Battery Maintainers vs. Trickle Chargers The main difference is that a Maintainer will cut off power supply when the battery is full. A trickle charger is most effective when you are available to turn it off after the battery has charged. Story continues below advertisement This is not such a major concern for cars that are used daily but for those that are not used on a regular basis, it is important to keep them charged to prevent damage.
This prevents the battery from dying or going bad. A lot of people aren’t sure what makes a battery maintainer — which is also called a battery maintainer — different from a charger. A trickle charger slow-charges a battery.
Trickle chargers do have their uses but if you want to leave a charger in for long periods of time, a battery maintainer is the best solution. Even when you leave the battery maintainer connected and plugged in for long periods of time, it will only apply a charge to the battery when it senses the voltage has dropped below a certain level. Depending on the discharge rate of the battery a trickle charger is meant to off set the discharge rate plus some. You may want to have a battery maintainer or trickle charger on hand to take care of these two situations: A trickle charger never was the “best way” but thankfully new generation of “battery chargers” is on the market, which do the job nicely. If you are not available to monitor the charging process, or if your vehicle is in storage for a long period, a float charge that automatically turns itself off and on is your best option.
Battery maintainer vs trickle charger. A lot of battery chargers are capable of putting out a variety of different amperages, to charge a battery slowly or quickly as the need arises, and some are also designed to be left connected long-term without overcharging.
... Trickle chargers wear on the battery more. If you have a large family car that you use sparingly only on occasions when the entire family is going out, you know how difficult it is to start the car after a gap of some time. Battery Charger vs Battery Maintainer Keeping batteries charged is a somewhat major concern for those who routinely use them in golf carts, cars, boats, and the like.
A trickle charger slow-charges a battery. Trickle Charger Float Charger (Maintainer) Will charge a battery to 100%: Will charge a battery to 100%: Will overcharge a battery after it reaches 100%: Only outputs current as the battery naturally self-discharges and can accept a current: Will kill a battery if left connected to a battery long-term: Safe to hook up and use indefinitely Charging will take a few hours, but it won't overheat the battery. Ask Question Asked 3 years, 11 months ago. Overcharging your battery can cause permanent damage. While both a battery charger as well a battery maintainer work along the same principle of supplying a constant DC power to the battery, it is the function of trickle charge that makes battery maintainer a suitable option in the case of vehicles and boats that are stored. This means battery chargers cannot be left connected and unattended for long periods of time. They have a fairly high self discharge rate compared to other chemistries. Battery charger and battery maintainer are both used for the same purpose of charging the battery of your automobile but there is a difference in their functions.