Choosing the correct battery charger for lead acid batteries is important. The way we also charge the battery is also very important as well. It is said that we should not deep cycle lead acid batteries even if they say they can be. What this means is for optimum efficiency these batteries should be charged when they loose somewhere between 50-60% of their charge and not be allowed to loose most of their charge. How we also then charge the battery is the next important factor.
Most of the bulk of the charge should be put in first and then the rest of the smaller charge should follow. However this initial bulk charge has to be regulated also. Putting too high a charge rate into the battery can cause excessive heat and allow the battery plates to buckle and become distorted. This could cause the plates to short circuit over a period of time and you may find you have a bad cell that will never recover. Some of the latest battery chargers are supposed to compensate for temperature changes and alter the charge rate accordingly. The latest car charging systems are supposed to be sophisticated enough to adjust and keep your battery at optimum charge, but in reality it appears this doesn’t always happen.
The after-market charger you choose should also be able to have a charging and monitoring system on it as well. These type of chargers should be able to charge the weaker cells when needed but not put so much charge into the stronger cells. The danger of charging a battery too quickly can cause thermal runaway and cause the battery to get hot and possibly explode. That is why these sophisticated chargers are better but can be more expensive to buy in the first place. If cost is an issue then trickle charging batteries is a safer way of keeping your batteries in a safe tip top condition.If the charger does not have a monitoring system to stop the charge when the battery is full then you will have to remember to switch the charger off yourself when the charge gets to full capacity.
The best way to keep batteries topped up for cars that are not being used that often is to use a battery conditioner. These monitor the flow of current all the time and should keep your battery in a good condition all the time and these can be left on all year round. It is still a good idea to switch these conditioners off once in a while to let the batteries naturally discharge as the discharging process is still needed to keep your battery in good condition.
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