Float charger

   Today I was playing in the garage and decided to start the riding
mower. Well the battery is dead.  My neighbor says that he keeps a float
charger on his all winter.
Can someone tell me what a float charger is and what does it do? Is it
the same as a battery maintaner?                     Thanks for any info

 Yes it's the same. It's important to have a battery charger/tender with a
float or maintenance mode. Other than that, there is a risk of over charging
and frying the battery.

 

Actually, he is right, but for me, I use an ordinary charger, and on
the first of every month, summer & winter, I put the charger on at
its lowest setting.  It usually takes less than ten minutes for the
charger to indicate full charge.  This has served me well because
last year I finally replaced the original battery in my eleven year
old rider.
Bob-tx

 

Bob wrote:> >

Andy writes:

   Another alternative is to put an ordinary charger on a $4 timer,
and
let it run for a half hour or so every day.... This way you don't
have
to remember to mess with it every month.  Depending on the
battery size, I would reccomment something around a 1 amp max setting
since you are only compensating for the self-discharge of the
battery.


However, whether you are using Bob's methond or my suggestion, you
should check the water level in the battery occasionally, like every 3
or 4 months,
to make sure everything is working right....

         Andy in Eureka, Texas

( Home of the World's Smallest Giant Ball of String )

 herneva@webtv.net (Herb and Eneva) says...


You can find cheap float chargers at Harbor Freight.  They will maintain
a full charge voltage, but won't put out enough amperage to bring a
battery up to charge.  More expensive chargers have a float mode that
kicks the charger on when battery voltage drops.  Either one will reduce
the chance of a dead battery in the spring.  I keep a cheap float
charger on my tractor and travel trailer all winter.  

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