Battery charger for laid-up car

I'm looking for a battery charger that I can leave connected for some weeks, that will take care of the battery with no attention. I see several on Amazon, etc, but I am looking for personal recommendations of suitable chargers.

Reply to
Davey
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The alternative worth considering if you already have a battery charger is to connect it via a time switch and give the battery an hour's charge one a week.

It worked for me when I needed to keep a battery topped up.

Jim

Reply to
Indy Jess John

Lidl had theirs recently. You may well find one left if you're lucky.

It charges the battery then switches automatically to a maintenance charge and can be left like this indefinitely. Costs about 13 quid.

It's an excellent little charger which will also charge the average flat battery overnight. Only downside is you have to press a button to switch it on etc - which means if there was a mains interruption it wouldn't resume the same state when it came back.

I've got one built in to the SD1.

As with most of this sort of thing from Lidl its less than half the cost of buying a 'named' one - but just as good if not better. And has a 3 year money back warranty. (keep the receipt)

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

That would work, Timers are cheap enough, and I already have a charger, with High and Low settings.

Thanks.

Reply to
Davey

I am not normally a Lidl shopper, partly because they don't have any shops within easy range of me, and looking at their website, I can find no way to Search for a specific product. They seem to only want to advertise current bargains. But thanks anyway.

Reply to
Davey

Ah - you don't understand the Lidl system. Things like this they are only ever on special offer - which is how they keep the price so low. Nothing left unsold on the shelves for ages. But some - like this charger - may be on offer more than once. I'd guess in this case perhaps twice a year for the last 5 or so.

If you have a friend etc who uses Lidl on a regular basis, you could perhaps ask him to see if his local branch still has some left. My local one did yesterday.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

No such person! Lidl and Aldi are not big here. We have just had our first Aldi open up, replacing a Co-op, and it is filled with cheap horrid crap. The car park is almost empty now, far emptier than when it was the Co-op.

Reply to
Davey

Crikey. Doesn't sound like Aldi. A Co-op, sadly, yes. I'm old enough to remember when they were the best value stores around.

But I don't have an Aldi close. Have only gone to one if they have something I want.

Lidl, on the other hand, are very active in this part of London. For lots of things they beat the supermarkets hands down. With no silly BOGOF and/or money off your next purchase rubbish.

But more on topic for here, their 'special offers' of tools etc are second to none value wise. Much better quality than a shed own brand stuff and cheaper too.

I got some wiper blades for the SD1 the other week. Had to know what I was buying as they weren't listed for it, obviously. Got two front blades and two rear blades for under a tenner the lot - and they appear to be as well made as Bosch. Indeed, I wouldn't be surprised if they were made by them.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

Aldi do XS battery charger.

But like Lidl you will have to wait until its on sale. Usually autumn.

Reply to
Peter Hill

Is it connected permanently to the battery? I always, possibly unnecessarily, disconnect a battery charger after finishing charging, or when trying to start the car. The habit of 'Good Practice', ie not allowing possible unfriendly things to happen.

Reply to
Davey

Yes. Via a fuse.

Been like that for several years now. The idea was to make it as simple as possible to use. Although I suppose adding a switch to disconnect it totally wouldn't be difficult. All I can say is it draws zero current when connected but not powered up.

Reply to
Dave Plowman (News)

snip

Thanks. I had thought of adding a switch if I did the same installation. For now, I have an old inherited charger, and CPC sold a pair of timers for £6.60 (PL1151703).

Reply to
Davey

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