{"id":10183,"date":"2023-08-24T17:39:44","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T00:39:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog2.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/?p=10183"},"modified":"2024-01-29T16:02:21","modified_gmt":"2024-01-29T23:02:21","slug":"what-is-a-trickle-charger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.neighbor.com\/storage-blog\/what-is-a-trickle-charger\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is a Trickle Charger and How to Use It"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The weekend is perfect for a trip to the lake, but when you pull the tarp off your boat, you find the battery is completely dead. What’s more, it’s Sunday, and the local auto parts store is closed. Wave goodbye to your lake day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When batteries for campers, boats, ATVs, lawnmowers, and other vehicles are left unattended in the off-season, they can quickly lose their charge. Trickle chargers are relatively inexpensive devices you can use to maintain your battery’s charge over winter or when in storage for extended periods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a Trickle Charger?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A trickle charger is a simple device designed to charge and maintain the health of your car, motorcycle, or RV battery over a prolonged period of time. Trickle chargers are low-voltage devices, often only putting out a few amps to offset a battery’s natural discharge rate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A trickle charger is an essential tool for anyone that plans on storing a vehicle, boat, or motor-home for periods longer than a month.<\/strong> Its constant stream of power ensures that your vehicle will start up with a full charge when you bring it out of storage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher-end trickle chargers, also known as battery maintainers, have auto-regulating features that turn off once your battery has reached full charge, preventing damage to your battery caused by overcharging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Differences Between Trickle Chargers and Battery Chargers<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The key differences between trickle chargers and regular battery chargers are the amperage output and charging speed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trickle chargers typically output between 1 and 3 amps<\/strong>, making them suitable for long-term use. This low amperage output ensures a slow, steady charge, preventing damage that could be caused by overcharging the battery with higher amperage levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular battery chargers, however, have a much higher output. Most commercial battery chargers output up to 50 amps, with some offering a jump-start mode that tops out at 200 amps. The safest range to charge a 12V car battery<\/a> is between 4 and 7.5 amps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you’re trying to revive a completely dead battery with a trickle charger, you will have to wait days to reach a full charge. Regular battery chargers operating within the safest range can fully charge a dead battery in 10 to 24 hours.<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can certainly up the amperage on a regular battery charger, but fast charge features like that can lead to off-gassing and overheating<\/strong>, which poses risks to your battery and the environment. Trickle chargers reduce off-gassing and provide a safer charging experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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