Published on: October 23, 2022
Written by Baten Khalil / Fact-checked by Ian Carter
Float charge mode is a feature found on some electrical devices that allows them to be left plugged in and charged for extended periods of time without damaging the battery. In most cases, the device will stop drawing power from the outlet once the battery is fully charged, and then switch to a “trickle charge” to maintain the charge. This can be useful for devices that are used infrequently or are difficult to unplug and replug, such as security cameras.
Float charge mode is a setting on some battery chargers that keeps the batteries in a state of full charge without overcharging them. This can help prolong the life of your batteries and keep them working properly for longer.
Is Float Charge Good for Battery?
A floating charge is when a battery is charged to its full capacity and then left at that voltage until it is used. This maintains the battery’s charge and prevents it from discharging below its full capacity. Float charging is good for batteries because it helps to prolong their life by keeping them at their fully-charged state.
This means that the battery will not be overworked or strained, which can cause damage. Additionally, float charging can help to prevent self-discharge, which occurs when a battery slowly loses its charge even when not in use. Overall, float charging is beneficial for batteries because it helps to keep them healthy and working properly for longer periods of time.
If you have a battery that you need to keep charged, consider using a float charger to maintain its health and longevity.
Can You Leave a Float Charger on All the Time?
Yes, you can leave a float charger on all the time. A float charger is designed to maintain a full charge on a lead acid battery without overcharging it. This type of charger typically has a lower amperage output than other types of chargers and is often used to keep batteries charged in storage.
How Long Can You Float Charge a Battery?
Most people believe that it is not advisable to float charge a battery for more than 24 hours. However, there are some experts who say that you can actually float charge a battery for up to two weeks without any adverse effects. So, which is the correct answer?
The truth is that it really depends on the type of battery you are using. For example, if you are using a lead-acid battery, then it is generally not recommended to float and charge it for more than 24 hours. This is because lead-acid batteries tend to produce hydrogen gas when they are being charged, and this gas can build up and explode if the charging process is not carefully monitored.
However, if you are using a sealed maintenance-free battery (such as those used in most cars these days), then it should be perfectly safe to float and charge it for extended periods of time. In fact, many car manufacturers actually recommend floating charging these types of batteries as part of their regular maintenance schedule. So, in general, you should be fine to float charge your battery for up to two weeks without any problems.
Just be sure to check with your battery manufacturer or dealer first to make sure that this charging method is suitable for your particular type of battery.
What is Float Charging And Boost Charging?
Float charging and boost charging are two types of battery charger technology. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, so it’s important to understand the difference between the two before choosing a charger for your needs. Float chargers maintain a constant voltage level, typically around 13.6V, on the battery.
This keeps the battery topped off and ready to use, but doesn’t provide any extra charge beyond what’s necessary to keep the battery at full capacity. Boost chargers, on the other hand, provide a higher voltage level (usually around 14.4V) for a shorter period of time in order to “boost” the battery back up to full capacity more quickly. The advantage of float charging is that it’s much safer for your batteries since there’s no risk of overcharging them. Boost charging is faster and can be useful if you need to get your batteries back up to full power quickly, but it does come with some risks since it’s possible to overcharge the batteries if you’re not careful.
Float Charge 12V Battery
A floating charge is a type of battery charging that maintains a constant voltage across the battery terminals. This keeps the battery at full charge without overcharging it. The float voltage is typically set slightly higher than the battery’s nominal voltage to compensate for self-discharge.
Most 12V batteries have a nominal voltage of 12.6V, so a common float voltage setting for these batteries is 13.8V. This provides a small margin of safety to account for variations in the battery’s chemistry and operating conditions. The primary benefit of using a float charger is that it can extend the life of your batteries by preventing them from being overcharged.
Overcharging can lead to premature capacity loss and decreased service life. In some cases, it can also cause permanent damage to the battery cells. Float chargers are typically used for long-term storage applications or for maintaining backup power systems (like UPS systems) where batteries need to be kept at a full charge but may not be used frequently.
Bulk Charge Vs Float Charge
As a business owner, you want to make sure your batteries are always charged and ready to go. But what’s the difference between a bulk charge and a float charge?
| Bulk charging | Float charging |
| Bulk charging is when you charge your batteries at a high rate until they reach 80% of their capacity. | Float charging is when you keep your batteries at a constant voltage so they never drop below 100%. |
| Then, you switch to a lower rate to finish charging them the rest of the way. This is the quickest way to charge your batteries. | This method takes longer than bulk charging, but it’s better for the longevity of your batteries. |
So, which method should you use? It depends on how often you need to use your batteries.
If you’re using them every day, then bulk charging is fine. But if you only need them once in a while, float charging will keep them in better condition over time.
4 Stages of Battery Charging
Batteries are an essential part of everyday life. They power our cell phones, laptops, and even some cars. Without them, we would be stuck in the dark ages!
There are four stages of battery charging: constant current, constant voltage, trickle charging, and float charging.
1) Constant Current Charging
This is the first stage of battery charging where a constant current is sent to the battery to charge it. The amount of time that this stage lasts depends on the size of the battery being charged.
2) Constant Voltage Charging
Once the battery has reached a certain voltage, the charger switches to constant voltage mode. In this mode, the voltage is held at a steady level while the current decreases as the battery become full.
3) Trickle Charging
Trickle charging is used to maintain a fully charged battery. It involves sending a small current to the battery so that it doesn’t discharge over time.
4) Float Charging
Float charging is used for batteries that will be stored for long periods of time without being used. In this mode, the charger keeps the voltage at a level just below that which would cause damage to the battery if left unchecked.
Float Charging Lithium Ion Batteries
When it comes to charging lithium-ion batteries, there are a few different methods that can be used. One popular method is known as float charging. So, what exactly is float charging?
And how can it benefit your battery? Keep reading to find out! Float charging is a type of constant voltage charging.
This means that the voltage remains at a steady level during the entire charge cycle. The benefits of using this method include extended battery life and reduced stress on the battery cells. The way it works is pretty simple.
Once the initial charge is complete, the voltage is kept at a safe level (usually between 3.7-4.2V) in order to prevent overcharging. This prevents damage to the battery cells and extends its overall lifespan. So, if you’re looking for a way to prolong the life of your lithium ion batteries, float charging may be the way to go!
How to Calculate Float Voltage?
As its name suggests, float voltage is the voltage required to keep a battery “floating” or charged. The term usually refers to lead-acid batteries, which are commonly used in backup power supplies and other applications where long-term storage of energy is needed. To calculate float voltage, you need to know the battery’s nominal voltage and the charge efficiency of the charger.
The nominal voltage is simply the rated capacity of the battery expressed in volts. For example, a 12-volt lead-acid battery has a nominal voltage of 12 volts. The charge efficiency is a measure of how much of the electricity provided by the charger is actually converted into usable chemical energy in the battery.
It is typically around 75% for lead-acid batteries. With those two pieces of information, you can calculate float voltage using this formula: Float Voltage = Nominal Voltage / Charge Efficiency
For our example 12-volt lead-acid battery, that would give us a float voltage of 16 volts ((12 volts / 0.75) = 16 volts). That means that we would need to apply a constant charging voltage of at least 16 volts to maintain that battery in a fully charged state.
Bulk Charging Voltage Meaning
Bulk charging voltage meaning is the voltage required to charge a battery in bulk. This voltage is typically higher than the standard voltages used for charging batteries and is typically around 4.2 volts per cell. The purpose of using a higher voltage during bulk charging is to increase the rate at which the battery can be charged.
Final Words
In float charge mode, a battery charger applies a constant voltage to a lead acid battery, causing it to stop charging and remain in a “full” state.
Resources:
