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Message started by rl153 on 10/26/09 at 13:28:18

Title: Float charger leads
Post by rl153 on 10/26/09 at 13:28:18

I was thinking of attaching a couple of 14# wire to my battery to attach my float charger to next season,and just capping them off and letting them stay there. .The float charger instructions from harbor freight say don't attach charger while battery is in vehicle,also loosen battery caps while charging .I know we went through the battery caps discussion already ,but can you attach your float charger to the bike every time you get off it ,without taking the battery out ? Seems like alot of people do it.This is probably another lawyer generated idea. Right? Thanks.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by bill67 on 10/26/09 at 13:35:23

Warning don't take them there caps off.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Gort on 10/26/09 at 13:42:35

The float charger I use provides a wire set that is permanently attached under the battery cables and at the other end is a female connector with a protective cap, that fits into the male end of the actual charger. It is meant to stay on the bike for convenience sake, and the instructions do not say to remove the battery from the bike. They do say to remove the caps. My charger puts out 500mA. I've used it according to manuf. recommendations, and had no problems. Your charger is different than mine, but I hope this may help you in deciding what to do.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by nicholas on 10/26/09 at 15:11:34

Why do you suggest NOT to take the battery caps off ?

I thought this was common practice when charging a battery.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Gort on 10/26/09 at 15:13:12

292E242F282B2634470 wrote:

Why do you suggest NOT to take the battery caps off ?

I thought this was common practice when charging a battery.

Read this entire thread:

http://suzukisavage.com/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1256326871

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by bill67 on 10/26/09 at 15:25:29

6D6A606B6C6F6270030 wrote:

Why do you suggest NOT to take the battery caps off ?

I thought this was common practice when charging a battery.

I was joking

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Routy on 10/27/09 at 05:11:43

A good read
http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23331296.cfm

My advise will always be to NEVER remove caps while charging !

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Gort on 10/27/09 at 08:54:14

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/23331296.cfm

(QUOTES FROM THE ABOVE LINK):

"Hi,

WHEN YOU ARE GOING TO DO A REALLY HIGH VOLTAGE CHARGE, IT IS BEST TO REMOVE THE CAPS TO NOT OVER PRESSURIZE THE BATTERY. There is a lot of hydrogen going out of the battery when you get it up to 14.4 volts for a equalize charge. It will also allow a little more heat out of the battery.

When at a normal charge rate of 13.2 or 13.5, it is not a requirement to remove the caps from normal batteries.

I equalize the battery about every 3 months. It insures the battery does not get a hard build-up of sulfur on the battery plates, and makes sure everything will last a long time.

Good luck,
Fred"

"The information probably came from the "product liability" legal section of the company. IF THE CAPS ARE OFF THERE CAN'T BE A BUILD UP OF HYDROGEN TO EXPLODE and they have no chance of a law suit. It's not likely that any maintenance style charger when operating properly could ever build up pressure greater than the vents could handle but it JUST MIGHT BE POSSIBLE FOR THE CHARGER TO NOT WORK PROPERLY AND/OR THE VENTS BECOME CLOGGED BY SOME MEANS. If these unlikely thing should occur the company doesn't want any liability."

"worked in an exide battery plant here back in the mid 90S....HAD A FEW EXPLODE WHILE BEING CHARGED....ya don't wanna be in the same room with em when they do.
they don't put the caps on em when they initialy charge them at the factory, for whatever that is worth....of course they dump the acid out and refill em with a different specific gravety acid for the final shipment to the stores.
steve"

As the above link provided by Routy indicates, batteries can swell or explode, if venting is insufficient or the charger malfunctions. Thats why you remove the caps when charging, in a well ventilated area with no flame or spark present.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by rl153 on 10/27/09 at 10:07:03

I have a harbor freight float charger .They told me its 600 ma. They also told me if I was going to charge the battery while its on the bike I have to disconnect the battery cables from the bike. Does anyone know if that is really necessary? I was thinking of sticking a couple of 14# wires on it so I can connect easily .I probably should have got the more expensive battery tender ,oh well.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Gort on 10/27/09 at 10:14:16

I do not disconnect my battery cables when using my 500mA float charger, and have experienced no problems as a result. Hope this helps.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by rl153 on 10/27/09 at 11:12:20

Thanks Gort,that is helpful .Do you think it would be unwise for any reason to put the float charger on a timer .I was thinking it would be better if it was off while I'm sleeping at night .

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Gort on 10/27/09 at 11:29:29

I don't know if that is necessary, and I don't want to give you an opinion without backing it up with links, because unsupported opinions are unreliable, at best. Chargers can and do malfunction, and in doing so can exceed their stated output. Do you have any instructions at all with your charger? If you don't, are you near a Harbor freight and Tool store? If not, tell me the exact make and model number of your charger and I will go to my local Harbor Freight and Tool store and try to find it, and read the instruction sheet for you. How about a link to the pic of it on the Harbor Freight web site...or a pic from a digital camera posted here? Would help me ID it.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by rl153 on 10/27/09 at 12:21:15

I appreciate that ,but I can email the company .Thanks.

Here's my charger. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42292

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Gort on 10/27/09 at 12:44:48

636A7966616A3E3D36360F0 wrote:

I appreciate that ,but I can email the company .Thanks.

Here's my charger. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42292

Here is your instruction sheet. It is interesting to read that it says not to leave it unattended for long periods of time.

http://www.harborfreight.com/manuals/42000-42999/42292.PDF

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by rl153 on 10/27/09 at 12:57:31

I probably shouldn't have bought this .It's kind of cheap ,and possibly unreliable .I emailed the company and they told me not to connect it to the bike while the battery is connected ,because It could damage the electronics on the bike .I don't see how if the ignition is off ,and some chargers provide leads to do just that .I don't know .

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Routy on 10/27/09 at 12:58:57

rl153,
It seems like after all this, you would realize that you will have to use common sense on what you do, or the way you do it,.....or else do it like the instructions say to do it. You can't do both when buying from these china companys. And it you are going to loose sleep over a float charger staying plugged in,.....which is what they are designed to do, by all means do what they say.

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by justin_o_guy2 on 10/28/09 at 07:43:08

You really should check your PMs once in a while, Routy..

Title: Re: Float charger leads
Post by Routy on 10/30/09 at 20:18:00

After a little investigative playing around, I found out this much about the little cheap HF float chargers. I have been using one for several years, and it has worked flawlessly on batteries that are in good condition, keeping their voltage at 13.2.
In this....... or was it another thread, we got to discussing the standing voltage of a good condition liquid lead acid battery being 12.6-7.
After finding my Bullie battery standing at 12.38,......meaning that it is not what it used to be, but still starting the bike ok, I connected a same brand new HF cheap float charger to it, and after monitoring it for a few days, I found the charger maxing out at 12.82, which is hardly a hi enough voltage to keep a battery fully charged. I first suspected a defective charger, but today I connecter same charger to a known good battery w/ a standing voltage of 12.6, and it soon maxed out at 13.22 volts just as it should. To know for sure, I then connected a more expensive Shumacher 2 stage float charger to the s-40 Bullie battery, and it turned yellow while charging 14.6 volts for about 40 minutes, then turned green (float mode) at 13.32 volts.

Moral of the story, the little HF charger is a fine charger, as I and many others are using them to maintain batteries for very long periods of time. But if a battery is not in good condition (not holding 12.6 volts, the HF charger will not hold the 13.2 volts for which it is rated, and therefore will not fully charge the battery.

Besides 2 HF cheap float chargers, I have 2 of the Shumacher 2 stage float chargers, and also a 2 stage "Battery Tender" float charger also. The Shumacher and the Battery Tender are more expensive chargers, and are probably better regulated, because unlike the HF charger, they both hold float voltage of 13.2-4 no matter the condition of the battery. All comes back to you get what you pay for sometimes ::)