When to Use a Battery Maintainer

Every type of vehicle needs power to start the engine and operate any electronics, and it derives that power from the battery. Just starting the car on a regular basis can keep the battery charged, so it should come as no surprise that a car that the owner rarely drives — such as a vehicle in storage — may end up with a battery problem. Fortunately, this issue is avoidable, as battery maintainers can keep any car battery charged at all times. Here’s how battery maintainers work.

Battery Maintainer vs Battery Charger

A lot of people aren’t sure what makes a battery maintainer — which is also called a battery maintainer — different from a charger. The main detail to remember is that a battery charger typically sends a constant charge to the battery, with no regard to whether it actually needs to continue being charged. This means it’s possible to overcharge the battery with a charger — which can result in damage to the battery.

On the other hand, a battery maintainer can sense how much of a charge the battery needs, so it slowly sends a trickle charge to it over a period of several hours. It stops sending a charge once the battery is full. The result is that a battery maintainer won’t overcharge the battery like a charger might, which can help extend the life of the battery overall.

The Best Time to Use a Battery Maintainer

Clearly, the main advantage of battery maintainers is that they won’t overcharge the vehicle’s battery. This makes them perfect for keeping car batteries charged up while the vehicle is in storage. After all, leaving a battery charger connected to a car for months will overcharge the battery, but leaving a battery maintainer connected for that long is fine because charging will simply stop once the battery is full. This way, car owners can be sure their battery will be fully charged and ready to start the car even after spending months in storage.

Whether you’re about to put your car in storage or have noticed some signs of a bad battery in your vehicle, it may be time to give your car the extra attention it needs.