BATTERY CHARGING
Battery Charging
Completely recharging wet cell deep- cycle batteries requires the battery voltage to be raised beyond what is known as the gassing point. This is the voltage at which the battery begins to bubble and gas is given off. If charging stops short of this point, sulfate is left on the plates and dete- rioration of the battery begins. The gassing point will vary with battery temperature.
Gel cell batteries must not be charged to their gassing point. In fact, high voltage charging which gasses these batteries is harmful to them. They typically require a lower bulk charge voltage and a higher float voltage. Consult the battery manufacturer for specifications.
Conventional Battery Chargers
Most conventional battery chargers are
This presents two problems. First, since the battery voltage does not reach the gassing point, sulfate is left on the plates. Second, 13.8 volts is close enough to the gassing point that some gas will escape, and the wet cell battery will need to be frequently topped off with distilled water.
Conventional battery chargers also suffer from another inherent characteristic of design, which is a tapering output. While they will deliver their rated current into a deeply discharged battery, as the battery becomes charged and the voltage rises, the output current of the charger tapers down. This taper continues as the battery is charged, taking a very long time to reach an acceptable recharge.
Fleet Power Battery Chargers
Fleet Power battery chargers are de- signed to overcome the limitations of con- ventional chargers by utilizing 3 distinct stages, each designed for optimal recharg- ing of both wet cell and gel cell
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