A car battery charger should become every vehicle owner’s best friend. It should
be part of your arsenal of important tools due to its effectiveness and
versatility. However, how do you go about choosing the right charger for your
vehicle? Here are some guidelines you should remember when choosing a charger:
Guideline No. 1: Determine your car’s battery
type first before purchasing a battery charger. If you don’t already know, there are four basic types of vehicle
batteries out in the market:
1) Maintenance-free batteries designed to be
closed off and not refillable, hence the name.
2) Wet cell (flooded) batteries are considered
to be the original rechargeable battery type, which contains liquid electrolyte
that store energy by converting chemicals into electricity.
3) Absorbed glass mat or AGM is basically a
type of lead-acid cycle battery that uses fibreglass mat to absorb electrolyte,
which turns it into energy.
4) Gel cell batteries contain electrolyte that
has a silica additive, which stiffens it and suspends it. It is why this type
is best suited for a very deep cycle application and can actually last longer
in hot climate.
It is highly important to know this in order
for you to choose the compatible charger for your battery.
Guideline No. 2: Look at the battery size of
your vehicle. Find out how many amp hours does your battery hold and match that
with the specifications of the charger you found. Here’s a tip: to know how
long to charge your car, take the amp hour rating of your vehicle then divide
the charger rating (amps). Then add about 10% for the extra time fully maximise
its charging time.
Guideline No. 3: Know your specific needs for
your smart battery charger. What are
your demands for this device? Are you planning on using it on a foreign
country? Then a multi-voltage input charger might prove useful for you. Do you
normally go on adventures outdoors? Get a waterproof portable charger so that
you don’t have to worry about any damages.
Remember that taking good care of your battery
will eventually lead to a longer lifespan and better performance.
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