Car chargers - everything you need to know before buying
Content
As soon as the mercury drops down, many owners of diesel cars think with fear about the upcoming problems with starting the next morning. Increasingly, drivers are also sharing these concerns. vehicles with petrol engines. It's kind of the price we all pay technological progress in the automotive industry.
Modern cars are increasingly stuffed with electronics, which requires adequate power supply. Spade charging current and battery performance, and therefore battery sooner or later he may need additional support in the form of car charger.
That is why today we will tell you:
- What car chargers are on the market,
- What parameters to consider when choosing chargers,
- What to look for when buying car chargers.
It is worth mentioning that differences in parameters between different types of devices really big. Completely different chargers will prove themselves as battery activation equipment in a passenger car, and others will be a good solution, for example, for owners Campers.
Types of automotive rectifiers
Nice to know that car chargers divided into several groups. This knowledge will allow you to easily determine which rectifiers will be the best choice. Specific devices for car battery chargers differ mainly in their internal structure. This of course affects their different options and thus the price.
What types of car battery chargers can we find in the market? Simplest division It looks like this:
- Standard
- Automatic
- Traction
- Pulse
Standard
Один из simplest devices of this kind. They really transformersthat deprived any electronic accessories. As a rule, standard type car chargers the cheapest devices on the market. Although their parameters may not make much impression, how charging device they will work great in cars.
Attention!
Standard type car chargers do not have an additional damage protection system.
Automatic (microprocessor)
Microprocessor-based battery chargers automotive - a slightly more advanced solution. Firstly, they allow you to charge the battery continuously, regardless of voltage fluctuations in the mains. In addition, the charger can work without disconnecting the battery from the voltage source.
Automatic rectifiersas they are called, they have sensors that allow you to continuously measure the voltage in the battery. At any voltage drop, the charger will automatically start charging. As soon as the battery remains charged, Charger finish work.
It is worth adding that automatic rectifiers are completely safe for electronic circuits. Their design allows you to maintain the voltage at the required level. This is extremely important not only for the continuous operation of the battery, but also for maintaining it in good condition.
In turn, one automatic rectifier also has a range of security featureswhich protect it from damage. Even short circuits, which may appear on the crocodile clips or as a result of improper connection to the battery, are not capable of compromising its performance.
I wonder if you can find it on the market automatic rectifiersthat allow you to charge batteries two cars at the same time. In the case of such a device, there are simply two electronic devices.
Traction
To the average driver, traction battery chargers may seem like an excess of form over content. Indeed - they are mainly used to work with really high voltages. They will work well with electric vehicles and industrial vehicle batteries.
What should you pay attention to when choosing such a device? Traction chargers for vehicles are designed for certain types of batteries. On the market there are devices for gel and lead-acid batteries.
Pulse
If you are looking for a rectifier for car batterieswho will provide you high performance work, pulse devices will be an excellent choice. It is no coincidence that these products are called smart chargers. Their efficiency can reach up to 90%. Last but not least, pulse chargers for car batteries are resistant to mains voltage fluctuations without loss of efficiency.
Working with pulse rectifiers it is also completely safe for automotive electronics. Such devices have special electronic circuits that constantly check the voltage in the system to ensure safety. This eliminates the risk of overcharging, which can adversely affect battery performance.
Rectifier parameters
The specifications of various car battery chargers can be overwhelming. Which the rectifier parameters are The most important thing? How to read information from the manufacturer? It is worth paying special attention to:
- charging current
- tension
Charging current (peak and effective)
Why are these two values so important? Effective charging current determines the number timewhat do you need for fully charged battery. If you choose charger and here low current efficient charging is battery recovery it will take a long time to recover.
Queue peak charging current this is the parameter it describes maximum efficiency device. However, this is not the value at which this charger will work all the time.
When choosing chargers, it is worth remembering that the charging current of the charger does not exceed one tenth of the battery capacity. It's very easy to remember:
- 40 Ah battery - 4A charger
- 60Ah battery - 6A charger
Output and supply voltage
How to read these parameters? When output voltage it is very important that the rectifier same meaning Jak battery voltage, i.e. if you want to charge the battery at 6V, the charger must have a 6V output. In the case of agricultural machinery or trucks, where the batteries have a voltage of 24 V, rectifiers with the same voltage should be selected.
It is worth knowing that most car battery chargers have function of charging batteries with different voltages. Using the switch, you can choose whether you want to power the battery with 6V or 12V (or 12V or 24V).
A supply voltage? It's about Voltagewhat is this rectifier powered. This is especially true for cheap products from the Far East. In many of them, the supply voltage differs from that in Poland. 230V.
Additional features
Can car chargers have other options? Yes! Many slightly more expensive offerings feature LCD display. This is an addition that greatly simplifies the reading of battery parameters.
Speaking of indicators, it is worth mentioning, for example, LEDs that start working when the voltage in the system changes. Improved standard chargers also allow precise current setting.
Rechargeable batteries
Before you decide car chargerbe sure to check which batteries he can charge. In this context, we distinguish between car battery chargers:
- Lead acid
- Gel
As already mentioned, automatic chargers can be used with both types of batteries.
Dimensions and weight
Think about when and where you need straighteners. If you're looking for a compact device to carry in your car, pulse chargers are a great choice. They are small, and at the same time quite light - the smallest models do not weigh even a kilogram!
What to look for when choosing a car charger?
For sure not worth it follow only price. It is worth adding a little more and be sure of the correct choice.
Car Charger we can no problem buy in the supermarketthen quality such products will not be satisfactory. And it's not just the failure of the device itself. Cheap car battery chargers are often sloppy and risky. serious damage in the electrical system of the car - from the battery to much more expensive components.
You must pay attention per brand. There is no shortage of no-name products on the market. Unfortunately, the quality of their manufacture is usually so low that such devices after a short time damaged.
When choosing chargers, you should rely on the suggestion of professionals. Like, for example, a company Lark Polandwho helped us with this article. This is a Warsaw company, which has since 25 years in operation in the field of installation and maintenance of electronic equipment in vehicles. In such companies, you can count on professional advice when choosing rectifiers, and in case of problems, also on the help of a professional service.
