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qwerty11's avatar
qwerty11
Explorer
Aug 05, 2013

Charging battery while being used.

My rudimentary electrical system in my camper doesn't use a converter/power center. I just have a 12v deep cycle battery connected to a distribution panel with fuses.

Is there any reason I cannot attach a smart battery charger to the battery while it is connected to my distribution panel and while lights, radio, etc are being used?


Will the battery chargers "brain" still be able to accurately charge the battery under this scenario?

Will the lights, radio, etc. being used while the battery is being charged be affected by the higher voltage of the system the battery charger will induce to reach 100% charge?

Thanks!

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  • RJsfishin's avatar
    RJsfishin
    Explorer
    Aug 05, 2013
    And just so you know, if you had a converter made in the last 10 yrs, it works exactly the same way as BLF explained.
    But one problem that you could encounter, is if you would load the system heavily, the smart charger could be really stupid, and see it as a defective battery, and go into a fault mode.
  • BFL13's avatar
    BFL13
    Explorer II
    Aug 05, 2013
    Yes, all that happens is the draw reduces the effective charge to the net amps. Say the charger is doing its rated 40amps and you have a 5 amp draw then you are charging at 35 amps so it takes longer than at 40.

    Your equipment will be ok while the battery's voltage stays below 15v. Some chargers will climb to a higher voltage so monitor it to see what yours does.

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