Storing a solar fence charger

[NWWI]

Is it best to store a solar fence charger outside all winter to keep charged in a safe place or inside.
It seems like any time a battery sits unused it goes dead on things. I was just curious what everyone does.

 

[Tap]

I put my Gallagher stuff in my unheated barn with the battery disconnected from the solar charger, but I do hook up a trickle charger to the battery. I didn't use the trickle charger one year and when a battery loses it's charge, it will freeze, at which time it becomes junk.

SW Pa

 

[NWWI]

I have a solar charger with an internal battery. I might benefit from leaving it outside year round.

 

[yoderjac]

SLA batteries can have a significant lifespan reduction if they sit in a low charge state for any length of time. First, make sure it is fully charged before disconnecting it. The best option is to put the SLA on a smart charger and leave it there until it is needed. A smart charger will keep the battery fully charged. They do slowly loose charge when connected to nothing. One final option is to charge the battery fully and then install it back in the solar charger. Put the solar charger in a south facing window. The solar panel will keep it from slowly loosing charge.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bill]

I hooked one up to a battery charger once and smoked it. Now I just leave it out facing south.

Don't know what's best????

 

[yoderjac]

I hooked one up to a battery charger once and smoked it. Now I just leave it out facing south.

Don't know what's best????

What kind of battery charger? A dumb charger can kill a battery by overcharging it. With a dumb charger, you need to take a voltage reading of the battery to determine the state of discharge and then put it on the charger for the right amount of time and disconnect it. A smart charger reads the battery draw and goes into trickle or maintenance mode when the battery is fully charged to keep it there.

By the way, the BEC 6-volt smart chargers work great for the SLA battery in my 6-volt Parmak fencer. The X-Series 12-volt smart chargers should work well with any fencer that uses a 12-volt SLA. If you are using a non-sealed lead acid battery, you need to regularly check the fluid levels when it is kept on a charger. When the fluid levels drop you can kill a battery whether it is on a smart charger or not. That is why I like SLA and AGM type batteries.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Bill]

Oh no. I was trying to fast charge a 12v SlA battery. 2 hours in it looked like a water balloon.

I'm a slow learner. :D