X2 questions about battery chargers for electric bikes.

[mountainsport]

Can anybody please answer these two questions?

After completely fully charging your battery pack,in which order or sequence is the best and safest way to disconnect from the main socket outlet? Taking into account (FLOATING CURRENT),which i had read about sometime ago.

Secondly,are ALL types of battery chargers that are specifically supplied with the electric bike, are safe and designed to be remained plugged in even hours after a complete full charge or even if carried over to the next day?

Mountainsport. GOD BLESS XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

[Geebee]

All the chargers I have had for bikes recommend plug in bike first then power point, to remove from charge unplug power point first then bike connection. I have never had a charger fail.

I am wary of charger safety, both of my current chargers will not over charge if left on, but I don't charge overnight and tend not to leave them charging if I am not around, I am probably being paranoid but I treat my phone chargers the same.

 

[Jeremy]

The question about leaving chargers switched on for long periods is a good one.

There are times when they need to be, for example if the battery pack gets a bit out of balance, perhaps from a period of little use, then it can take a lot longer than normal for the charger to complete the balancing phase of the charge, maybe an hour or two longer than a normal charge.

Charger quality is also variable. I've seen some truly appalling ones, along with a few good ones, so it's hard to generalise. It would be nice to think that all ebike chargers are certified to the same sort of high safety standards that we'd expect for good quality domestic appliances, but the truth is that there are a fair few really dodgy ones around, especially amongst kit/DIY ebike parts. I've seen one truly appalling one, that, when I took the cover off (to find out why it had failed) did not meet even very basic electrical safety standards, was not double insulated, had the live and neutral wires crossed internally, had inadequate insulation between the mains input and the low voltage output, wasn't fused or protected internally and had loose blobs of solder floating around inside the case ready to short things out. It carried a "CE" mark and appeared to be approved, but clearly wasn't. Out of the five or six chargers I've bought (rather than made myself) two have failed, luckily without causing more than a puff of smoke.

Given the above I would always try to ensure that chargers are turned off and disconnected as soon as the charge has finished. I'd also never, ever, under any circumstances, charge an ebike battery inside the house any more. I now charge my bikes outside in a car port, with the charger running from an external power socket. I use a time switch to turn the charger off after a few hours if I have to charge overnight, to minimise the risk of it failing from being left on for a long period after the battery has charged. I make sure there's nothing flammable near the bike or charger when it's charging.

Even the very best lithium battery and charger designers can get it wrong (witness the current crop of Boeing Dreamliner lithium battery problems) so there is a fair chance that a built-right-down-to-a-price ebike charger might be slightly less safe than some other items of domestic equipment.

 

[Storcker]

We hear so many conflicting pieces of advice about Lithium batteries and charging that the electric bike buyer can only form his own views on what is best.
Is it damaging to the battery to use a quick charger as supplied with some batteries or not. Some supply very slow chargers to supposedly increase battery life.
I have Makita 18 volt power tools that use a quick charger, 20 minutes, and the battery is warm after charging, and it gets very warm after use.
Conversely my bike a Storck Multitask has a very slow charger and after fully charging the battery pack is cold as it is after use.

 

[Scimitar]

Power tool chargers are notorious for killing their batteries with fast charging. It's a trade-off for the tradesman using it for a living, as the cost of a new battery has been paid for many times over already. For the diy-user, it's not so clear-cut and many would put up with a longer charge if it meant the battery would live a year or two longer. However, the power tool makers have it down to a fine art and know that most diy users don't use the tools heavily enough to be too fazed when the battery pegs out after three or four years light duty.
Cost-cutting is a science.

 

[flecc]

We hear so many conflicting pieces of advice about Lithium batteries and charging that the electric bike buyer can only form his own views on what is best.

For e-bike lithium batteries it's not as complicated as it's sometimes made out to be.

Quite simply, charge often, charge slowly.

Why? Since e-bikes demand compact and light batteries, they use high density cells which need that treatment for best life.

Are there any exceptions? Yes, one. Some models marketed as Schwinn and Claud Butler brands use the Toshiba SCiB battery which uses low density cells and is designed for fast charging, 30 minutes full charge. Since they are supplied with the right charger for that, there's no confusion.

 

[mountainsport]

For e-bike lithium batteries it's not as complicated as it's sometimes made out to be.

Quite simply, charge often, charge slowly.

Why? Since e-bikes demand compact and light batteries, they use high density cells which need that treatment for best life.

Are there any exceptions? Yes, one. Some models marketed as Schwinn and Claud Butler brands use the Toshiba SCiB battery which uses low density cells and is designed for fast charging, 30 minutes full charge. Since they are supplied with the right charger for that, there's no confusion.

I totally agree with that policy,CHARGE OFTEN,CHARGE SLOWLY. Panasonic and Toshiba batteries are on the high end scale of the battery market which is to most people a known fact, therefore when deciding to buy an ebike from a specific dealer for instance the bike that suits you best.Why can we not be given the option from the dealer in battery choices that can be ordered in from a particular maker which is specially made up for the customer to fit the bike,regardless of frame design? And also providing that you are willing to pay for it. I WOULD! HOW ABOUT YOU?

Mountainsport. You pay for what you get or you get for what you pay for- TRUE or FALSE?