What are the best practices for recharging a 12V lead acid battery with a manual recharger.
I have a 12V lead acid battery (7.2AH/20HR MK ES7-12 (PDF)). I've read the advice here on how to check the battery level (I have ~12.2 V under no stress, and when powering the system it still currently reads ~12.2 V on the DMM).
When it starts to run low, I'd like to know how best to recharge the battery. I have a manual battery charger (Schumacher MC-1). I realize the manual part means that I cannot just plug the battery in and walk away. How best to monitor the charge? With what frequency? What likely problems should I be aware of?
Best Answer
Not many issues charging big lead acids. Just hook the sucker up, turn it on, wait a while, test the battery for either loaded voltage or charge current (<0.3A), then disconnect or continue. Some issues I've had with standard sealed lead acids:
Why did you get a manual charger, anyway? I'd definitely screw that up within a season.