Technical Should a new batery be charged before installation?

Just got home from town where I purchased a new battery for Clarence. I've always just put them in and went about my merry way; fat dumb and happy. Now I'm getting mixed advice from Google (and no information from here).

So: Should I put the new battery on the charger for while before I put it into Clarence?

b-t-w; I didn't realize that batteries had gotten so expensive that you need to take out a loan to get one!!!

 

I’d say charging before use was an old thing.

 

Depending on shelf time. Ten to twenty mins. Just to stir it up.
Batteries like activity. Up and down and up again

 

Rjght wrong or indifferent. I don't recall ever needing to charge a new bàttery ( except ones that were shipped dry) since the '60's .

 

If it needs charged, I wouldn't buy a battery there again....

 

Thanx all.

I've been just installing them for the last 40 years or so but Google says (in places) to put them on a charger first. I'll just put that sucker in and go on.

Thanx again, and now back to whatever you were doing...

 

If you fire it up and goo for a drive it will be charged. I've never pre-charged a new battery in my life.

 

I always charge new batteries for at least 12 hours before putting them into use. The rule of thumb to be sure that the battery has been properly activated is to charge at 1/10 amps based on it's ampere-hour rating (NOT cranking amps). In other words, a 100 AH battery should be charged at 10 amps for 12 hours. I don't trust the battery manufacturers to do this (some might, some don't) and failure to do this can shorten battery life.

 

Years ago in an electrical class we were told for maximum battery life charge a new battery first .

 

Well, with this new/additional information I'll go put it on the charger for a while.

@Crazy Steve
My charger claims that it will go to trickle when battery is fully charged. Is that a problem or a good thing? i.e., should I put it on for 12 hours regardless?

 

Well... What does the instructions to the battery say? If I remember it right the instructions to all the small scooter batteries I've checked said to put it on a charger for a while before use, after filling with acid.
If it's an off the shelf battery in a store, filled with acid at an unknown time I'd absolutely charge it. You have no idea how long it's been sitting.

 

In the old days, after activating a battery (filling with acid) I'd let them sit overnight and then make sure the acid level was correct and charge as per Crazy Steve's instructions. Other than a snowmobile battery a couple of years ago it's been a long time since I've dealt with a dry battery.

Not knowing what the distributor or manufacturer has done with the wet batteries we get today I always charge a new battery at about 10 amps overnight. I regularly get 7 years or more service out of a battery. I will continue to charge new batteries.

 

Back in the day, most automotive charging systems had about 15 - 25 amps maximum capacity. With the car running, that didn't leave a lot to charge a battery that wasn't at or near full charge. It would take a lot of drive time to get it all the way charged. It really depends on what your vehicle's charging system capability is.

 

I always check the manufacturer date on any battery I buy! If it more than three months old, I select a different battery. If it won’t start the vehicle with out a charge, I take it back and get a replacement! Not sure if it’s the right way….but it is my way!





Bones

 

I have two chargers. One a basic transformer, the other an inverter charger. The inverter charger is about as useless as tits on a boar unless you also attach a test light to burn while it charges. Other wise it shuts down to soon to fully charge the battery. I say charge it. Canadian winters being harsh on batteries, short trips, parasitic loss, defrosting them can be a challenge when they freeze up but some can be saved.

 

We sold battery's at the IH, Dresser and Komatsu delaerships I worked for a couple of decades ago; and the standard practice and advice was always to charge a battery at a slow charge rate for 12 - 24 hours before use. I've always followed that advice since then. Battery technology has advanced since the 80's, but the basic lead/acid technology still works the same way as it did decades ago, and IMO the best practice is still to give a new battery a slow charge at a low rate just like it used to be back in the day.

 

Not with today's batteries.

 

Maybe I'm old school, but I always put a short charge on a new battery. Never know if it's been sitting on the rack for a day or two months. I don't see how it could hurt.

 

Back in the previous century, I worked a huge auto parts store here in Muskogee, Basolo’s Auto Parts! One of my jobs was to fill dry batteries with acid! Not sure how it was done, but the batteries were “ dry charged”! When I put the acid in, the battery would start a car! If it didn’t have a charge we had an area to charge multiple batteries! I always figured if it had to be charged, there was something wrong with it! Just my experiences!




Bones

 

Old thing or not, when I worked for Firestone in Texas in the 70's we charged every new battery we installed for 30 minutes and maybe longer before we installed it. We had very few battery went bad complaints. The tire store that I deal with now doesn't charge them before installing them but I have to think that they move so many batteries that unless it is an odd ball it never sits on the shelf for very long.

If you bought the battery and took it home to install it, all it costs is a bit of time to charge it.
To me a battery is like tires, you don't buy the one you are going to run until you actually need it and the car is close to running. I've seen a couple of rodders have battery trouble because the battery in their car is several years old even though they just started driving the car.

 

Yes, like stated above a slow charge will help if there is plate sulfation. Today's alternator regulators are set between
14 to 14.8 on voltage, if the battery is sulfated it may not accept voltage above a certain level.
If stock wasn't rotated and it sat for a long time it may not accept full regulated voltage, IE if the battery wont charge to a level above 14 volts, then the regulator will keep the alternator charging at a high amperage level to hit regulated voltage, say 14.8 volts before it reduces amperage to become a trickle charger until demand drops voltage below 14.8 volts once again. If the battery will not build up passed regulated voltage the alternator will burn itself up trying to get there.
I like to put a charger on a new battery with a voltmeter and see it at least hit 15 volts. If it won't do that, I leave it on a slow charge till it does or comes damn close.

 

MERCY! Say it ain't SO! Google wrong?

Ben

 

Not with today's batteries. That's some suspenseful shit right there. But knowing a Cali winter isn't like an Edmonton winter, I'm going to think that even if you didn't it wouldn't matter much to you as the loss of it not being fully charged wouldn't be noticed till well past the warranty period.

 

If it’s a brand new battery,,,,,when you fill it with sulfuric,,,,it’s hot .
If it’s been sitting on the shelf for months in a store,,,,,(and not in an out building),,,,,,it is still hot .

If it makes you feel better to charge it,,,charge it.
But it’s absolutely not necessary!
Okay yes,,,,,necessary,,,,no .
Whatever makes you feel secure and sleep well,,,,kind of like Radar’s teddy bear on Mash .

Tommy

 

Oh, they'll produce an electrical charge, due to the chemical reaction between the acid and the lead, but that doesn't mean it's the best practice.

 

X5 on needing a loan to buy one now..... Last year I was selling group 31 truck batteries for 80 bucks...
now they're twice that and some....

 

When I ask for a milkshake I don't want the one that was made last week.

 

Ideally you will have a charger that will allow for setting a specific charge rate close to what you want. It's generally 2 amps for a motorcycle/lawn tractor battery, then somewhere from 6 to 20 amps for larger ones, all for 12 hours. If your charger automatically drops to a trickle at a shorter time, charge it longer. If in doubt, give it 24 hours. This won't hurt the battery.

The alternative method using a shorter time was to use a higher charge rate, usually 40 amps, and charge the battery until the electrolyte specific gravity and battery temperature reached a certain point. Don't try this with small batteries. With todays sealed batteries, checking the gravity is off the table but if you get the battery temp up 80-90 degrees F you should be good. This usually took about an hour and if the manufacturers are doing anything, it's this.

When I was a teen and just getting into motorcycles, the damn batteries just wouldn't last. I'd go to the bike shop, tell them what size I needed and the guy would go in the back and fill my new battery with acid. He would then charge it for about 10 minutes then send me out the door. Warrantee was 90 days, it would last about 120.... Repeat. Until he screwed up and included the factory directions with my purchase. Those contained the revelatory knowledge of 2 amps for 12 hours. After that, my bike batteries lasted 6 years or more. The last lawnmower battery I replaced was 10 years old, and rarely saw a charger. It makes a difference....

 

I’ll trade you a dozen eggs for one.