How to Charge a Gell Battery

Gell batteries are extremely durable, more weather and temperature-resistant than other battery types and are even spill-proof, which is why they are used in so many marine and mobile applications. But the same differences that make gell batteries better for more demanding applications also dictate that they be charged in a unique way. To charge a gell battery, you will need a specialized charging device designed for this purpose. Using an ordinary alkaline battery charger on a gell battery will likely damage the battery and could potentially start a fire.

Things You'll Need

• Gell battery
• Constant voltage gell battery charger
• Electrical outlet
• Climate-controlled environment

Instructions

1. Examine your constant voltage gell battery charger and, ideally, the documentation that came with it. Determine whether or not your charger is designated as a smart charger. Smart chargers can largely be left unattended without risking any damage to the battery, whereas other chargers have to be monitored. If you leave a battery on an ordinary charger for too long, you could damage the battery.

2. Plug the charger into an electrical outlet in a climate-controlled environment. Turn it on to ensure that the power is active, then turn it back off.

3. Set the gell battery on a level surface near the charger, then connect the positive charger node to the positive battery terminal and the negative charger node to the negative battery terminal.

4. Turn the charger on and set it to fast charging. Since different models of chargers work in different ways, the exact method of doing this may vary. Some chargers will start charging immediately, but others have safety switches that must be adjusted before charging can begin. Most models have a charging light that will light up whenever the battery is actively charging.

5. Wait for the battery to fully charge, which should take between four and five hours for a dead or nearly dead battery. If you have a smart charger, you can leave it on the charger for an extended period even after the battery has fully charged. If you have an ordinary charger, you will need to monitor the volts-per-cell meter on the charger. The battery is charged and ready to be taken off the charger when the volts-per-cell meter reads between 2.4 and 2.45 volts-per-cell.

6. Take the battery off the charger or set it to float charge. If you're taking the battery off, turn off the charger, unplug it from the power source and then disconnect the nodes from the battery terminals. If you want to keep it on a float charge, which is a charging mode that will keep a charged battery fully charged over the long term without damaging it, leave it connected. Smart chargers will switch over to float charge mode automatically when the battery reaches a full charge. Ordinary chargers will have to be switched over to float charge mode manually using a switch on the charger. If your charger does not have such a switch, it may not be capable of a float charge and you will have to remove it from the charger.

Tips & Warnings

• Never charge a gell battery on a charger that is not specifically designed for charging gell batteries. Never overcharge or undercharge your batteries, as this will decrease battery life.