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Floyd L. Davidson

(Herb and Eneva) wrote:
It`s winter time and cold and as usual the tractor battery is almost
dead. The regular charger and the trickle charger boils
out the water. A neighbor says he uses a " float charger". Can someone
tell me what a float charger is amd what does it do?
Thanks a lot

For a lead acid battery there is a voltage at which it
will maintain its charge, but not overcharge or over
heat. That is called the "float voltage". Anything
higher will cause more charge to be applied, any thing
lower will allow the battery to slowly become
discharged.

For typical lead acid batteries the float voltage is
just about 13.1 volts.

Others have described various "smart chargers", that
will actually set a more or less regulated float
voltage. That is a good way to go, particularly if you
buy a good one that regulates well. Another way is to
judge the size of your battery, and purchase a very
small "trickle" charger. A 3 Amp charger is probably
too big. A 1 Amp charger will work fine for a regular
car sized battery. If it's something the size of a
motorcycle battery, get a 1/2 Amp or less.

If you go cheap, go with a small trickle charger. If
you decide to buy a "smart" charger, get a good one
(because an inexpensive one has the ability to fry your
battery).

--
Floyd L. Davidson http://www.apaflo.com/floyd_davidson
Ukpeagvik (Barrow, Alaska)