Trickle charging has become a vital measure to preserve a lawnmower’s battery life. Batteries are expensive equipment, and they do not last long for various reasons. In this case, Trickle charging is utilized, which keeps the system and the working fresh and is used by people who do not use their lawnmowers often or live in a cold climate.
To trickle charge a lawnmower battery, all you need to do is follow these simple steps enlisted below.
The Right Method to Trickle Charge a Lawnmower Battery
Before understanding how to trickle charge a lawnmower, the first and the most basic step is to find the perfect charger that is suitable for your system. After finding the ideal piece of equipment, you need to follow some steps to accurately charge your machine. Down below, we have outlined the steps you need to follow to ensure that your trickle charges it the right and safe way.
1. Take Precautionary Measures
This is a rule of thumb that whenever you’re dealing with electrical equipment, always safeguard yourself by putting on protective clothing such as gloves and safety glasses.
2. Find the Battery Terminals
The second step is to locate the lawnmower battery, so the positive and negative terminals on it can be easily accessed. These terminals are normally color-coded, the positive terminal is red, and the negative is black.
3. Disconnect the Battery
After successfully finding the battery and its terminals, disconnect it in the correct order. First, remove the negative connector, then remove the positive connector.
4. Place the Charger
These are usually mountable and come with various options to mount them. The most straightforward option is to mount it with a bracket that comes with most of these. Find the side of it that has the most room to place the charger. This removes the possibility of the wires getting tangled.
5. Connect the Trickle Charger
Connect it with the battery in reverse order. First, connect the charger clip to the positive terminal of it, then connect the negative one.
6. Plug-In the Charger
After it’s connected, plug it into an electrical outlet and turn it on. During this step, make sure that you don’t do it with wet hands and keep in mind that children should be away from the sockets at all times.
7. Charge It Fully
Wait for the lawnmower battery to completely charge before disconnecting it.
8. Remove the Charger
After it is charged, follow the steps but in reverse order. Begin with unplugging it from the power outlet, disconnect the cables, start with negative the positive. Remove the charger and its bracket and connect the lawnmower cables back to the battery, starting from positive to negative.
Things to Lookout For
People who have such chargers usually take the slow charging factor very seriously. The charger takes a lot of time to charge it completely. However, it shouldn’t be hooked on to the socket for too long as it overcharges and causes it to die. While the idea of charging a bit excessively might seem convenient to you but keep in mind that it is never an ideal situation for any electronic device.
When charging the lawnmower battery through such a method, another thing that confuses a lot of people is that how long does it take to fully charge it?
The answer to this question mainly depends on the size of it and the type of trickle charger. If the charger perfectly matches it, it usually takes about 2 days. This means that unlike normal chargers, the trickle charger can be used to charge it overnight. Either the equipment owner can always keep it on charge during the cutting season or put the lawnmower on charge before mowing the next day.
Importance of Trickle Chargers
Trickle charging a lawnmower is often neglected by a lot of people. However, there are numerous reasons why investing in such a charger can be fruitful.
Saves Time
The worst thing about a dead system is that it doesn’t start when it is needed. You could be thinking of going to work or going out with friends after mowing the lawn. This might seem like it wouldn’t take a lot of time, but due to a dead one, your plans could be delayed as the mower won’t start. Hooking up a trickle charger takes a minute and can save you hours.
Longer Battery Life
When it sits for days or months, it loses its charge. This leads to the occurrence of salvation in a battery. Solation causes the lead crystals to build upon the cells. This phenomenon could increase by overcharging or undercharging the system.
No Need to Move the Battery
In winters, when people don’t mow, they usually take it out of the lawnmower and put it somewhere else. This leads to the corrosion of the battery due to exposure to a moist atmosphere. Whereas, when using a trickle charger, the equipment owner doesn’t have to go through all the hassle. This adds tons of convenience to the mix, no more of asking others to move around the machine.
How to Safely Use a Trickle Charger
These chargers are connected to batteries for long periods, which is why safety should be a top priority for everyone who uses them for their lawnmower. Following are some tips that could ensure your safety.
- When a trickle charger is connected to a battery, it should always be kept indoors in a garage or room. Keeping it outdoors could damage both the charger and the battery from rain and snow.
- Another basic rule that should always be kept in mind is that always shut down the charger before connecting it to a battery.
- Always check wires before connecting them because if the wires are damaged, there is a possibility of electric sparks when the wires touch some other object.
- Make certain that there are no children or elderly milling around while you start your process.
Get to Work!
A good lawnmower can make or break your garden. Make sure that you are updated on the maintenance and charging processes, and you’re good to go!