O/T battery charging

[rolland]

I have a couple of CBS batteries that need charged, they are 12 volt. used in UBS power supply and lighting. Question...can I use a standard 12 volt battery charger. or do I need something else. I hoped to use them on ignition system for model engines. they are marked max of 13.5 vdc 7amp.

[Rhynardt]

Hi Rolland
You can use a normal 12V charger. Just watch the current and dont let it overcharge

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[JRouche]

Yup. Sounds like a nice project.. JR

[PStechPaul]

You can get low current battery chargers made for small SLA batteries. A 7 amp battery should be charged at C/10 or C/20, so 350-700 mA. A 6 amp automotive charger would probably be OK, but that's about maximum for safe charging. Too high current may cause heating and production of gas that will be vented and reduce the life of the battery.

[vpt]

How about a battery tender? Very low amps so should work well for charging the CBS and then you have a tender to use for other batteries that may sit.

[MattiJ]

You can get low current battery chargers made for small SLA batteries. A 7 amp battery should be charged at C/10 or C/20, so 350-700 mA. A 6 amp automotive charger would probably be OK, but that's about maximum for safe charging. Too high current may cause heating and production of gas that will be vented and reduce the life of the battery.

Even worse than high current is too high voltage. Old "buzz box" automotive battery chargers are usually nothing but transformer and rectifier without any sort if voltage regulation.

[Highpower]

How about a battery tender? Very low amps so should work well for charging the CBS and then you have a tender to use for other batteries that may sit.

+1

Another vote for the battery tender. No worries about overheating or overcharging your batteries. I keep a couple of extra batteries on hand as spares and just put them on the battery tender once a month to keep them up to snuff. Self regulating and dead simple to use.

[garyhlucas]

We use a battery to operate a bunch of valves on a machine we build because they operate for a couple of seconds and during that time they may draw 30 amps. Mcmaster Carr sells automatic 3 stage wall wart chargers that keep our batteries fully charged without overcharging.

[6PTsocket]

I have a couple of CBS batteries that need charged, they are 12 volt. used in UBS power supply and lighting. Question...can I use a standard 12 volt battery charger. or do I need something else. I hoped to use them on ignition system for model engines. they are marked max of 13.5 vdc 7amp.

Do you mean CSB batteries and UPS power supply? I am pretty sure the Columbia Broadcasting System never made a battery. It took a search to figure out what you were talking about. CSB batteries are also AGM ( activated glass mat). Different lead acid battery designs have slightly differnt charge requirements. A charger that is designed to properly charge AGM batteries, that has been around for years, is temperature compensated and damn near bullet proof is the Deltran brand Battery Tender Plus. It is a three mode charger: constant current, then constant voltage, then a float charge. I have two of them. It is only 1.25 amp but with constant current it gets the job done faster than you would think. It is better to charge slower than faster. You really do not want to excede C/10. That is 1/10 of the battery's amp hr rating. A car charger may easily excede this figure. If you do not confirm battery and charger specs you could do damage. There are BT+ chargers made for various specialized purposes. Make sure you buy the right one.

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[6PTsocket]

How about a battery tender? Very low amps so should work well for charging the CBS and then you have a tender to use for other batteries that may sit.

That was my suggestion. I have 2 of 'em. I think he meant CSB battery. The BT+ is 1.25 amp and tbe BT jr. is 800 ma.

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[vpt]

We have a 4 bank and then two separate ones. A must in the winter wonderland when storing things with batteries.

[ulav8r]

Have a HF battery tender type charger. Used it on a riding mower battery one spring, trying to avoid buying a new battery. Had it hooked up for a while, then unhooked it and cranked the engine. KABOOM, battery acid on the drive and a new battery needed.

[Seastar]

Have a HF battery tender type charger. Used it on a riding mower battery one spring, trying to avoid buying a new battery. Had it hooked up for a while, then unhooked it and cranked the engine. KABOOM, battery acid on the drive and a new battery needed.

I can't imagine how an HF battery maintainer/tender could cause a battery to explode. They put out less than 100 mA.
I have never heard of a battery "exploding". (I assume when you say "KABOOM" you mean it exploded.)
Are you sure the battery didn't freeze and and break the case?
Bill

[CCWKen]

I couldn't figure out what a disconnected battery charger had to do with it either. Sounds like Pilot Error.

[danlb]

Have a HF battery tender type charger. Used it on a riding mower battery one spring, trying to avoid buying a new battery. Had it hooked up for a while, then unhooked it and cranked the engine. KABOOM, battery acid on the drive and a new battery needed.

Sounds like hydrogen build up combined with a spark within the battery when high drain from starting.

That's not a "battery tender" problem per se. Might have been a battery with a shorted cell, blocked vent and low water levels that took just enough charge to boil off some of the water.