Charging the Battery

[WinWiz]

The prodigal son returns...

I'm trying to find a cheaper battery charger than the one from Halfords. It keeps breaking and I keep having to go back and get a replacement.

I've seen this one on amazon.

It looks more durable and it's a fifth of the price. Will it serve the same purpose?

I charge the batteries each night after I have worked a whole day.

Pure freedom say that the Amazon one is a maintenance charger of half an amp and that the Halfords one is 3/4 of an amp. They said you can get one that's 7.5 amp - which will load the batteries quicker.

I never run my batteries to their bitter end and the 3/4 ones I've been using seem to have been working fine. Do I really need a 7.5 one? If not, where can I get a more durable and affordable lower amp charger?

For the back story of my Pure Freedom system, feel free to have a look here:

http://windowcleaningforums.co.uk/threads/why-leisure-batteries.11194/#post-156192

 

[keir]

That 500ma just wont do it bud, i'm afraid the answer is to get a decent charger, i,d keep an eye on ebay for a good second hand one.

Mind you this new one looks pretty good and cheap too http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Boat-Car-12V-12A-Portable-Automatic-Battery-Charger-Compact-Van-Motorhome-Camper-/380461469027?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

 

[WinWiz]

Thanks Keir

Howcome the 3/4 amp one has been working so well all this time then?

 

[Bingo]

I charge mine with a 4amp Trickle Charger and works fine no problem....I also have a small Solar Panel fitted so that the battery is always receiving a trickle charge even when parked-up while working.:thumbsup::thumbsup:.

One of these....got mine for £10.00......

http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/solar-powered-12v-15w-battery-auto-trickle-charger-l58bf

 

[keir]

No they will do as you can testify, but they are a maintenance trickle charger. They just take a lot longer to charge. I suppose as long as you keep on top of it you'll be fine. I'm going off charging my bike battery and early experiences of charging my leisure battery.

I have whats called an optimate, its a bike charger for over winter when they are stored. I used this for a few months and found after a few months even though it was indicating fully charged, slowly but surely the leisure battery was depleting to the point where my pump stopped working. It just wasnt getting a full boll##ks charge which it needed

The optimate is 0.8 amps and when i used it, it used to get red hot. But on my bike battery it was luke warm.

But there,s a hell of difference from a bike battery to a leisure battery hence i got a big knock off charger for a big knock off battery lol

 

[Bingo]

A Trickle Charger slowly charging overnight is the best way for a battery to receive a complete full charge.