“Are lithium battery chargers and lead-acid chargers universal?” This is a question that many digital enthusiasts often encounter in daily use. The answer is no. Today, Brother Hao is here to give you a detailed answer so that you can fully understand whether these two chargers can be mixed.
- Charging method and voltage level: essential differences
First, we need to understand that there are significant differences in charging methods and voltage levels between lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries. Lithium battery chargers usually have high control precision and are capable of constant current and constant voltage charging, while lead-acid battery chargers are relatively simple and do not require high charging circuits. This essential difference makes their chargers incompatible.
- Protection circuit: special needs of lithium batteries
Lithium battery chargers need to be equipped with protection circuits to prevent unsafe conditions such as overcharge and over-discharge. There is no such requirement for lead-acid battery chargers. This is because during the charging process of lithium batteries, if the voltage or current is too high, it may cause an internal short circuit in the battery, or even cause the battery to explode. Therefore, lithium battery chargers are equipped with special chargers when leaving the factory to ensure the safety and service life of the battery.
- Charging mode: completely different process
Lead-acid battery chargers are generally set to two-stage or three-stage charging modes, while the charging process of lithium batteries is more complicated. The charging control of lithium batteries is to charge according to a constant current first. Then when the battery voltage rises to a certain value, the voltage no longer rises. The charger detects the current. If the current is less than a certain value, the charging ends. This charging method is significantly different from the three-stage charging of lead-acid batteries (ie, constant current, constant voltage, and trickle current).
To sum up, due to the differences in charging methods and voltage levels between lithium batteries and lead-acid batteries, their chargers cannot be universal. Using the wrong charger may cause battery damage and even pose a safety risk. Therefore, in order to protect the safety of the battery and extend its service life, it is strongly recommended to use the corresponding dedicated charger for lithium batteries.