Is it possible and how to charge a maintenance-free battery?

At the very beginning, I would like to say that in general, a non-serviceable battery represents itself. This is not an ordinary lead-acid battery, but a modern power source that does not have holes for topping up the electrolyte or water. A feature of maintenance-free batteries is that they are operated without adding water to them during their entire service life (4-5 years).

How to charge a maintenance-free battery

This question is asked by many motorists who purchased such a battery. But first you need to decide whether you can do it at all. Of course, if the battery is charged while driving the car from the generator, then why not use a special charger (charger) and self-recharge the battery? The only thing to remember about this is the elimination of "grandfather" ways of recharging. This will simply disable the battery or shorten its useful life.

And now we will try to answer the question "how to charge a maintenance-free battery". To begin with, it should be noted that you do not just need to be careful, it is worth using personal protective equipment (glasses, gloves). Since we do not know the density of the electrolyte of our battery, but focus exclusively on the auto sensor, only the memory purchased in the store is used. You also need to understand that the battery can be discharged completely or partially.

Charging a partially discharged maintenance-free battery

In this case, we ideally approach the method of continuous voltage supply to the battery terminals. You can use memory that allows you only to monitor the current. Consequently, charging will be performed an order of magnitude faster than with a fully discharged battery. If we talk about numbers, then on average, from the charger to the terminals of the battery should be 14-14.5 Volts, and at the very beginning of charging, the current should not be more than 25-26 Amps.

Then you just have to wait. Depending on the level of residual charge in the battery, the process can take from 2 to 4 hours. But then you need to remember that if the voltage is above 15 Amps, then you run the risk of remaining completely without a battery. As for the end of recharging, you need to look at the memory. When the amperage drops to 0.2-0.4 amperes, this indicates that you can turn off the charger from the mains, since the battery is ready for use.

What should I do if the battery is full?

In principle, this should not happen. The only justification for this is the faulty generator of the car, which does not give proper make-up while the engine is running. Let's see how to charge a maintenance-free battery if it has sat down completely. Just note that it will take a lot longer than the above situation. You will also need more attention from you.

The first thing you need to do is set up the memory. Typically, it sets a voltage equal to 10% of the capacity of the battery (measured in Ah.) Thus, you do not damage the battery. In order to get 90-95% of the charge, it takes a little more than a day, but we'll talk about this a little later. Here the main difficulty is that you need to know when to remove from the memory terminals. As a rule, it is done when the gas emits from the electrolyte. This is not only a poisonous, but also an explosive mixture, and since we have an unattended battery that does not have vapors, it is necessary to observe the time.

How to properly charge a maintenance-free battery: watch the time

As noted above, continuous control over time is necessary. The reason is that you can both not charge the battery to the end, and vice versa, which is even worse. As an example, take a staff memory with a voltage of 14.0-14.5 Volts, which is optimal for the battery. Let's say we have a 12 V battery, 60 Ah. For it, we must use a nominal voltage of not more than 1-3 V in the event that we need a full charge.

By simple calculations, we can draw a definite conclusion that using a standard charger and a maintenance-free battery of 12 V and 60 Ah, we need a little more than a day (26-27 hours) to charge 90-98%. Of course, the amount of time depends on many factors. For example, if the memory is weak, then you can charge the battery for two or more days. Anyway, but you already had to more or less understand and understand how to charge a maintenance-free battery and why. It is also worth noting that a conventional battery or a low-maintenance one requires more time to replenish power.

Important points

Not every car enthusiast knows that it is necessary to charge an unattended battery under certain conditions. It is known that the battery is much faster discharged in the cold, this applies to all their types. To start a cold engine requires a large amount of energy, and if several attempts were unsuccessful, then you can completely plant the battery. This will not happen if the charge is complete.

So, the room where the battery costs, should be well ventilated. It is desirable that it was a garage, not an apartment. It is caused by the fact that dangerous couples stand out that settle everywhere and adversely affect the body. It is desirable to charge the battery at a temperature above 10 degrees Celsius.

A little about how to check the charge level

If it were a conventional lead battery, the question itself would not have arisen, but in our case everything is much more complicated. Immediately it is worth noting that this can not be done with absolute precision. Moreover, the earlier you turn off the engine, the worse the result. It is recommended to proceed only when 7-8 hours have passed.

If the battery is fully charged, the voltage at the terminals will be of the order of 12.7 volts, which corresponds to an electrolyte density of 1.28. Thus, the charge level is 100%, the discharge level is 0%. If the sensor you saw 11.7 volts, then this indicates a full discharge. At this time, the density of the electrolyte does not exceed 1.1.

Charging non-serviced batteries of different manufacturers

Often you can hear the question: "How to charge a maintenance-free battery" Bosch "?" In principle, this is a healthy interest, but I would like to note that regardless of the manufacturer, all the batteries of this type are charged the same. The only thing that changes is the current and voltage, which depends on the capacity of the battery.

If you are interested in how to charge a maintenance-free battery "Varta", which is famous not only for its quality, but also for its high level of reliability and trouble-free operation, the sequence of works is as follows:

• Check the level of charge by the sensor;
• Depending on the results and capacity of the battery, we adjust the memory;
• Turn on and periodically monitor the voltage;
• Turn off the charger when there will be 0.2 Ampere.

Finally

Every car owner should know how to properly charge a maintenance-free battery. Despite the fact that not all use such batteries because of the high price, they gradually replace the serviced batteries every year.

It is strongly discouraged to operate the battery with a voltage in the network below 13.9 volts. Also, you can not use the battery if it is recharged, that is, the voltage on it is above 14.4 V. It is advisable to check the difference in electrolyte density every few months, which should be + -0.02. If you plan to leave the battery for the winter, then it must be charged to 100%, then placed in a protective cover. This ensures that after you can safely run the cold engine.