A lead acid battery standing idle sheds up to 6% of charge per month. This is normal, in fact it shows everything is working as it should. However, sulfating can accumulate on the plates if this continues for months unabated. Learn how trickle charging a lead battery for health prevents this happening.
When Trickle Charging a Lead Battery Makes Sense
The best medicine for a lead battery is to pass current through it, while charging and discharging it. Take the lead battery in your auto starter for example. Starting the car every day, and giving it a decent run keeps the battery in top-top condition.
However, leaving the vehicle in the garage day after day, and month after month is not good medicine, as we described a moment ago. The battery gradually discharges without a corresponding top up. Trickle charging a lead battery by passing a small amount of current through is the industry solution to this problem.
A trickle charger does this by delivering a small amount of current – typically between one-and-three amps – to prevent a battery running flat. This can also be the preferred solution where the vehicle owner only uses their vehicle for short runs.
However, this is not the right solution for recharging a battery that has gone flat, because this would take absolutely ages. You therefore need to know how to set up your battery charger for the specific task.
How to Connect a Battery for Slow Charging
Trickle charging a lead battery is dead simple when you know how. Here are the basic steps you need to follow:
- Park your vehicle in a dry, well-ventilated area.
- Turn off the ignition and remove the starter key.
- Adjust the charger for the task you wish to do.
- Connect the charger and battery RED positive terminals.
- Do the same with the battery and charger BLACK negative terminals.
- Plug the charger into an electricity socket.
- The trickle charger should start automatically.
Monitor the status every couple of hours. Cease charging when the battery is fully up to speed. Disconnect the battery by following the reverse process to the above.
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