5 things you need to know about importance of correct sizing and purpose

  1. When you select a battery charger you need to first choose a style or form that is appropriate for the task at hand. A desktop charger isn't suitable in an application where the charger needs to be retained or mounted. These form factors may include dust or water ingress considerations or power cables in and out of the unit.

  2. When selecting a battery the capacity required for you to run with a few day's autonomy needs to be matched with a batteries need to be recharged with the appropriate sized current. As a general rule we say use 1/10th batteries AH for its charging rate given you have 12 hours to recharge overnight. If you have less time then you need a larger charger if the battery can accept a higher rate of charge. Or if you are using some of the charging power to run equipment while the charging is simultaneously occurring.

  3. The intended use of the battery is a key factor in the life you will get from it if you use a starting battery in a deep cycle application then be prepared for an early end of life. If you have recently increased your Ah capacity because you required a longer autonomy and used a deep cycle battery but have not increased your charging current to match you can also expect issues. Using any battery charger or regulator which doesn't use the factory recommended recharge voltages of the battery you are charging will lead to an early end of life issues also. These are not covered by the manufacturer's warranty which covers physical defects in production.

  4. Chargers are a logic programmed electrical device that uses timers and measurements of voltage and current to determine the charge cycle. They are therefore pre-programmed with time limits for each stage, or current (amps) and a minimum value before the stage is complete then moving to the next stage of a charging cycle. If you haven't sized your charger correctly to your batteries these rates can be either too long because of undercurrent causing issues with recharge. Or just as annoying if the charger is too big you can reach high voltages quickly but not be able to change modes for a minimum number of hours which can lead to unnecessary overcharging.

  5. Purpose of the system design, simplicity, effectiveness, and efficiency are all core factors in power storage and conversion. Choosing the correct components from the outset might cost a little more upfront but the return well worth the effort in getting it right.