The Best Deep Cycle Battery Chargers - Keep Your Batteries Topped Up
Short on Time? Here’s The Article Summary
The article highlights the importance of deep cycle batteries in solar power systems and provides reviews of two recommended deep cycle battery chargers: the AIMS 2,000W Pure Sine Inverter Battery Charger and the Renogy 12V On-Board Battery Charger with MPPT Charge Controller. It discusses the benefits of using a deep cycle battery charger, including extending the lifespan of batteries and keeping them fully charged.
The article also explains the differences between battery chargers, restorers, and maintainers, and provides guidance on choosing the right deep cycle battery for a solar power system. It concludes by offering a selection of deep cycle batteries from reputable manufacturers like Lion Energy and Renogy, as well as other solar products needed for a complete solar power system.
Introduction
One of the most important components of any off-grid or hybrid solar power system is the battery bank. Investing in a high-capacity deep cycle battery will allow you to store the solar electricity your solar panels work so hard to generate.
One of the ways you can get the most out of your battery bank is by purchasing a high-quality battery charger. Unfortunately, all batteries have a shelf life and lose their charge over time. Whether it is because of the fading health of the battery itself, or just due to typical battery drain issues, a fully charged battery will lose some of its stored power over time.
In this guide, we will go over some deep cycle battery charger reviews, which will help you find the right product for your solar power system. We will also explain why they are so beneficial and explain the differences between the three main types of deep cycle battery maintenance devices. From there, we will even point you in the right direction of some high-quality deep cycle batteries that you can use to enhance the storage capabilities of your solar battery bank!
What are the Benefits of a Deep Cycle Battery Charger?
A reliable deep cycle battery charger can extend the lifespan of your batteries, which will save you time and money. They can also spare you from the frustration of having an unreliable power reserve. The following are just some of the reasons why it is worth investing in a well-made deep cycle battery charger:
- Extend the Lifespan of the Battery – As mentioned above, batteries are one of the most important pieces of equipment in any solar power system. Unfortunately, batteries also tend to be one of the most expensive pieces of equipment. Battery chargers will help extend the life of your deep cycle batteries by ensuring they are fully charged. Some solar power inverters and charge controllers that feature built-in battery chargers will also come with extra features, like overcharge protection, quick charging, and battery drain prevention, which prevents the reverse flow of electricity back to the solar panels. All of these features protect the battery and extend its overall lifespan.
- Keeps Your Batteries Fully Charged – As you would expect, one of the main benefits of a deep cycle battery charger is the fact that it will keep your battery topped up, without overcharging them to the point that the battery is harmed. A good battery charger will charge the battery only when charging is required, which means you will actually have access to a fully charged battery when you need that power.
Types of Deep Cycle Battery Accessories
There are several different types of devices that are designed to maintain the charge and health of a deep cycle battery. Understanding the differences between these devices will help you choose the right product for your specific solar power system.
Chargers:
Battery chargers are what most people are looking for when they are running a solar power system. Essentially, they work by restoring and reviving the power in your battery, even if it is completely drained. They provide a safe flow of electrical current only when the battery actually needs charging.
Restorers:
Restorers are designed to restore the health of a battery by breaking down contaminants that have built up within the battery’s cells. They are rarely purchased for residential and RV solar power systems and instead are used for more commercial applications, like auto garages and solar farms.
Maintainers:
These devices maintain the charge of the battery by preventing the battery from fully discharging all of its energy. These are typically used with automobile, boat, and RV batteries to ensure the battery has enough power left to actually start the vehicle.
Deep Cycle Battery Charger Reviews
Now that you understand some of the benefits of purchasing a deep cycle battery charger and you know the difference between battery chargers, restorers, and maintainers, we can take a look at some of the best products on the market today.
This convenient three-in-one product is ideal for those that are running solar power systems. Not only will this high-quality power inverter transform the DC current your solar panels generate into AC power that your batteries can store to run appliances and power tools, it has a built-in battery charger that will keep your battery bank fully charged.
You can also adjust the voltage that is provided to your battery, which means you can pair the AIMS Inverter Battery Charger with any size of battery. As an added bonus, it also features a built-in 30-amp transfer switch, which will automatically detect when you are switching from shore power to battery power. This helps prevent battery drain when your battery is not being used.
Key Features:
- The battery type selector allows users to regulate the voltage going into the battery, which means it is compatible with a variety of different battery types and sizes
- Built-in power inverter allows for a clean transfer of useable electricity
- Extremely quiet design means you will not hear any sort of buzzing or fan noise, which can be an issue with some of the lower-quality three-in-one charge devices
- Automatic and selectable power save mode puts the device in hibernation when it is not being used. This extends the lifespan of the unit and reduces the amount of power that is being used
Renogy has a strong reputation for offering high-quality solar products at affordable prices. This combined MPPT charger controller and battery charger is designed to offer users the convenience of a two-in-one, multi-stage battery charger.
It is capable of protecting your battery while keeping it charged. It is compatible with all types of deep cycle batteries, including gel, flooded, AGM, and lithium batteries. The built-in MPPT controller maximizes the efficiency of your solar panels and a three-phase charging profile, including bulk, boost, and float charging, ensures your battery is accurately charged to the correct voltage levels.
Key Features:
- Fully compatible with smart alternators, which means it can be programed to work with various output voltages
- Temperature and voltage compensation features prolong the lifespan of the battery and improve the overall performance and efficiency of your solar power system
- Compatible with various battery types, including AGM, Gel, Flooded, and Lithium
- Compact design with a sturdy exterior shell means it is deal for rugged conditions. This is why it is a popular choice with RV enthusiasts.
- Trickle charge feature can top up connected batteries directly from the solar panels to ensure they are fully charged
Choosing the Correct Deep Cycle Battery for Your Solar Power System
As mentioned above, the deep cycle battery is one of the most important items in any solar power system. This is especially true if you are planning on running a fully off-grid system that will be capable of supplying all of your required power.
The best deep cycle batteries are designed to handle repeated charge and discharge cycles on a regular basis, without significantly losing their storage capabilities. In other words, they can be used to provide power over prolonged periods of time, which means they are practical for those that are planning to rely on their stored electricity for all of their power.
If you are looking to add a battery bank to your existing solar power system, or you are building an off-grid system for the first time, we encourage you to browse through our Deep Cycle Solar Battery Collection. We carry deep cycle batteries from some of the most reputable manufacturers out there and they are available in a wide variety of voltages and sizes.
If you are unsure where to start, we recommend reading through our Best Solar Batteries Guide, which provides our recommendations for some of the best deep cycle batteries for solar storage.
Lion Energy Batteries:
Lion Energy is one of the fastest growing companies in the renewable energy industry. They usually focus on portable power products, so if you are running a small-scale solar power system for an RV or camper van, their highly-portable solar batteries are an excellent choice.
We carry a wide variety of Lion Energy solar products, including our full Lion Energy Battery Collection.
Renogy Deep Cycle Solar Batteries:
As we mentioned earlier, Renogy offers a vast collection of affordable and reliable solar products. Their deep cycle solar batteries find the perfect balance between performance, durability, and affordability.
Not only are Renogy deep cycle batteries affordable, they can be stacked, meaning you can connect a series of batteries to increase your battery bank’s overall power storage capabilities.
We encourage you to browse our Renogy Deep Cycle Battery Collection and find exactly what you need to assemble a reliable battery bank for your solar power system.
We also carry a wide selection of Renogy solar panels, power inverters, charge controllers, and battery chargers, so if you are looking to build a complete solar power system, we have everything you could ever need at the affordable prices Renogy is known for.
Find our Complete Renogy Product Collection by clicking the previous link.
Final Words
Purchasing an appropriate deep cycle battery and pairing it with a reliable battery charger is one of the best ways to ensure your solar power system is storing power as efficiently and reliably as possible.
If you are ready to add a battery bank, or expand your system’s current storage potential, we carry everything you need. As always, if you have any questions about battery chargers, deep cycle batteries, or anything else related to solar power, do not hesitate to reach out to us!
Did you find this guide helpful? then consider checking: How to Tell If a Deep Cycle Battery Is Bad and How to Charge a Deep Cycle Battery.
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