What is Overcharge?
| Overcharging Batteries |
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Overcharging is one of the most destructive elements in battery life (the other is long term undercharging). Most batteries don't die a natural death, they are murdered - usually by overcharging. Overcharging causes the plates to disintegrate and shed. These particles end up on the bottom of the cell. Eventually, the cells will short out, fall apart, break apart, or generally die. Overcharging also increases water loss tremendously, causing even more problems. Gelled cells can be damaged faster than flooded, and flooded can be damaged faster than AGM batteries by overcharging. Water loss is a particular problem with sealed gel cells, as the water cannot be replaced. In some cases, severe overcharging can also cause considerable heat in cheaper batteries with high internal resistance, causing plates to buckle and cases to warp and break. See also discharge. Some poorly designed charge controls compound the problem by both overcharging and undercharging. |
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