How to choose the right charger for the winter?
28.11.2013
How to choose the right charger for the winter?
A good charger is always useful, but mostly in winter. During this season, the lack charge can quickly harm a battery. Knowing how to choose the right charger for your needs is important. There are all kinds of batteries chargers, for all kinds of applications and batteries. Selecting the right battery charger will ensure the efficiency and longevity of the battery.
Charge at the right power
To determine the power of charge required, we first have to know the unwritten rule of charging.
For most batteries on the market, such as lead acid batteries, the charging rule is about “0.1C”; that means 1/ 10 of the battery capacity in ampere (AH). This is the ratio that allows a charger to fully recharge a battery within a reasonable time, without overheating. For example, for a 100 AH battery, the charger should be about 10 amps.
You probably guessed by now that small batteries, like motorcycle batteries and riding lawnmowers, demand a small charging power, from 0.9 to 4 amps. For car batteries, it’s a little harder because the AH capacity is not specified. A good car charger should charge from 8 to 12 amps.
For tractor and truck batteries, 12A to 15A is the recommended charge current. For even larger batteries, such as for heavy equipment like a combine harvester or a bulldozer, you can go up to 30 amps.
What kind of charger should you get?
For general use, like charging automotive starting batteries or motorsport batteries, an automatic charger is a good choice. If you have a business with a fleet of vehicles, you may want to buy a manual charger for reviving over-discharged batteries.
Chargers optionss
Today’s charger comes with different options, such as selectable amps, engine start, trickle charge, and more. Trickle charge is a must went it comes to keeping your batteries in shape for the next season. Of course, a well maintained and fully charged battery will be more effective over time, which is why it is worth investing in a good charger.
Advice
For the average consumer, a fully automatic, all-around charger with trickle charge, like the EWC12-248 from ENERWATT, is an excellent choice to keep your stored vehicle charged. Even if you forget to switch the lights off, your car battery will recharge in one night.
If you own a truck or farm equipment a powerful automatic charger with engine start like the PSC-12500A could be just what you are looking for. Or, consider an on-wheel manual charger with engine start (SF-3000).
These are all good chargers depending on your needs. For more information about other models, please contact your local Batteries Expert.