Battery minder on a generator ?

[300UGUY]

I am thinking of putting a battery minder on my whole house generator. Can I leave it on while the Jenny is running?

I think I can, but I would like some other thoughts .....

 

[Industrial Toys]

I have wondered the same thing. I usually take a charger off prior to starting. The field collapsing on an alternator at shut down can dump a huge spike on the supply.

 

[RNeumann]

Any of the “smart” chargers will work fine. The charger must be able to “sense” the voltage and adjust charge rate. The generator running won’t affect the charger, battery or the generator charging system.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My only thought is the charger being destroyed. If I kept one in circuit all the time, I would probably put a fuse close to the battery. If your charger shorted out, you don't want the energy available in the battery to set the whole thing on fire.

 

[RNeumann]

The smart chargers typically have circuit protection. You can hook them up backwards and all they do it tell you they are hooked up wrong.....no damage!

 

[Industrial Toys]

I know. I seem to have brain damage and often hook things up with only two ways of hooking up, the right way and the wrong way, backwards after telling myself I won't. Did that a few days ago (again) on my generator battery with a maintainer. A nice spark told me, immediately, I had messed up. To my amazement, the charger still worked!

I have had a few five hundred dollar Zantrax chargers that are supposed to be OK with reverse polarity, and I destroyed them!

 

[coobie]

Not all battery tenders/minders are created equal.Google Ctek model multi US 3300.

 

[Gunny]

I've got one of these mounted under the hood of my truck to keep the two batteries topped up enough to spin that diesel engine. (I don't drive it much in cold weather and parasitic losses drag them down after a week or so of sitting)

This one has never had any problems with the engine running or with the surge from the batteries from the glow plugs and cranking the starter.

https://www.amazon.com/Battery-Tend...id=1541928732&sr=1-12&keywords=battery+tender

 

[300UGUY]

I went ahead and hooked it up, started the genny, and no problems. It is a battery minder brand. Makes me feel good to see the green light telling me that it is charged up!

 

[reb]

I built a solar charger for my backup generator. Seems to work well. I hadn't started the generator for a couple of months or more and it started without a problem when the power went out a couple of days ago. It stays connected all the time. Running the generator does not affect the charger.