Types Of Charger For Car Batteries
photo credit: QfamilyMost car battery chargers are of the trickle type, and plug into domestic mains electricity supply outlets. They usually have an output of around 2 amps of current. This type of charger needs to be left connected and charging the battery for quite long time periods in order to completely recharge the battery. This type of charger has the strong point of not building up a lot of internal heat inside the battery.
The opposite type of car battery charger is the ‘fast charger’. This type of charger has an output of around 100-200 amps or even greater, and can charge a flat (discharged) battery in under an hour. Fast chargers can cause the production of large amounts of internal heat inside the battery. Fast chargers should really only be used by the professionals.
Most car battery chargers on the market have an output range of 2 amps, 6 amps, 10 amps, and even as high as 50 amps at 12 volts. The output is usually adjustable and can give either a slower and longer charge or a fast charge to enable the car to be started within just a few hours.
Other types of charger can also be used, such as the car-to-car battery charger. This works in a similar way to jump-starting cables, but takes up less space when stored and is also easier to use. The device connects between the 12v sockets of the two cars, and the car with the good battery charges the flat battery, enabling starting of the car with the flat battery.
Trickle chargers are inexpensive and are unlikely to cause any damage to the car battery. They basically consist of a small transformer which plugs into the mains electricity outlet, and a pair of leads to connect to the battery. Trickle charging can take up to a few days to fully charge a dead battery, so it isn’t much use if you are in a hurry to start the car. Another type of trickle charger is the solar car battery charger, which has a small solar panel which produces enough charge to trickle charge the car battery through the 12v socket inside the car.
Rechargeable car battery chargers can be charged by mains electricity and then carried in the car, to be used to charge the battery even in areas with no power supply. Some of these chargers will have other features such as integrated torch, air compressor for inflating boats, air mattresses etc., pressure gauge, and charge indicator.
Whichever type of charger you choose, there are so many available that it’s a good idea to shop around to find the best price for the particular charger that you need.
