How to choose a battery

What is a car battery charger? It doesn't charge car batteries? How complicated can it be? Believe it or not, there are literally hundreds of chargers that can fill any situation. What is your situation? Your particular situation will determine how to choose a battery charger for your car.

Battery Charger or Jump Starter?

The first question that is asked is whether you need a battery charger at all or are just looking for an emergency jump starter that can bring in your car. Battery chargers typically stay at home or in the store and connect to household power to recharge a battery and in many cases maintain its charge as well. Jump Starters are really batteries that you can bring with you in your car and in an emergency to jump start your low car battery. If you are looking for a jump starter, this article is not for you. I want another article on how to choose a jump starter.

Battery size and voltage:

Then you have to ask yourself in which vehicle the battery will be used; a car, boat, light truck, garden tractor, classic car etc.? The vehicle decides whether the device should charge a large battery or a small one and whether it should only handle 12 volts or also handle 6 volt applications. Ordinary cheap home battery chargers typically handle 12 volts and can sometimes handle 6 volts as well. If you don't need 6 volts (some classic cars and some tractor batteries), and don't think you ever will, you can save money if you choose a 12 Volt charger. These days, some of the best home chargers are still relatively cheap and will handle both 6 and 12 Volt applications.

Battery Chemistry:

And you thought you left chemistry in school ... I promise I'll make it simple! Most all car batteries are lead batteries with lead plates in an acid bath. Where they differ in chemistry is whether they are standard lead-acid, AGM, Gel Cel or Deep-Cycle. You don't need to know what these chemists mean, you just need to know what type they are. Not all chargers are designed to meet the special needs of AGM, Gel Cel or Deep Cycle types. Most are standard lead-acid. The specialty chemicals are found in applications designed for other equipment besides cars.

Fully automatic:

Battery chargers can be manual or automatic charging. Many are fully automatic, which means they can detect when fully charged and automatically switch to a trickle charge or float mode to protect it from overcharging. This is an important feature available on many better quality home chargers.

Safety first:

There are many safety features available on modern car battery chargers and the more you have the better. Some security features to look for include:

1) Reverse Polarity Warning - A charger can warn you if you have the wrong cable connected to the wrong post. Usually, this will cause sparks that can ignite gas around the battery and cause an explosion.

2) Float Mode - A fully automatic charger has a trickle charge or float mode that detects when fully charged and backs up from the charging amplifiers so as not to damage the battery when overcharged. In some cases, excessive overcharging can cause overheating, damage, or even explosions.

3) Ignition-resistant terminals - No matter how carefully you turn on, it is still possible when connecting the charger terminals. Some devices have this security feature that reduces or even prevents sparks from connecting.

4) Battery Tests - Many chargers can detect the health of your battery. Over time, they can build up sulfate on their plates, reducing their ability to accept a full charge. Some devices may detect that it is unable to accept a full charge and warn you of the problem.

5) Battery management/maintenance - Many chargers can provide maintenance or tendency to your battery when connected. This is especially useful for those who are only rarely used or stored for part of the time, e.g. Have tractors, motorcycles, boats, RVs, etc.

6) Clamp Amplifiers - Clamps connecting to the posts have an amplifier indication. Usually this rating is 50 amps or more. It should be no less.