Keeping Your Batteries at Optimal Efficiency with a Lead Acid Battery Charger
Jul0
Picking the correct auto battery charger for lead acid batteries is essential. The way we charge the battery is additionally rather crucial as well. Although lead acid batteries may specify that they can be deep cycled, it’s not something that should really be done. Generally, this means that for optimum efficiency these batteries should be charged when they fall to somewhere between 50-60% of their charge and not be permitted to lose the majority of their charge. How we also then charge the battery is the next important factor.
A large part of the bulk of the charge should be put in first and then the remainder of the smaller charge should follow. But, this initial bulk charge must be regulated as well. Putting too high a charge rate into the battery can cause excessive heat and permit the battery plates to buckle and become warped. This might cause the plates to short circuit after a short period of time and you may find that you have a bad cell that is unable to recover.
Many of the most recent lead acid car battery chargers are designed to balance temperature changes and alter the charge rate appropriately. The newest car charging systems are supposed to be complex enough to alter and uphold your battery at maximum charge, but in actuality, it appears this doesn’t necessarily happen.
It’s a good idea to get a lead acid battery charger with a built-in charging and monitoring apparatus.
These kinds of chargers must be able to charge the weaker cells when needed but not put too much charge into the stronger cells. When a battery is charged quickly, excessive heat can build up and may result in the battery exploding. Because of this, these complex chargers are the best choice but can be more pricey to buy in the first place.
If cost is an issue, then trickle charging batteries are a safer way of keeping your batteries in a safe tip top condition. If the charger doesn’t come with a monitoring system to cease the charge once the battery is full, then you will have to remember to switch the charger off yourself when the charge reaches 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 watch the flow of current constantly and can preserve your battery in a great condition all the time, and these can be left on all year round. Although you can use these year round, you may want to turn them off sporadically to give your battery a chance to expend some of it’s power naturally, as this is important in maintaining a long battery life.