Picking out the proper battery charger for your needs, as well as ensuring that your batteries are charged with the best efficiency is going be crucial before you even start looking at all of the different brands that are out there.
Here, we cover the basics to assist you in your hunt in selecting the right charger for your needs. If you aren’t familiar with battery chargers in the least, that’s OK; we’ll help you to minimize some of the hassle that can come with making a new purchase.
If you are in the market for a new battery charger, there are few vitally-important prerequisites that you must take into account before jumping in and making any kind of purchase. What your device requires and how often you’re going to be using it will greatly come into play, so let’s jump right in so that you are well-informed before you go shopping.
First things first; you must always make doubly sure that you never, ever, mix different types of batteries on a multi-bank charger. Doing so will result in your battery not getting the proper charge and may even cause damage to it. Not only will your battery have less power, but it may also permanently ruin your charger.
Now that we have that disclaimer out of the way, let’s take a look at the different types of rechargeable batteries out there. You’ll first need to confirm which type you have. There are four main types, which are:
Aside from some gel cell batteries, most chargers will generally work with these battery types.
Most people are familiar with AA and AAA batteries, but there are quite a few more. The following are some of the most commonly-used that you will generally find among electronic devices, like television remotes, stereos, and calculators:
This is important to know so that you can gauge the type of charger that you will need. Bear in mind that this is not going to be the physical size of the battery, but its amps. Let’s say you have a marine battery that has 80 amp hours. If you went with a 10-amp charger, you’d roughly be looking at around nine hours to get a full charge out of it, assuming it’s completely dead.
The general rule of thumb in calculating charge time is to take the amp hours of the battery and divide it by the amps of the charger while adding about 10 percent. This will ensure a complete charge.
As logic would dictate, a charger with higher amps will charge your batteries quicker; one with less will charge them slower. What type of device you need charged and how often you plan to use it should greatly affect your ultimate buying decision.
One of the most common mistakes consumers make is buying the wrong charger and thereby overcharging their batteries. Conversely, it is just as easy to mistakenly buy a charger that isn’t powerful enough, undercharging the battery.
Overcharging a battery is dangerous for a multitude of reasons, as you run the risk of overheating and damaging your battery. To avoid this potentiality, simply observe your battery’s capacity, which is marked “Ah”.
If you need to keep your vehicle’s battery charged when not in use, like say, on a boat or motorcycle during the winter, you can look into a low-current charger. These types will do the job just fine, and you needn’t worry about overcharging in the process.
If the outside elements are a concern to you, consider a waterproof charger. This will avoid any undesired damage to your new battery charger. And if you’re an RV owner, there are a multitude of battery chargers available that double as a power source.
If you have a device or equipment that requires a charge rather quickly, simply browse among the many types that provide powerful and fast charging. These are great for vehicles, electric scooters, and the like.
If you often travel abroad, you will most certainly want to look into battery chargers that are multi-voltage.
Multi-bank battery chargers allow you to charge more than one battery simultaneously. Whether you need a charger to replenish two batteries or 12, there are many available on the market that will meet your requirements. These can range anywhere from under $100 to thousands of dollars, depending on your charging needs.
Now that you understand some of the prerequisites needed in the battery-charging world, you should be better-prepared to begin your search for the best battery charger for your particular needs. While there are many brands available on the market, you should be able to better differentiate between all of the various types and what they are designed to do.
By investing in a higher-rated battery charger, you will be sure that your batteries last longer while getting the most use out of them. Also, by doing so, you will ensure that you can enjoy your devices and gadgets without interruption.
Furthermore, the money that you will save on batteries over time will make your new purchase all the more worthwhile. Why senselessly dump a ton of your hard-earned cash into endless batteries when you can easily and conveniently recharge them?
Remember to keep in mind where and when you will be charging your batteries the most often. If you are going to regularly be exposed to outside elements, this should dictate the type of charger that you buy. Always use sound judgment along with the proper research, and you should be well on your way to choosing the right battery charger.
