but I suspect that LiFePo4 batteries aren’t allowed to be disposed of there.
Is it enough to replace just one battery, or should I replace them all (since all the other batteries are deeply discharged)?
[I have another thought on this: Is it possible to leave only seven of the eight batteries in the holder to charge them?]
Can I use the Reform in grid operation until I have the new battery boards and a solution for this situation?
I was in the same situation when I first got my Reform Classic.
You should be able to dispose of them at a recycling center. At least I could do that here in Canada. And I know it’s similar in Sweden. I also found this in the documentation:
You can mail any of the parts back to MNT Research, and we will recycle them for you. Alternatively, you can recycle batteries at a local battery collection facility and dispose of electronics and cables at a local e-waste facility. Safety & Recycling — MNT Reform Operator Handbook, 4th Edition documentation
I would replace them all. I tried going the route of reviving batteries that have been deeply discharged. But they never worked well — they didn’t hold the charge etc. And one of them might have dragged a fresh battery down as I needed to replace new batteries after using a mix for a while. But that could also be that I got a bad one from the start. I’m far from a battery expert.
I don’t know the answer for this.
I highly recommending you to get the new battery board. I sparsely use mine and it ate two sets of batteries while I used the original battery board. Now I haven’t had any issue with deeply discharged batteries. And I had a few times when the system controller didn’t properly shutdown and sipped up all the power.
thank you so much for your help and advice. I ordered a new protected battery board right away, and I’m going to replace all the batteries just to be safe.
