About Golf Cart Charger, A golf cart typically operates on 36V to 48V drawing around 50 to 70 amps of power while moving at 15 miles an hour.
Therefore, you’ll need to frequently charge the battery to keep your battery healthy and at full power to avoid getting stranded.
With that in mind, you might not know the right golf cart charger and how to use it.
The article below will discuss in length about golf cart battery chargers.
Caption: Electric Golf Cart Charging
Types of Golf Cart Batteries
The two main types of golf cart batteries include; lead acid and lithium.
Each battery has its advantages and disadvantages.
Lead Acid
Lead acid batteries are the cheapest and most common golf cart batteries.
With lead acid batteries, the lead plates are suspended in the sulfuric acid solution creating a chemical reaction that allows energy to be stored.
The primary advantage of lead-acid batteries is that they are cheaper.
However, compared to the other options, they have a shorter lifespan, are heavy, and require high maintenance.
Lithium-ion
Some golf carts use deep-cycle lithium-ion batteries, completely different from those used in electronics.
Lithium-ion batteries are more stable and safer compared to the precious options.
They’re optimized to provide a steady current output.
Golf cart battery
Advantages of Lithium Batteries Over Lead Acid Batteries
Below are some of the benefits of lithium batteries over lead acid batteries.
Longer Warranty and Prolonged Lifespan
As lead acid batteries undergo charging and discharging cycles, they can no longer fully charge to their original capacity.
As they slowly wear out, their voltage drop is so great that they can no longer power your golf cart even at full charge.
However, with lithium batteries, you don’t have to worry about voltage drops because lithium batteries last up to ten times longer than lead-acid batteries.
Unlike lead acid batteries, as lithium batteries undergo discharge and charge cycles, the impact on their lifespan is minimal.
Also, lead acid batteries can only get a warranty for around 1 -2 years, while lithium batteries can get a warranty that lasts up to 10 years.
More Energy Efficiency
Lithium batteries portray a flatter voltage curve compared to lead-acid batteries.
With lead acid batteries, the discharge can only be about 50% of the capacity before the voltage drop is too great and the battery dies.
However, lithium batteries can discharge almost entirely with minimal voltage drop, meaning you can use your entire battery’s capacity after charging it.
Also, lithium batteries only need about 2 hours of charging time, which is much lower than lead acid batteries.
Less Heavy
Compared to lead acid batteries, lithium batteries are much lighter and by eliminating the unnecessary weight, you can increase your golf cart’s run time and enjoy it for longer.
Less Overall Cost
Although lithium batteries cost more upfront, you’ll save money because they have a long lifespan compared to lead acid batteries, which initially cost less but have a short lifespan.
More Safer
Thermal runaway is a common risk in all battery types because they cause damage to the battery and can even spark a fire if not dealt with immediately.
With lead-acid batteries, you don’t get any thermal runaway protection.
On the other hand, lithium batteries are equipped with an integrated battery management system that regulates battery temperature, keeps an eye out for any internal shorts, and turns off the battery when necessary to prevent thermal runaway.
How To Charge an Electric Golf Cart Battery
Below are the steps to safely charge your electric golf cart battery.
Step 1
If your golf cart has no battery charger, purchase one from a trusted retailer or manufacturer.
Step 2
Plug the charger into a socket or equivalent power source and connect the charging plug to the golf cart’s charging port.
Step 3
Verify your battery’s amperage, which should range around 21 amps. If your charger has LED lights, it will flash red to indicate your battery needs charging or green if it is fully charged.
Step 4
Leave the golf cart charging until the charger shuts down to indicate the battery is fully charged.
Failure to give your batteries enough time to fully charge will cause unbalanced batteries, resulting in replacement sooner than necessary.
Step 5
Unplug your chargers.
Things To Consider When Using Golf Cart Chargers
Battery maintenance is important if you want your golf cart to serve at its best.
Below are some tips to help you get the most out of your golf cart.
Fully Charge the Batteries Every Time After Use
Daily after using your golf cart, it’s best to charge the battery for 8 to 10 hours overnight with the right charger.
Even if you feel you still drained its battery, it’s best to charge it.
Allowing your batteries to sit at a low charge over long periods could decrease their capacity and lifespan.
Also, if you don’t use the right charger to charge the battery, it will never charge the battery to full charge, regardless of how long you leave it charging.
Clean your Batteries Regularly
Eliminate stratification and sulfation in your golf cart’s battery by performing an equalization charge once every month.
Set the mode on your charger before charging your golf cart to equalize your battery.
Regularly Water the Batteries
Wet or flooded cell batteries need to be watered frequently.
Inspecting your batteries once a month is best to determine the proper watering schedule.
Ensure to use distilled water to water the battery after fully charging it.
Ensure you use the right amount of water at the right moment to avoid deteriorating the battery and affecting its lifespan.
The water level should still be high enough to cover the plates if your battery’s charge has been drained.
Watering your battery after fully charging eliminates the stress of inspecting the water level when you want to charge it next time.
Use Batteries To Ensure Your Golf Cart Runs at Maximum Capacity
Ensure to always do a refresh charge after every 45 to 60 days or sooner if in hot climates, which might be challenging if you only use your golf cart seasonally.
However, an advanced golf cart battery charger with storage mode automatically performs a refresh charge as long as the battery is plugged into the charger.
Storage Periods Can be Very Harmful to Your Batteries
If you plan on storing your battery away for a while, follow the steps below to ensure you keep your battery healthy.
- Ensure to charge the battery to 100% before storing it.
- Store the battery in a protected, cool, and dry place.
- During storage, monitor the battery’s voltage. You should give it a boost charge if the voltage drops below 70%.
- Charge the battery to full capacity before using it again.
Avoid Overcharge the Batteries
It’s best to use fully-charged batteries rather than partially-charged ones, as this could reduce their lifespan and decrease their capacity.
However, get an automatic charger to avoid overcharging issues.
Several factors can affect your battery’s charge time, some of which include;
- Battery Type
The most common golf cart battery is a lead acid battery that needs roughly 8 – 10 hours to fully charge.
However, using a fast charger could reduce this by 50%.
- Charger Type
A fast charger can reduce the charge time to around 4 – 6 hours.
But ensure you get a fast charger that’s compatible with your battery.
- Temperature
The room temperature might also affect your battery’s charge time.
It’s best to charge your battery in a cool, dry room because heat can affect the charging rate.
- Discharge Level of the Batteries
If you haven’t completely drained your battery’s charge, it won’t take as long to fully charge it.
Avoid Discharging the Batteries Past 80%
Discharging your batteries to around 50% – 80% is advisable.
Avoid going lower, especially when your battery is completely dead, as it will affect lifespan.
Use each cell’s hydrometer readings at full charge to determine the balance and true charge level.
Any imbalance might suggest your battery needs equalizing and is faulty or your charger isn’t working properly.
Perform voltage tests to identify if your battery is weak or faulty.
Check Your Cables
Loose or damaged cables might prevent your battery from properly charging.
Perform routine checks of your cables to ensure no wear or tear.
Also, ensure the cables are tightly connected to the battery.
What Is The Best Battery Charger for a Golf Cart?
When searching for the right charger for your golf cart’s battery, it’s a recgettingammable charger that can work with various battery types.
Since most golf carts are recommended to be equipped with lead acid batteries, which most owners later upgrade to lithium batteries, it’s a bonus to have a charger that can charge both battery types.
Furthermore, getting an onboard charger that’s inbuilt into your golf cart is advisable to convert any AC to DC.
Therefore, you can plug your battery into any AC outlet to charge it.
Although off-board chargers are cheaper, onboard chargers are weatherproof and installed into your golf cart battery.
Conclusion
There you have it, the complete golf cart chargers.
Know you can choose what charger to get and properly maintain your battery to help it serve at optimum level.
For all your golf cart charger cables, feel free to reach out.