“My preference is a smart battery maintainer,” says John Ibbotson, Consumer Reports’ chief mechanic.
Verify that the model you are considering has this feature. Most solar chargers come with a reverse charge blocking diode to prevent it from draining the car battery at night. Because of their low amperage, a solar unit is used to offset any natural battery discharge, rather than recharge a weak battery. These connect to the car battery, and some cars can be charged via the 12-volt power point inside. These full-featured chargers typically have modes for maintaining a lawn tractor or motorcycle battery, adding to their value.įor those who park outdoors, away from a power source, there are solar-powered battery maintainers. And there is often a feature to de-sulfate the lead in traditional flooded batteries that reverses some crystallization that occurs when batteries go unused, extending the battery’s life. Advanced maintainers, often called “smart” chargers, typically have modes to address the needs of absorbed glass mat (AGM) batteries, ensuring that they are charged fully and properly. Unlike trickle chargers, maintainers turn on and off as needed.Ī battery maintainer will charge as needed, automatically. True to their name, these affordable chargers are meant to preserve the charge level, not resurrect a dead battery. A maintainer may be all most people need. Basic trickle chargers slowly replenish the battery, but they need to be monitored and manually disconnected when the battery is topped off. There are two main types of chargers: trickle and maintainer.
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