Charging stations timers

[Jim O'Dell]

What do ya'll use for shutting down you battery chargers? I don't like leaving them powered up all the time, just doesn't make sense, especially with the Ridgid fast chargers that have the fans running all the time. I've got multiple outlets at the location I'll be building my all-purpose work bench at, so each charger has an outlet to plug into. Just need a timer for each unit. Ideas on brands, prices, availability, and what you've found that works well for you would be very helpful! TIA. Jim.

[Matt Calder]

Jim,
If it ain't warm, it ain't using power. I leave mine on because it is not warm. I cannot say for sure, but I think the electroincs 'knows' when the battery is full.

Matt

[Jim O'Dell]

Matt, on the Ridgids, the fan keeps running, no matter what. The green light goes solid to show it's finished charging, but it is still using power. I'd like to kill the power to it after it's normal charging time, be it 30 minutes on the Ridgid, or 3 hours on the dremel and Makita. Jim.

[Ben Grunow]

I plan to wire a switch next to my light switches so I can kill em when I leave. They are all fast chargers so I almost never have to wait.

[Brad Evans]

Check out the Intermatic EI230 electronic timer. Has choices for 1,2,4, and 8 hour intervals.

Link: http://www.electricsuppliesonline.com/ineielaushti1.html

Brad
Urban pix: www.citysnaps.net

[Jim Becker]

Mine are plugged in 24/7 with no problems.

[Steve Kohn]

Something for you guys to consider before you use a timer to turn off the charger with the battery still connected. Will the charger actually draw current from the battery if the power is turned off but the battery is left in the charger.

I believe the answer is yes, at least in some cases.

[Howie French]

I have a few different chargers,including the Rigid with the fan, I finally
connected all my chargers to a central power strip. I just use the on/off switch on the power switch when I want to charge. If I am not charging, i shut it off. Also, I never keep batteries in the charger.


Howie

[Don Bergren]

I do the same as Howie. When I leave the garage I just turn off the switch on the outlet strip. I try to plan my charging for the times I'll be out there so if I have one more battery that needs charging, but not enough time to do it, I'll wait until my next session and charge.

My fully charged spare batteries are kept in a drawer, and I also always have a battery in the tool. The time when this varies is during cold weather because I only heat the garage when out there. During the colder months I toss all of my batteries into a small tool carrying bag and take them into the house where it is always warm. I mark each tool on the inside where the battery goes with a mark such as a | or || or ||| and also do so on the batteries for that tool. Marking them this way let's me know which battery goes with what (if all the same voltage), but more importantly which tool and batteries are newest.

[David G Baker]

What do ya'll use for shutting down you battery chargers? I don't like leaving them powered up all the time, just doesn't make sense, especially with the Ridgid fast chargers that have the fans running all the time. I've got multiple outlets at the location I'll be building my all-purpose work bench at, so each charger has an outlet to plug into. Just need a timer for each unit. Ideas on brands, prices, availability, and what you've found that works well for you would be very helpful! TIA. Jim.
I use a commercial wind up timer similar to ones used in bathrooms to turn off the ceiling heating element after a certain length of time has elapsed. Motels have timers similar to these. My timer switch will handle 10 Amps and will stay on for as long as 8 hours. I wired it into an electrical box with a double outlet and a cord that will plug in to a three prong outlet. I plug a strip with 6 outlets on it into the timer outlet, plug my chargers into the strip, set my timer for the desired time and forget it. I have used this for years and it is still going strong.
Another option is the X-10 appliance control system.
David B

[Greg Sznajdruk]

Something for you guys to consider before you use a timer to turn off the charger with the battery still connected. Will the charger actually draw current from the battery if the power is turned off but the battery is left in the charger.

I believe the answer is yes, at least in some cases.

I think Steve is right, I have on occasion left a fully charged battery in the charger then unplugged the charger. A week latter the battery is discharged, if I take the battery out of the charger this is not the case.

Not very scientific but I'm getting sure that this is the case.

Greg

[Jason Abel]

In most cases the batteries will discharge in the charger unless the + and - are diode isolated. Most manufacturers do not do this because it costs and extra $0.05 per charger. It's pretty easy/cheap to do. Parts are available at your local electronics place....just a standard 5A diode not a zener diode.

Jason

[Wes Bischel]

Jason,
Do you offer the charger "fix" as a service?

Wes

[Tyler Howell]

Jim,
If it ain't warm, it ain't using power. I leave mine on because it is not warm. I cannot say for sure, but I think the electroincs 'knows' when the battery is full.

Matt
If a lights on it's using power warm or not.
The newer chargers are microprocesser controlled and do a better job oh trickle charging the bats. but will still boil your batteries.
At those prices I like to charge and unplug them.
Bats will discharge sitting on a shelf. It's good to jump start them before a big job.

[Jason Abel]

Unfortunately I do not. Some of them are as simple as replacing a fuse inside but if thats not the case it would cost more in labor to fix than what the charger is worth...:(

Thanks,
Jason
Battery Builders

[Greg Sznajdruk]

In most cases the batteries will discharge in the charger unless the + and - are diode isolated. Most manufacturers do not do this because it costs and extra $0.05 per charger. It's pretty easy/cheap to do. Parts are available at your local electronics place....just a standard 5A diode not a zener diode.

Jason

Ok Jason you have me interested. Are you saying that the diode is across the + & - of the charger? It's been a long time since basic electrical theory. A sketch would be welcome.

Thanks

Greg

[glenn bradley]

Steve makes a good point. My DeWalt manual says leave the batteries in the charger plugged in or not. My Makita manual says remove promptly once charged. Hmmmmm.

[Jim O'Dell]

Jason, how about a tutorial on the "fix" you are talking about? Or at least what to look for inside our chargers to know which one we have? I think that would be a very helpful post to many of us.
If I were to add a diode in and the charger already had one, would this create a problem?
I have found some wall plate spring timers that will do what I want, but they are 20 to 25.00 each, and I would have to rewire and add boxes, which would mean taking off the insulation from those sections. Guess I could go to 4 gang wall boxes and add 2 timers, or a 3 gang box and split a single outlet to two outlets, each controlled by a separate timer. Decisions, decisions....Hmmmmm.. Jim.

[Jason Abel]

There would be two diodes. One inline with the positive and one inline with the negative to isolate the battery from the circuitry in the charger. The diodes are not interconnected with one another and they do not cross between + and -. Hopefully what I'm saying makes sense. I'm border line overwhelmed with work right now but I'll post a sketch later tonight if necessary.

Thanks,
Jason

[Jason Abel]

Truthfully you only need a diode in either + or - but I would recommend doing both to completely isolate it since it only costs a few cents more for the parts and you already have the case apart.

To reflect upon the voltage drop mentioned, I have a 13.2V 55A DC power supply with 12 5A diodes in line to isolate different equipment from each other. If the measurement of .7V is correct I would only have about 5V at the end of the chain. I still have 13.1V. I don't know how to address that and maybe the diodes I'm using are different than the ones you are referring to. I just bought plain bead style diodes from Radioshack.

Also your chargers do not charge at the voltage of your battery. An 18V battery will read up to 24V when just pulled off the charger. Most chargers charge at roughly 1.5V per cell @ 2A.

Ultimately you would not need to do any of this and would just either remember to take your batteries off after an hour of charging or buy a charger like a Great Planes Triton 2 charger to do all your make/model batteries. They do NiCad, NiMH, Lithium, and Lead Acids from 1 to 24 cells or 1.2V up to 28.8V battery packs. They have an adjustable charge rate and they can also be setup to cycle your battery numerouse times to help condition the battery. Once it is done charging it automatically shuts off....not a trickle charge....shuts off just like a good charger will. This will allow for optimum battery life and condition.

Jason

[Mark Singer]

I have them all pluged into a powerstrip and just switch it "Off" after charging

[Steve Kohn]

Jason, if you add diodes in series with the battery terminals as you suggest how do you ever get a fully charged battery? The forward voltage drop across a diode is normally 0.7V. If you have one in series with each output you are dropping 1.4V in the diodes and are not putting this voltage onto the battery. That is a heck of a lot of loss on a 12 to 18 Volt battery.

[Jim O'Dell]

Jason, we love diagrams....they're just like pictures, aren't they??:D :D No hurry on my part. I think I understand, but just to clarify. We are talking about putting the diodes on the leads going to the charger contacts for the battery, right? I can't remember, is there a polarity to diodes? Does it make a difference how they are installed on the + and - leads? Thanks!
Mark, I would do a switched circuit for my chargers, or use a strip, but the 2 Ridgid chargers would be running their fans when I was charging up the Makita battery, or spot light. I'd rather only have the circuit on that I need on. I could build something, but that seems a little time consuming. Jim.