Charging Lithium Battery With Redarc In-Vehicle BCDC Battery Charger

Published 10/06/2021

Question:

I bought the 12 amp Redarc model RED96FR to charge my campers lithium batteries while driving but its been showing a bulk charge for a long time, I thought lithium batteries charged faster. Is something wrong with this?

asked by: Jonus G

Expert Reply:

A Lithium battery will not go straight up to the 14.5V range when in boost mode on the Redarc In-Vehicle BCDC Battery Charger, # RED96FR. It will increase slowly using a constant current charge and once reaching that fully charged stage will move into the the absorption stage. In this second step it will slowly supply the needed current to safely reach 100-percent capacity. Once you are at this point, it will to float charge or as some refer to it, maintenance charge mode. How long it takes to get here is dependent on the state of charge your battery was into begin with and the health of your battery.

At the point of reaching float charge, your battery bank will drop back down to the 13.6V to 13.8V "float charge" stage. Float mode is signified by a slow flash of the Stage LED.

expert reply by: Michael R