Can You Charge a Gel Battery With a Regular Charger-Introduction and Charger

Gel batteries differ from standard lead acid batteries; you need a special charger to charge a gel battery. If you use a regular charger of lead acid batteries to charge a gel battery, you will reduce the battery's efficiency and performance. 

A gel battery should be charged only by using a slow charger. A SMART charger is used to charge a gel battery. You can charge a gel battery with a regular lead acid battery charger, but these chargers are rapid, while gel batteries require a slow charger.

Can the dead gel battery be recharged?

Gel batteries are deep-cycle; even if they are discharged for months, you can still charge them back, and they will function like a new battery. There are various ways of recharging a dead gel battery. The most efficient way of recharging a dead gel battery is by connecting the regular lead acid battery with the gel battery.

How to recharge a dead gel battery?

You can recharge a dead gel battery by connecting it to a fully charged lead acid battery. Firstly, attach the dead gel battery with a lead acid battery charger. Secondly, after connecting, change the charger's settings and switch the charger settings to deep cycle. 

Thirdly, switch the charger from automatic to manual. In normal conditions, never use a lead acid battery charger for a gel battery, but when the gel battery is fully discharged or dead, you can use a lead acid battery charger.

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How to know if the gel battery is dead or not?

Gel batteries are different from lead-acid batteries as they are completely sealed. You can check the battery performance with different equipment as well you can check by a voltmeter. To know if the battery is right and functioning, you can check for physical changes in the appearance of the battery. 

Check for discoloration, broken terminal, or bump in the battery, and you can also know if the plastic casing is damaged. One more way to know if the battery is dead is by connecting it to a charger and checking if the charger screen says "Bad" or if it charges. 

How does a gel battery become dead?

A gel battery can easily become dead if you overcharge the battery. Overcharging can happen if you use the regular lead acid battery charger. It is advised for gel batteries to charge with a SMART charger or a slow charger. 

A standard lead acid battery charger is rapid, and when used for a gel battery, it will overcharge the battery in little time and make the battery dead. You can also fix this issue by completely discharging the battery and using a slow or SMART charger.

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What happens if you charge a gel battery with a normal charger?

There are certain specifications for a gel battery to be charged. If the charger follows those specifications, you can use it, but if it doesn't, it can seriously damage your gel battery. If the charger and battery specification match, it can be protected by overcharging or charging it too fast.

Specification of the Charger Which Must be Followed for Gel Battery

To charge a gel battery, you need to follow the specification strictly. The charger must be slow and charge the battery as slowly as possible. The gel battery charger specifies that the peak charging voltage must be 14.1 or 14.4, not higher than this. 

Wet and lead acid batteries use a voltage higher than 14.4; therefore, lead acid battery chargers should never be used for gel batteries. If these specifications are not followed, it can cause serious consequences for the battery. The battery will overcharge and make the battery lose efficiency and performance.

Maintenance of Gel Battery

Gel batteries were designed so that they won't need any maintenance, but they need a little maintenance and concentration. A gel battery should never be charged with a lead acid or lithium charger. Checking the charging level is also important. Never let the battery discharge. Never use a charger whose voltage is above 14.4. Lack of maintenance will result in the battery being overcharged and losing its efficiency and performance.

Best Way to Charge a Gel Battery

The best way to charge a gel battery is to use a charger with a voltage not higher than 14.4 and not less than 12. The charger should be able to charge the battery at a constant voltage. If the voltage isn't constant, it can make the battery overcharge.

Does a gel battery require a special charger?

Yes, a gel battery does require a special charger with special specifications. If those specifications are followed, it can make the battery go well.

Consequences of Charging Gel Battery With a Normal Charger

The normal chargers are rapid and fast because they are designed for batteries like lead acid and other alkaline batteries. On the other hand, a gel battery requires a slow charger to charge the battery with. If a normal charger is used for a gel battery in normal conditions, it can cause the discharge percentage of the gel battery to increase. The normal charger can also cause the battery's overcharge, which can worsen things.

Why do gel batteries require a special charger?

The reason gel batteries require a special charger is that gel batteries are likely to be harmed by a spike in voltage. To overcome the spike in voltage, a constant voltage charger is used. SMART chargers are used for multiple batteries because they have different options for different batteries.

Ideal Charger for Gel Batteries

The ideal battery for gel batteries is which charges the battery with constant voltage, and which charges the battery slowly. The ideal charger takes about four hours to charge the gel battery fully. You can minimize overcharging and discharging if you use a special charger.

Conclusion

Gel battery chemistry is different from lead acid batteries or standard batteries. A special charger should be used to charge the gel battery. If the normal charger is used, it can seriously damage the battery internally and externally.