How To Choose The Right Battery Charger For Your Application

In today’s world, sourcing the right battery charger can be quite overwhelming in today’s fast-paced market. With an abundance of manufacturers and products flooding the market, finding the perfect fit for your application may seem like an intimidating challenge.

This is why we’ve put together this guide to finding the right battery charger to suit various batteries used by your equipment. This guide is broken down based on the types of battery chargers and the batteries they are suitable for.

Battery Chargers for NiCd/NiMH Batteries

There are many applications and several battery chemistries being used, such as Li-Ion, NiCd, NiMH, lead acid etc. As such, selecting a battery charger with the right type of charging characteristics will ensure safety during the charging process; without reducing battery life expectancy. For example, depending on your application, you may be using several cells to power your product with the pack being rated at small or high capacitance measured in AH (Amp/Hour), the number of cells you use will determine the voltage the charger has to deliver and the AH will determine the amount of current required for charging.

For NiCd/NiMH batteries, the charger required needs to provide constant current with floating voltage and to decide the charging speed when charging your batteries without damaging the battery cells. It is therefore paramount to factor in the number of cells needed, AH rating and how quickly you would want them to charge to then find the best charger for your needs.

Battery Chargers for Lead Acid/GEL/AGM Batteries

Batteries made from lead acid are used in applications requiring higher power and where the size and weight of the battery are less crucial (for example, golf carts, mobility scooters, etc.). The lead acid batteries require a constant voltage source to charge the batteries properly. These tend to be 6V, 12V, 24V or 48V batteries which require higher voltages to charge the battery correctly and with a limited current in order to maintain the battery charge rate.

It is therefore important to take into account what voltage your battery is, the AH (Amp/Hour) capacity of your battery and the length of time you want your batteries charged by normally 8~10 hours (e.g. C/10 means you want to charge the battery over a 10 hour period whilst choosing the right charger. Take a peek at our lead acid battery charger range here.

Battery Chargers for Lead Li-Ion Batteries

These types of batteries require very careful charging, the charger will provide a constant voltage and constant current. The battery is also monitored by the charger for temperature control to prevent it from exploding.
Li-Ion batteries are used in packs normally. These contain a number of cells with a certain capacity (AH), capable of delivering power to your equipment without the penalty of being big or heavy. This makes them compatible with various applications such as mobile phones and laptops as they are easy to carry and can provide power over prolonged time giving them the advantage over using NiCd or NiMH batteries. Our technical and sales team can assist you with determining the right charger for your application as well as the important standards and certifications to note.

Our battery chargers are compliant with various standards and certifications such as LVD & EMC Class B Certified, RoHS & REACH compliant, UKCA, CE, and TUV amongst others. A battery charger that is IEC 62368-1 compliant has been tested to be safe under normal and single-fault conditions, ensuring that it will not pose a risk to you or to the expensive audio equipment it is connected to; which informs the user that the charger has been designed with various safety considerations to avoid electric shock, fire hazards, chemical hazards and so on.

Our comparison tool is another handy resource to help you find the right lead acid battery charger for your needs. This tool allows you to select up to four chargers and have all the relevant information – from power output, output current and input and output voltage to the battery type and standards qualification – in one table for you to easily find the most suitable charger for you. The compare button can be easily found on the product category page and on the individual product/part number page on our website.

To request a quote or find more information, contact us today.

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