Battery charger for storage

NeontaB

My friend says I need a small charger like Deltran battery tender for winter storage. Reviews don't look so good.
Isn't the charger in my T@B able to maintain a battery while being stored? To just leave it plugged in?
Thanks

jkjenn

NeontaB said:

My friend says I need a small charger like Deltran battery tender for winter storage. Reviews don't look so good.
Isn't the charger in my T@B able to maintain a battery while being stored? To just leave it plugged in?
Thanks

If it is a newer T@b, yes.

RollingLagrima

Newer ones have several components that draw power from the battery even when they're turned off. For example, the light on the television and the USB plug. Therefore, it's recommended that you either find a way to get a trickle charge going or pull the battery fuse from the battery housing or put in a battery kill switch. If you do a search on here you will find all kinds of solutions. The easiest is just to leave your tab plugged in to house power. If your tab is newer, the converter is smart enough to know exactly how much to trickle into the battery to keep it healthy.

mash2

It's true of the older T@Bs also.

NeontaB

The tab is 10 years old. Don't see a model on it (was there only one model then?). The charger is a World Friendship WF-8725-p.  They still sell them! Info says it's a 3 stage charger with float stage. That tells me it can be left plugged in, right?
Thanks for the input.

RollingLagrima

Yep, the float phase is what ya need to keep charged and topped off.  You are good to go!

mash2

All the dutchman had them.  I have an '06 and I think mine is a WF-8725-p as well.  It will charge it when plugged in.  

Mouseketab

As long as you can keep it plugged in, you are good to go. The battery tenders are for times when you have no power for storage. Folks bring the battery home for the winter and put it on a trickle charge.

Playc

Mouseketab said:

As long as you can keep it plugged in, you are good to go. The battery tenders are for times when you have no power for storage. Folks bring the battery home for the winter and put it on a trickle charge.

I plan to connect a UPS with surge protect and charge the battery one full day every 2 weeks while in storage. Hope this way it will keep the battery healthy.

Just not comfortable when not around to have TAB connect to AC all the time.

JandJ92010

Playc said:

Mouseketab said:

As long as you can keep it plugged in, you are good to go. The battery tenders are for times when you have no power for storage. Folks bring the battery home for the winter and put it on a trickle charge.

I plan to connect a UPS with surge protect and charge the battery one full day every 2 weeks while in storage. Hope this way it will keep the battery healthy.

Just not comfortable when not around to have TAB connect to AC all the time.

I put my batteries in my garage over the winter to keep them from freezing (NE Ohio) and put a 1 1/2 amp charger on them once a month. They take just a couple of hours to top off and they're good for another month.

Mouseketab

Playc said:

Mouseketab said:

As long as you can keep it plugged in, you are good to go. The battery tenders are for times when you have no power for storage. Folks bring the battery home for the winter and put it on a trickle charge.

I plan to connect a UPS with surge protect and charge the battery one full day every 2 weeks while in storage. Hope this way it will keep the battery healthy.

Just not comfortable when not around to have TAB connect to AC all the time.

If you do not have the battery plugged in except for that one day every two weeks, you need to disconnect it from the T@B when not plugged in. Either by way of a disconnect switch or removing the negative lead. The T@B has parasitic drains that will kill your battery in two weeks time.

Verna

You can also remove the in-line fuse on the battery positive lead, which will remove all power to the T@B.

wizard1880

The t@b's power converter keeps the voltage a little high (13.8v), so if you store it plugged in this way through the winter, it will boil off some of the battery's water. I recommend disconnecting the negative terminal, and connect a battery tender up. It uses a constant current charging circuitry that our WFCO converter lacks, and keeps it at 13.2v. Ignore any negative reviews on DelTran battery tenders, they've been the universal standard for battery maintenance for over a decade, just ask any shop. I still have mine from 2002.

mash2

I second the delTran battery tenders.  Mine has served me well since I picked it up a few years ago.  

gilbutler

From Page 5 of my WFCO manual:

Float Mode: If the RV is not being used for approximately 48 hours, with a “no load” condition and the shore power is plugged in, the converter will automatically go into the “Float mode.” In this mode, the converter is charging the battery with a trickle voltage of 13.2 Vdc. When the converter senses a demand (by turning on lights), the converter automatically returns to the “Absorption mode” 13.6 Vdc. 

Playc

mash2 said:

I second the delTran battery tenders.  Mine has served me well since I picked it up a few years ago.  

Which one would you suggest to buy?  Thanks. 

Playc

gilbutler said:

From Page 5 of my WFCO manual:

Float Mode: If the RV is not being used for approximately 48 hours, with a “no load” condition and the shore power is plugged in, the converter will automatically go into the “Float mode.” In this mode, the converter is charging the battery with a trickle voltage of 13.2 Vdc. When the converter senses a demand (by turning on lights), the converter automatically returns to the “Absorption mode” 13.6 Vdc.

Thanks for the info.  Are you saying that I can have AC 110 plug in all the time during storage and no need for any additional purchase like DelTran?

NeontaB

Thanks everyone. Appreciate the input. Plan to leave it plugged in.
THX

ChanW

Playc said:

gilbutler said:

From Page 5 of my WFCO manual:

Float Mode: If the RV is not being used for approximately 48 hours, with a “no load” condition and the shore power is plugged in, the converter will automatically go into the “Float mode.” In this mode, the converter is charging the battery with a trickle voltage of 13.2 Vdc. When the converter senses a demand (by turning on lights), the converter automatically returns to the “Absorption mode” 13.6 Vdc.

Thanks for the info.  Are you saying that I can have AC 110 plug in all the time during storage and no need for any additional purchase like DelTran?

Yes.

You should check the water in the battery as a regular maintenance item anyway (every six months should be enough).