Choosing an Inverter Battery Charger

Solartalkers.com does not sell inexpensive, off-the-shelf chargers often found at retail outlets and certain other online stores. We cater specifically to microprocessor-controlled chargers, also known as smart chargers. All the chargers we stock are reviewed, tested and selected based on function, reliability, and durability.

These chargers are designed to charge lead acid and other types of batteries based on computer-generated algorithms. Simply put, the charger collects information from the battery and adjusts the charge current and voltage based on this information. This allows the battery to be charged quickly, correctly, and completely when using a smart charger. All the chargers we sell can remain connected to a battery indefinitely and will not overcharge or damage it.

Choosing an Inverter Battery Charger

When choosing an Inverter battery charger, it is important to choose one that charges your battery as accurately and efficiently as possible like Famicare and Suoer Smart chargers.

• Charging takes place under a variety of environmental conditions.
• Charging is done under electrical conditions with an imperfect sine wave.
• There is always a risk of overcharging the battery with the wrong charger.
• The configuration of the battery bank during charging.

All of the above factors should be carefully considered when choosing an Inverter battery charger for your needs.

• Input voltage for Inverter batteries chargers is usually 230 VAC.
• Battery type is typically either gel, flooded, or AGM.
• Battery capacity is listed on the battery as "Ah".

Choose a Charger That Won't Overcharge 
One of the fastest ways to degrade a battery is choosing a charger that either overcharges or undercharges the battery. Overcharging can overheat the battery, it can cause excessive water loss in flooded batteries, and in general, you run the risk of damaging your batteries. The correct rate of charging is based on the battery capacity, which you determine from the "Ah" rating listed on the battery. A safe charging rate is accepted within the battery industry as about 20 percent of the Ah capacity of your battery. This means that a 100 Ah battery would ideally be charged at a 20 Adc rate.

Using a Battery Bank 
It is common practice by many mariners to connect battery banks of various capacity batteries to the charger. While the ideal condition would be to run the same capacity batteries on the same bank, sometimes this isn't realistic. You can connect different capacity batteries to the same bank as long as you choose a battery charger that is sized based on the capacity of the smallest battery bank. This will protect the potential of overcharging and overheating any of the batteries with the smallest capacity. However, you may still experience longer charge times for the larger banks. If this becomes a problem, it would be a good idea to invest in a new charger that's more closely rated for the larger banks in your system.