4 Easy Steps to Buying a Car Battery Charger

As a car owner, it's important that you have emergency backup power source. This way, when your vehicle refuses to start because its battery has been drained out, you can immediately solve the problem. There are many options to choose from as far as shopping for a battery charger goes. But with so many choices available to you, how do you know that you're buying the right equipment?

Battery Charger Buying Guide

If this is your first time buying a portable charger for your car's battery, make sure to follow these steps.

1. Consider the type of battery you'll be charging

There are different types of car batteries available today. They include maintenance-free, wet cell or flooded, AGM or absorbed glass mat, and VRLA or valve regulated lead acid. Most of the time, one charger will work for all types of car batteries. But if you want to stay on the safe side, consider the type of battery you have and find a compatible charger to avoid incompatibility issues.

2. Determine your battery size

The next step is to determine the size of your battery so you can identify how long it would take your chosen battery charger to charge it. When we say battery size, we're not referring to its physical size, but rather to how many Amp hours (AH) your battery can store. For example, a typical car battery has a capacity of about 50 amp hours. If you have a 10 amp carbattery charger, it would take you about six hours to fully charge it.

To calculate total charge time, what you can do is take the AH rating of the battery and divide it by the charger rating (amps). Then add about 10% for the extra time to completely charge the battery.

3. Identify your desired outcome

The third step is to determine what you want to achieve with your battery charger jump starter. For example, if you want something to help you jumpstart your car during an emergency, then you'll need a fast and powerful charger. Or if you simply want your battery charged during the off season, then having a low current charger will do.

4. Consider other features

If you want your battery charger to be more usable, consider its other features. For example, getting a waterproof charger is a great idea especially if you'll be taking it frequently on camping and road trips.

Be sure to share his article with your friends so they'll know what to consider when shopping for a battery charger or jump starter.

Using a Smart Battery Charger and Other Ways to Care for Your Car Battery

Is your battery low on power? Don't worry. You don't have to replace it yet. If you have a smart battery charger, you can save a lot of money since it helps minimise frequent battery replacements. With this nifty device, not only can you help reduce your car expenses, you can also avoid being stuck in a place with a vehicle that refuses to start.

Dos and Don'ts of Using a Car Battery Charger

To get the best results possible, it's important that you know how to use your car battery charger properly. Here are the things that you should and shouldn't do when charging your car's battery.

1. Do refer to your owner's manual

It is standard procedure to check your owner's manual and your battery charger's manual for instructions before charging the battery. Remember, car batteries contain sulphuric acid that can cause severe burns and hydrogen-oxygen gases that can cause explosion. Reading both the owner's and battery charger's manuals will help ensure your safety and the proper use of the charging equipment.

2. Don't charge a dried-out battery

If your car's battery has been dried out, you shouldn't attempt to charge it. But if you have no choice but to do it, make sure to add distilled or drinking water to just above the battery plates. Exercise caution.

3. Do ensure that the charger leads are connected to the right terminals

Before charging, be sure that you have correctly identified the positive and negative terminals of the battery. Then, see to it that you attach the correct battery charger leads to avoid any potential problem or accidents.

4. Don't charge a battery connected to a car with no overvoltage protection

If you're charging a battery that's connected to your car, ensure that the car's electrical system has protection against overvoltage. Otherwise, charging the battery might damage your vehicle's electrical system.

Maintenance Tips

To ensure that your car's battery is always in optimum condition, here are some battery maintenance tips you should follow.

1. When placing the car battery in storage for an extended period of time, see to it that its voltage never drops below 12.4 volts. This is to prevent damage to the battery.

2. Check the battery from time to time and ensure its terminal connections are free from corrosion.

3. Store the battery in cooler places because heat damages batteries.

Share this article with your friends so they'll know how to use a car battery charger and care for their auto batteries properly.

How to Use a Car Battery Charger Safely and Efficiently

As a car owner, you should know how to use a battery charger since a dead battery is a common problem among drivers, especially during cold months. Portable chargers can get you back on the road again as quickly as possible. However, it is important that you know how to use such devices properly to ensure your safety and obtain optimum results. Here's a quick guide to using a portable charger for your car's battery.

Tips on Using a Battery Charger for Your Car

1. Safety first

Because you're dealing with high voltage of electricity, it's very important to keep safe to avoid accidents and injuries. As such, before connecting the charger to the battery, be sure to take off rings and other pieces of jewellery and metallic objects in your person. If you have a pair of rubber gloves in your car, you should put it on. Also, roll up any loose sleeves. Check your owner's manual to see how much voltage your car battery utilises. Ensure that it is the same as your battery charger.

2. Clean the terminals

To ensure fast and efficient charging, take some time to clean the battery's terminals. Corroded terminals may impede with the flow of current from the car battery charger to the cables and then to the car battery. For best results, use a soft bristled wire brush.

3. Connect the cables

According to the experts, the order in which you connect the car battery cables when charging a flat or low battery isn't as important as when jump starting your car. However, it is still advisable to use the same order for better results. Before connecting the cables, ensure that the charger is switched off and/or unplugged from the main power source. Then connect the positive cable first, followed by the negative cable. Double-check the connections to ensure they are good.

4. Set the charge rate

Always remember that the higher the charge rate, the higher the internal battery temperature will become. And the hotter the temperature is, the more prone your battery to damage will be. As such, you should set the charge rate of your portable car battery charger to a midrange level. 50 amps are considered the maximum charging rate for most batteries so use this rate only if you're in a hurry.

5. Switch on the charger

Once everything is set, switch on the charger. Ensure that you're in a well-ventilated area. Also, keep your face away from the battery.

Let your friends know how to use a smart battery charger safely and properly by sharing this article with them.