What is a Battery Charger?
Battery chargers and maintainers are similar but not the same thing. Both tools are designed to charge your battery. A maintainer is designed to charge a nearly full battery with a small amount of power.
Battery chargers and maintainers are similar but not the same thing. Both tools are designed to charge your battery. A maintainer is designed to charge a nearly full battery with a small amount of power.
Battery chargers convert AC power from a wall socket into DC power for the battery. Some battery chargers also have a battery pack of their own, allowing you to jump-start your vehicle. Many battery chargers also have different power settings, allowing you to control the flow of electricity to the battery when the charger’s leads are attached.
Battery chargers are more versatile, and thus more expensive, than trickle chargers or battery maintainers. If you need a way to jump-start your vehicle in a pinch, buy a battery charger. If you need to maintain a battery installed on a vehicle that you don’t drive much, buy a battery maintainer.
If you crack open the outer plastic shell of a typical battery charger, you’ll find many different electrical components inside including resistors, transistors, diodes, and maybe even a few circuit boards. The electrical components are assembled using a batch soldering process.
If you have questions or concerns about battery chargers or any of your vehicle’s components or accessories, come into your local Pep Boys where we can answer any question, help you find any part, or perform any vehicle service you might need.
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