Drivers buying the best car jump starter want to make the most of their device and use it in all available ways. In particular, many people ask whether it is possible to charge a car battery with a jump starter. This solution seems to be very convenient and cheap, especially if you do not have a regular charger at hand. But is it really viable? The article below should cross the T’s and dot the I’s, helping you operate your auto equipment with maximum efficiency and safety.
First of all, we should consider how a jump starter works.
What a jump starter is
A jump starter is a portable device designed to start discharged or dead car batteries. The power coming from a JS cranks an engine. After starting a car, the unit is disconnected from a battery that continues to function autonomously. Since some batteries emit acid, it is dangerous to leave a JS connected. Once this device copes with its main function, it should be removed, cleaned, and charged.
What is the point in charging a battery with a jump starter
The task jump starters solve is rather clear and narrow. Why then people try to utilize them non-traditionally? Just because they seek easier ways to solve their problems, do not want to spend time and money on buying a regular charger. But this is the wrong tactics.
Let’s say you have the recipe of a tasty dish. You want to cook it but suddenly notice that you lack some ingredients. You think: “I will replace butter with olive oil, cinnamon – with vanilla, and lemon – with orange.” No wonder you will cook some other dish with a worse taste.
To get top-notch results, you should follow the rules. It seems that nothing wrong would happen if you slightly deviate from instructions. In fact, it would.
So, is it worth charging a battery with a jump starter
No. Read the manual attached to your jump starter. It is likely to have the point recommending not to use the unit for battery charging. If jump starters were suitable for this, brands would emphasize this property as a valuable advantage and advertise it in order to increase sales. But for some reason, they do not do it. Therefore, if manufacturers themselves recommend you to utilize a JS exclusively for starting vehicles and nothing else, it makes sense to follow their advice.
Do you need a technical reason? One battery cannot charge other battery. A regular charger is designed specifically for power supply. Since a jump starter has other purpose and structure, it will annoy you with the very slow charging process.
Small chargers are quite affordable. Also, devices working in both charging and starting modes are available on the market. So it is best to buy one and avoid unnecessary experiments. Today’s brands offer convenient and cost-efficient solutions satisfying all needs of auto lovers, so there is no point in reinventing the wheel.
