Does recharging batteries with a charger harm them?

[JohnW]

I'm considering getting one of these myself - hoping for feedback following my earlier posting :-)

to be a solution for classic cars. Interesting their comment about "difficult to reach batteries" for your application. They switch off the charging when the battery is "full" but continue to monitor the voltage. If it falls too low, it initiates a recharge cycle which is apparently better than slow water loss due to gassing that happens with a constant charging type.

That reminds me - you can get "recombiner caps" (Hydrocaps) that are supposed to recombine the free hydrogen back into water again to reduce the water loss. Which is the best solution, I don't know - which is why I'm still thinking :-)

[Julian]

Surely not at just 15mins/day? A modern car alternator charges the battery at about 14.8 volts, think how many hours a car battery spends at this voltage without any problems. Would a little trickle charger (I assume this is what you use) ever bring the battery voltage up to such levels.

(as an aside, I've overcome the problem with one of those little wall wart chargers, Gunsons do a (IIRC) 500mA output one for just over a fiver. I've added a few 10 Watt ceramic resistors into the circuit to cut charge current down to vehicle parasitic losses + about 50mA. - stays on 24/7 in the winter.)

Julian.

[Huge]

is much the the same thing, on my TVR and before that my Cossie, neither of which got much use in the winter. Although they are, as Dave Plowman points out, rather expensive for what they are, I haven't had to buy a new battery since I got one, whereas the Cossie/TVR was getting 18 months tops out of a battery before the constant flattening ruined them. (Modern cars drain a fair amount of current, even when switched off. I tried to measure it on the Cossie, but the inrush current blew the 2A fuse in my meter).

The other solution is to disconnect the battery, but that makes popping out for a drive (on a day like today) a bit of a pain.

The TVR battery is very, very, very hard to get at. I charge it through the cigarette lighter.

[Huge]

Crap charger.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

As would any battery charger.

My point is you can buy a proper charger that will float a battery after charging it for less. Or even a 'three stage' small one (6 amp max) from Lidl for a tenner - although of course they never have stock when you want something. The small conditioners only should cost no more than any other wall wart - say a tenner.

[Graham C]

Worked for me once - Car OK until one day when:

Got in car in morning - battery flat - jump start - drive to work 20 miles.

8 hours later after work - battery flat - jump start - drive home 20 miles - take battery out - trickle overnight.

Next day battery replaced - drive to work.

8 hours later battery flat - jump start - drive home trickle charge but noticed 5 cells were gassing, one wasn't.

Imediately purchased a pack of 'Battery Aid' pills - put 4 in the dodgy cell and one each in the others.

Battery was then good for over a year - including a bad winter, after which I sold the car.

Have been unable to find the pills recently. £3 to extend the life of a battery for a substantial time seemed good value.

GrahamC

[Harry Bloomfield]

these chargers, at around £12. Same PCB inside, same charging method, just a slightly different case and name on the front.

[The Natural Philosopher]

And spend a week getting the electronics to work again when you reconnect..

[Huge]

Err, no. My el cheapo one has destroyed my lawnmower battery.

That means repeatedly going to Lidl until they have one.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes - I bought one and it works very well. It's what I mean by excessive prices from some retailers.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

You could always make sure you buy a car where this doesn't happen. But if the battery's going to go flat anyway...

[vroomfondel]

They are now =A34.99 in my local Lidl

[Andy Hall]

Yes, but then you have to go into Lidl...

[Owain]

Don't you have people who could do that for you?

Owain

[Andy Hall]

No, they live too far away...

[Owain]

I'm sure there are adverts in the appropriate columns of The Lady, Horse and Hound, or International Investment Banker, for discreet Shopping Agents, all commissions undertaken with perfect rectitude, purchases from Aldi, Lidl, Argos hand-wrapped and delivered in a fake Gamages van, also family jewels sold at Cash Converters, total privacy guaranteed.

Owain

[Andy Hall]

Yes, but I'd need assurance of complete discretion....

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In the hands of the operator? But you don't have to pay large sums to get auto chargers these days.

Or check their website.