Tips for selecting the correct battery charger.

Step 1: Determine the type of battery

Lithium, AGM (Absorbed Glass Matt), GEL, flooded or wet batteries, maintenance-free calcium batteries, and the more recent EFB (Enhanced Flooded Battery) and Automotive AGM found in contemporary Stop Start vehicles are the most frequently found battery types in automotive or recreational settings.  The battery label on the side or top of the battery always makes it obvious what kind of battery it is.

The majority of car cranking batteries are either calcium maintenance-free or flooded (wet) batteries. Because some newer cars feature an AGM-style stop/start cranking battery, always double-check.  When charging, it's critical to make sure the charger is appropriate for the sort of battery you have and to choose the right battery chemistry.

Step 2: Determine the battery's size that needs to be charged

Batteries can have complicated ratings, and various batteries have distinct rating kinds. For instance:Calcium and flooded (wet) are commonly assessed in Reserve Capacity (RC) and/or Cold Cranking Amps (CCA).

Generally speaking, lithium, AGM, and GEL batteries have a "C" rating.We must ascertain the battery's Ampere hours (Ah) before charging it.  This universal figure aids in determining a battery's size or electrical capacity. The Ah is frequently not visible on flooded, wet, or calcium batteries, such start batteries.

It is not so simple to convert CCA to Ah.  To verify the accurate Ah rating, you should always obtain the manufacturer's data sheet. An outdated method of calculating the battery's Ah is to divide 7.25 by the CCA, however this method isn't always precise. There are many things you may learn about a battery by knowing its "C" rating.  For instance, 100Ah with a C20 rating.  You get 5 amps when you divide the 20 by the 100.  Accordingly, the battery is intended to discharge 5 amps for 20 hours until it reaches 10.5 volts, the worldwide dead flat test benchmark.

If the Ah rating is not stated on the battery label, multiply the Reserve Capacity (RC rating) by 0.6 to obtain an approximate Amp hour (Ah) rating, for example, 90 RC x 0.6 = 54 Ah.

Note: The battery label, which is situated on the side or top of the battery, contains these facts. Please get in touch with the battery maker if you are unable to locate this information.

Step 3: Determine the purpose of the charger

Recharging a dead or flat battery to full capacity is known as battery charging. Conversely, battery maintenance refers to just keeping a battery charged (kept). For example, you would need battery maintenance rather than battery charging if you're keeping a motorcycle that you don't ride very often but want to make sure it's ready to go on a bright afternoon. Trickle charging is a common term for this. Both features are available on all OzCharge® battery chargers, and it's critical to comprehend the limitations of each charger.

A battery charger that has not been made especially for charging lithium batteries should never be used to charge lithium batteries since they need a specific charge at a certain voltage. The chargers in the OzCharge® PRO L series have a lithium charge algorithm.

Step 4: Choosing the size of the charger

Generally speaking, your battery charger should be between 10% and 20% of the battery's Ah rating. For example At the very least, a 100Ah battery would need a 10 Amp charger. The charger size should not exceed 30% of the overall capacity in order to avoid overcharging.

The highest charger capacity for a 100Ah battery would be 30 amps. (The maximum charging current for lithium batteries can range from 100% of the Ah capacity; consult the manufacturer's requirements.)