Yes. As long as the float voltage is not too high, and is temperature compensated.
Do you leave your battery charger continually connected whenever your vehicle is at rest?
- Thread starter Ed_Flecko
- Start date
@gathermewool nailed it. the OP doesn't drive the vehicles enough to keep the batteries sufficiently charged. ask me how I know this (3 new batteries in 4 yrs on a rarely driven brand new minivan). so yeah I now keep it on a charger whenever it's not being driven. and my other vehicles too... and lawn tractors, standby generator, sump pump power supplies, barn freezer power supply, etc... 24/7 float charging.
however, you do need to ensure your maintenance charger is up to the task of supplying proper float voltage under parasitic draw of the vehicle. not all chargers can do this. some will peg it at >14v, others will waffle around at low voltage. neither is good. I have no experience with the chargers you have so I can't say much about them.
I do, based on a thread I saw here.
Original battery lasted 8.5 years, although I didn’t start doing that until after a couple or three years.
I notice that the light only blinks maybe 45 minutes before turning steady green. So I’m wondering how much effect this is really having.
Original battery lasted 8.5 years, although I didn’t start doing that until after a couple or three years.
I notice that the light only blinks maybe 45 minutes before turning steady green. So I’m wondering how much effect this is really having.
I've got 2 Genius 1's. One of them is on the TL full time (Optima Red Top), the other alternates between moms Maverick that I'm babysitting, and a group of 3 batteries that are jumped together. One spare Group 35 that fits the two Honda vehicles (no I don't normally buy a spare battery, it's a long story with dealing with warranty issues that ended with me having a spare), and my two lawnmower batteries. All FLA.
Sometimes I'll rotate the camper battery through the rotation, but the solar panel on it looks to do a pretty good job, with the Renogy controller, of keeping that one topped up.
Sometimes I'll rotate the camper battery through the rotation, but the solar panel on it looks to do a pretty good job, with the Renogy controller, of keeping that one topped up.
If a person wanted to do this as a hobby fine, but it’s certainly out there, and might possibly indicate OCD symptoms. 
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My parents are "Florida snowbirds" with a Lexus in Florida and another Lexus in Wisconsin - - For 6 months of each year, one (or the other) Lexus is on a "smart" trickle charger.
JHZR2
Staff member
I leave many of my vehicles plugged in. I use NOCO genius 1 and battery minder 2012 and the smaller units with the temperature sensor. No issues to date.
Depends on what it connected to. Older style analog might be OK but not ideal.
Newer maintainers (or chargers with a maintain mode) don't continuously charge. They're more like how lithium-ion batteries get charged, which is charge up until it's full, and then monitor and do periodic top off charges when the voltage drops below a certain level. You don't really want a "trickle charge". That really isn't that good for the battery. But a proper maintenance cycle will keep the battery near the top of the charge range by doing short charges without overcharging.
Newer maintainers (or chargers with a maintain mode) don't continuously charge. They're more like how lithium-ion batteries get charged, which is charge up until it's full, and then monitor and do periodic top off charges when the voltage drops below a certain level. You don't really want a "trickle charge". That really isn't that good for the battery. But a proper maintenance cycle will keep the battery near the top of the charge range by doing short charges without overcharging.
f355spider
$50 Site Donor 2023
Not completely accurate statement. I've learned it depends on the algorithm. For maintenance, it varies. Some chargers stop charging and let the voltage drop to some set point, then charge the battery back up, as you describe. Most charge up to a voltage of between 13.2vt and 13.8vt and hold it there (float), at a very low amperage. There is a third type, that charge up to the 13.2vt to 13.8vt, hold for 30 minutes, then cycle off for 30 min, then cycle back on for 30 min and will repeat this.
A charger described as a " maintainer" /charger are typically built for full time connection, but for sure you need to due diligence on anything you plug in 24x7 365.
Charger and maintainers are bit like screwdrivers, hammers and oil in that rarely does one fit every need but you can get pretty close.
Big truck is twice as capable and costly to drive so it sits more.
It also has an aftermarket brake controller thats always live so more than normal phantom drain.
Charger and maintainers are bit like screwdrivers, hammers and oil in that rarely does one fit every need but you can get pretty close.
Big truck is twice as capable and costly to drive so it sits more.
It also has an aftermarket brake controller thats always live so more than normal phantom drain.
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