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What is the Difference Between a Maintainer And a Battery Charger?

charging device vs maintainer

The main difference between chargers and battery maintainers is that companies design chargers to completely recharge a battery, while the second one does not mean to charge a battery fully. Instead, they are used to keep a battery at its optimum level of charge, which helps extend the battery’s life.

Maintainers are also typically smaller and less expensive than chargers, making them a good option for people who don’t use their battery-powered devices or car very often. On the other hand, chargers are better suited for people who use them daily or multiple times a day.

What is a battery charger?

The main purpose of a battery charger is to charge batteries. Chargers come in many shapes and sizes, from small units that plug into a wall socket to large industrial models that can charge dozens of batteries at once.

The three most common types of battery chargers are:

  • trickle chargers, which maintain batteries in storage;
  • fast chargers, which can charge batteries quickly;
  • intelligent or intelligent chargers monitor batteries as they charge and stop charging when they are full.

Charging your battery can take several hours, but you should never leave your battery plugged in for longer than necessary. Leaving the charger plugged in when it is not attached to a device can cause damage to either the charger or the battery.

How does a battery charger work?

A battery charger does not simply “plugin” and starts charging the battery; there is more going on behind the scenes. Therefore, charging a battery is quite complex and involves some different steps.

A battery charger works converting AC power into DC power. It is necessary to charge a battery, as batteries store energy in DC voltage. The charger converts the AC power from the wall outlet into DC power that can charge the battery. The battery charger then converts the DC power into a form that the battery can safely use.

battery maintainer

What is a battery maintainer?

A battery maintainer is a device that helps to keep stored lead-acid batteries from becoming self-discharging and to keep a car or motorcycle battery charged and healthy, even during long periods of inactivity. The maintainer plugs into the vehicle, providing a small current to keep it topped off.

Its current is usually no more than a few amps, and the level of charge it provides will vary based on battery size. Some battery maintainers have a built-in voltage meter so you can track the state of the battery. Users should be aware that leaving a car or motorcycle unattended for extended periods may result in dead batteries. It doesn’t take a lot of current to drain a battery over time.

How does a battery maintainer work?

Most battery maintainers work by connecting to a car battery and charging the battery while not in use. The voltage of the car battery varies from 12 to 14 volts during charging via an external power source. Once disconnected, however, the voltage will steadily reduce to around 10 volts before becoming too low for any electrical equipment to operate.

A battery maintainer will keep the battery at a healthy state by providing a small current (typically between 0.1 and 2 amps) to the battery, which will help to slow down the voltage reduction process. It also means that when you next use the car, the battery will be in better condition and require less time to charge it.