Deep cycle batteries are produced to withstand discharging of up to 80 percent of their stored energy over a while. They are not like regular batteries. Deep cycle batteries are designed and manufactured to deliver a high burst of charge. Typically you will find these batteries with golf carts or as RC house batteries where power is needed.
Deep cycle battery
A deep cycle battery is a lead battery which is made to sustain power for over a long period until it discharges fully at the point it needs to recharge to use again. The manufacturer doesn’t recommend discharging it fully, recharging it when the battery drops to 45% are good. Also, it is not recommended to overcharge it as it will cause damage to your battery. If you are still new to charging batteries especially car batteries, BestOfMachinery has a complete guide that you should check out. Some of the common uses for deep cycle batteries are for golf carts, marine applications.
Charging these batteries are not as complicated as it seems. Down below, we have written a few tips that you can use to charge your deep cycle in the best way.
To charge a deep cycle battery, you have to do 4 things.
1. Buying a good quality charger.
2. Clean the battery neatly.
3. Discharge the battery properly while using it.
4. Pursue the battery while not using.
If your battery is free of dust and rust, then you can skip this section without any hesitation.
But if your battery has been sitting for a while, and it’s all rusty and dirty, then you have to clean it properly. For cleaning, you will need some supplements.
1. Latex gloves,
2. Safety glasses,
3. Fine grit sandpaper,
4. Wire brush, and
5. Paper towel.
Don’t forget your charger! The charger is an essential thing you will need to charge your battery
Step 1
Put on your latex gloves and the safety glasses you bought earlier. You can detect corrosion if you see a white powdery substance on your battery, which can be allowed away from the wind. You have to clean it away. If you don’t, this will disturb the charging process, which will cause a longer time for charging and less battery backup while in use. Wipe away all the corrosion before you start the heavy cleaning. Make a baking soda solution that requires a cup of water for each tablespoon. Spray the solution on the extreme corroded areas and wipe it off. Use sandpaper to clean any remaining rust or dust. This way, you can prevent your battery from getting disturbed by corrosion and rusts.
Step 2
Next step would be choosing a good charger. Selecting a good charger and making sure of its quality is necessary, my friend. If you do not use a suitable charger, then it may cause a lot of problems in the charging process. If you have no idea about chargers, then we recommend you talk to an expert who can provide you with the right information. A wrong charger can damage your battery by giving an incorrect voltage, which can make your battery useless. After you have managed to get a proper deep cycle charger, it’s time t hook the possible lead to the positive terminal and negative point to the negative terminal.
Why you need a proper charger
Deep cycle batteries are not any standard batteries. It would help if you had a specialized charger to charge a deep cycle battery properly. A deep cycle battery charger can prevent the battery from overcharging, which is important for your battery’s lifespan. For example, if you use a cheap and wrong charger for your deep cycle battery, it will provide a high voltage even after it’s up to 80%, which can damage your battery if you risk your battery on overcharging it can also explode. But when you’re using a proper and good quality deep cycle battery charger, it will drop the load when it is charged up to 80% when it reaches 90%. It will drop the load even more, which is good; it will prevent the battery from overcharging. Be sure to check out this website for more options as well.
Why can you not let your charger continually charge in a high load
If you let your charge continually charge a battery, it can cause some severe damage. Prevention is better than cure; if you make your charger charge in a high amp load, it can overheat the battery, which can lead to less battery backup. Also, overheating can lead to fire explosion and property damage. There are plenty of cases which includes fire spreading from chargers. After a battery gains to its full capacity, the charger will revert to what’s known as pulse charge. This is what a float or trickle charger would do, which means when the battery will lose some percentage, it will deliver charging to the battery again. Every battery loses its energy at some point, but it doesn’t mean it has to be charged right after. Deep cycle batteries do not need to be charged at 100% to use.
Testing a deep cycle battery
Testing the battery is essential. If you have a tester at your house, you know how to use it, but if not, you can take your deep battery to a local hardware shop. They can test the battery for you. Also, you can use a multi-meter approach, which is an inexpensive device that can inform you of the voltage of the battery.
Maintaining a deep cycle battery
The number one rule is not to overcharge your battery. If you are not using the battery, turn it off, do not let your battery die before you charge it again. Try to charge the battery as soon as it comes down to 60- 50%. Keep your charger corrosion and debris free; cleaning the charger will prevent disturbance in your battery. Always check everything when you’re using the battery. If you see even the slightest problem, fix it as soon as you can. If you’re planning to work or working with multiple batteries, do not connect new batteries to the old ones. Following these steps and dances will keep the health of your battery well. We hope we could provide you with some useful tips.