Charging a battery from flat

[Netti_374307085]

There is a battery that has come with my new caravan. I don't even know if it's a leisure battery but presume it's discharged as it wasn't connected up. What's the best way to charge it back up again? Obviously I need a battery charger, but would a trickle charger be best or some other kind?

 

[RogerL]

Aldi were doing an excellent value smart charger for

 

[Netti_374307085]

It does have mains electric but I don't know about the onboard charger. Will be having a good look about the van at the weekend when I have time. What does it look like and is there a common place for it to be located?

 

[RogerL]

Power supply units, usually called on-board chargers, may be located in a number of places including integral with the electrics control panel. Follow the cables back from the battery.

 

[Roy_374355334]

Can i advise that you get someone to have a look at your battery before you use it,a mechanic will tell you if its a leasure battery or not and trying to charge up a battery that is totally discharged and not going to work can be dangerous leading to in the extreme the battery exploding which i have had happen to me,i was charging a battery in my garage with a charger that has lights for three stages of the charge,fluid levels were topped up and i had loosend the screw caps,over a few days it wasn`t going to the stage of fully charged but i had felt that the battery was getting very hot on one side,and when i removed one of the clips from the charger the battery exploded showering me with acid,which i washed off with water,so i alway`s buy a new leasure battery if in doubt.

 

[Terry_5112949]

I also bought one of those smart charger`s from Aldi for

 

[Netti_374307085]

Thanks for the warning Roy. I have been looking in the local free ads papers for other bits and pieces. Is it inadvisible to buy a leisure battery second hand? Anything I should look out for to check it's condition?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Netti,

Unless you know the seller well and believe that friendship counts for something, I would steer clear of all second hand batteries, unless sold by a reputable firm offering some sort of grantee of a minimum life or performance.

 

[Roy_374355334]

Netti

If the battery is ok then fine but for the sake of

 

[AlfromYC]

Checking battery acid/water level.

1; Fully charge battery,

2; Leave to stand disconnected from charger for around 5 minutes,

3; Then top up if needed.

If you top up a battery before charging it, you run the risk of it 'bubbling over' and spilling acid everywhere.

Water/acid level only 2/3rds of the way up the plates? Take it to your local recycling centre, then go buy yourself a new one.