Rules for choosing a charger for a car battery

The life of almost every modern person who has reached the age of majority contains such important devices as a mobile phone and a laptop, the third component is a car. As strange as it may sound at first glance, all these devices depend on one very necessary device, without which such expensive "toys" simply lose their meaning. In the article below, we will talk about a modern battery, more precisely, about a battery, through which all electronic things receive a new charge, delighting their consumers.

Everyone who has a newfangled gadget at least once in his life faced a problem caused by a complete discharge of the device. And, as a rule, most often your favorite devices, including a car, are capable of being discharged at the most inopportune moments, putting their owner in an awkward position. Since until now, development scientists have not found a way to charge the battery "once and for life", the owners of modern technical units have to have an additional charger included with the device. With the help of a special charger, you can revive an inactive tablet or car battery, after just an hour and a half a piece of metal or plastic will regain its former properties. After reading the material of the article, any car owner will be able to independently choose the optimal charger for the battery of his car, learn about the characteristics and features of the models presented on the Russian market.

A modern charger, which is designed to recharge a car battery, is a small special unit that is able to lower the voltage coming from the mains (220 V) to a certain indicator required to charge the device's battery. If we consider this device from the side of physics, then it is a rectifier that simultaneously rectifies the current and creates such conditions due to which the most correct charging of any unit is carried out.

Choosing the right charger for your car battery

If the car owner is interested in choosing a quality charger for a car battery, he should know about the list of requirements that the purchased device must meet.

The purpose of the charger lies in the need to provide the most efficient charging mode that can be created from the moment the unit is connected to the mains until the time when the power is interrupted. In other words, recharging serves as a kind of mediator that ensures the correct voltage, automatically changing the strength of the passing current, which directly depends on how much percent the battery of the device is charged. Consider three ways to charge a car battery.

If you choose a modern charger that will provide a constant current, then the owner of such a device will have a unit capable of providing the same voltage during the entire charging process. Among other disadvantages of such a device, it is worth noting the not very good conditions in which the battery works, which is why the latter is subject to artificial "aging". The main advantage of the constant current charger is the faster charging of the car battery.

The choice of the second type of car battery charger ensures a constant voltage. The principle of operation of such a unit is identical to the previously described device, the only difference lies in a certain voltage value. In this regard, a constant voltage charger has the same disadvantages - it transfers too much charge at the beginning of the battery filling process and not powerful enough at the end.

The third type of chargers is a universal unit, to be more precise, a combined one. It is a combination of the two previous methods. Initially, the car battery is charged with a constant current, and, closer to the end of the process, with a stable voltage. Experts call this type of charger the optimal one, however, it is the most difficult in terms of implementation. Combined chargers for car batteries are the most stable and high quality.

Any battery can be charged in different ways, in other words, charging will depend on a speed equal to the current flowing directly through the battery itself. However, the fastest chargers in which the process of increasing the current is implemented, together with the acceleration of the charging process, increases the aging of the battery itself several times. The service life of the battery can be increased by proper charging, which can be provided by the rated current.

In fact, the rated current is such a value that does not exceed 10% of the battery capacity. Each battery has a similar inscription - 0.1 С20, which indicates the rated current С20, which fully charges the battery in a certain number of hours.

For example, it is recommended to recharge a cell phone for 2–4 hours until a full charge (100% mark), which will have a beneficial effect on the device's performance. In contrast, a car battery charger needs to be online for about 12-14 hours, so that the battery will “slowly but surely” fill up to the required limit.

Many car owners try not to buy an additional unit in the form of a battery charger, relying entirely on a car generator that has the properties of a starting and charging device. However, as practice shows, sometimes it happens that when the load on the on-board network has increased, the generator is not able to "deliver" the required power, as a result of which the missing charge provides the battery reserve. From the battery, both a hundredth of the charge and a full battery can be used - it all depends on the situation and the deficit that has appeared. Surely, at least once, every car owner was faced with the problem of a completely discharged battery, which turned out to be empty the next morning due to the included dimensions or a short circuit. A timely purchased charger in such cases becomes an indispensable assistant.

Choosing a quality car battery charger

Among other conditions that affect the choice of a charger for a car battery, a foreign manufacturer is often taken into account, although many car owners who have purchased products from domestic companies note the high quality of the charger. Choosing a Russian charger for a car battery is a very simple process, since our modern units are no worse than various foreign counterparts coming to Russia, mainly from the west.

You should also choose a charger from a Russian manufacturer because it is almost impossible to find a fake product on the market, while foreign chargers are mostly simple fakes that are collected in the basements of some Asian countries. If, by an unfortunate coincidence of circumstances, the choice of the car owner fell on such a low-quality device, then one cannot exclude the possibility of inadvertently causing harm to both the car battery and health and property. You cannot insure yourself against an accident, unexpected circuit or fire.

As practice shows, it is preferable, when making a choice between different chargers for a car battery, to dwell exclusively on such devices that have a small current margin.

This choice will be optimal due to the fact that the device will not be able to operate at the power limits.

Even if in the future it is necessary to change the battery, which will be more powerful in capacity, the car owner will not have to spend anew on buying a new charger.

It will be better if, when choosing a charger for a car battery, the vehicle owner takes the process seriously, pays attention to the characteristics of the unit being purchased and reads the operating manual (at least its short version). From the list of chargers presented in the auto shop, you should choose such a device that will have a factory production, understandable instructions, certain properties and available formulated characteristics. When choosing a charger for a car battery, it is important to consider its compliance with the requirements of both fire and electrical safety.

It is best to opt for automatic car battery chargers, as these devices provide efficient recharging, which is carried out through a combined principle.

As such, the device does not have special indicators for controlling the charger, the only thing that the owner of the unit can control and set is the initial charge current displayed on the potentiometer. True, in order for the owner of the device to be able to control the amount of passing current in the process, it is necessary to choose such units that have discrete, LED or instrument indication.

Anyone purchasing a modern car battery charger can choose one of two types of devices, which are divided into charging-pre-starting and charging-starting units.

The first type of chargers refers to charging-prestarting units, through which the battery is charged and recharged. Such devices function by means of thin lead wires through which a small operating current flows, suitable exclusively for charging car batteries. An important advantage of this unit is the ability to connect the unit to the battery terminals without first disconnecting from the on-board network of the machine. This advantage of the device allows the owner of a car with an automatic transmission to quickly and conveniently recharge the battery without the consequences that can be caused by the discharge of the battery.

The second type of charger for a car battery refers to starters and chargers operating in several positions: the first charge is automated, and the second is at the highest current level that can be in starting mode. The inclusion of a particular regime depends solely on the special voter. It is worth noting the thickness of the section of the lead wires, which is an order of magnitude larger than those of the previous units, however, this advantage affects the price, which grows depending on the thickness of the wire.

However, charging and starting chargers require careful and careful attitude, since an incorrect connection, which is made without removing the terminals from the car battery, threatens with negative consequences (in a few minutes you can completely destroy the electronics of the car).

Conclusion

When making a choice between two types of car battery chargers, you should remember that each of the units has its own advantages and benefits. Generally speaking, both devices are perfect for recharging both domestic and foreign batteries. The only thing that should not be forgotten when choosing the optimal charger is the peculiarity of the charging and launching device, which can be operated only after disconnecting the terminals from the on-board network.

Before recharging your battery with the purchased charger for the first time, you should carefully read the instructions so that no unforeseen circumstances arise.