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24hrs in float voltage.

damdoum

damdoum

Member
Joined
Jul 21, 2012
Location
San Jose
Moto(s)
2003 SV650s
Name
damien
Hello.

I have a question about the initial charge.
http://batterytender.com/resources/frequently-asked-questions/:
"The Battery Tender® Plus should be left on the new battery for a minimum of 24 hours on float, ..."

I thought that when the battery reached 13V it was fully charged.
why spend an extra 24hours on float? why? can someone please explain the science behind that? I will gladly do it, but I just want to understand why.

thanks much
 
Last edited:
A fully charged battery is determined by how long it hold the charge. You can charge a pos shit battery to 13 volts and it will hold that for a minute or two. Wait a half hour at least before taking a reading. Under 12.4, shit can it.
 
this doesnt answer your specific question, but there are several stratagem for determining full charge, and it is very temperature dependent on lead acid, so easiest just to say float
charge it for however long. also sealed are different from flooded etc, you can look at the manufactures info but usually it is not very specific.
 
I have read the instructions from the manufacturer.
The question I am asking is not how to follow the manufacturer instructions but "there in this paragraph, what does that specific step do, what is it meant to accomplish ?"
 
brentw1 said:
this doesnt answer your specific question, but there are several stratagem for determining full charge, and it is very temperature dependent on lead acid, so easiest just to say float
charge it for however long. also sealed are different from flooded etc, you can look at the manufactures info but usually it is not very specific.
Click to expand...
Is that the same as the equipment telling you "I don't know if you're fully charged, but if you stay at float voltage for a while, I bet'cha gonna be fully charged" ?
 
damdoum said:
Hello.

I have a question about the initial charge.
http://batterytender.com/resources/frequently-asked-questions/:
"The Battery Tender® Plus should be left on the new battery for a minimum of 24 hours on float, ..."

I thought that when the battery reached 13V it was fully charged.
why spend an extra 24hours on float? why? can someone please explain the science behind that? I will gladly do it, but I just want to understand why.

thanks much
Click to expand...

From their site...

" the BT Plus automatically switches to a Float / Maintenance Charge Mode. The purpose of the Float / Maintenance Charge Mode is to maintain the battery voltage just slightly (typically between 1/10 and ½ volt) above where it would be if it were fully charged and sitting at rest. This keeps the battery topped off at voltages well below the gassing voltage of a lead acid battery."
 
The float function is mostly for maintaining the battery voltage for long, extended periods of times. With a Battery Tender Plus, you can leave it hooked to the battery for years and it'll maintain the battery voltage and not damage the battery either.

However, when bringing up the battery from some level of discharge, some extra time in the float mode assures that the battery gets that last little bit of charge. Think of charging a battery as you would fill test tube with water where you want to avoid any spillage. At first you can pour faster because you've got plenty of space before the water reaches the top. But as the water nears the top of the test tube, you must pour much slower to avoid spillage and put the max in the tube. Not the best analogy, but hopefully you get the idea.
 
yea basically the manufacture doesnt know how much has self discharged,
and they know that 24hours should bring it back to fully charged.
and as others have said it takes longer to add the last bit of charge to a almost full
battery than when "bulk" charging.
the serious battery chargers typically have 4 stages of charge and some have
a reconditioning mode that pulse charges and discharges.
but for your use just charge it for 24 it should be good to go.
 
However, if it's a quality charger that goes into "float mode" after a proper charge cycle, then all is good.
 
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