Battery charger/trickle charger

[vc commodore]

Residual Current Devices are designed to protect people from electrocution. They do this by detecting any imbalance between live and return (or earth lines) and can trip in <45 ms. Such devices do not protect from over voltage or transient spikes nor do they protect circuits from over load. To protect from over voltage or transient spikes you’d use a surge suppressor for such things. To protect from circuit over load, you’d use a circuit breaker (at the required rating)...

You can get combine RCD and CB, such devices are called RCBO’s... haven’t heard of combined RDC’s and surge protectors...

But as some people still live in older homes with ancient grandfathered wiring that has not been updated for years, some people make do with porcelain carriers using old fashioned fuse wire In such cases, safety, what safety Even in new houses meeting lates AS/NZ 3000 wiring rules, you don’t see many installs with lightning or surge suppression devices.

So, car smashing into pole can still blow stuff we have plugged into out 240v power points... even in new houses... Rare, rather rare actually, but it can happen...

So your saying, any surge, or spike you get, there is a chance of an electrical house fire or will possibly cause a battery charger to ruin car electricals.....You really do have some funny ideas, that don't add up....But hey, if you think it's possible, take precautions to avoid it happening

 

[Skylarking]

So your saying, any surge, or spike you get, there is a chance of an electrical house fire or will possibly cause a battery charger to ruin car electricals.....You really do have some funny ideas, that don't add up....But hey, if you think it's possible, take precautions to avoid it happening

Maybe you need to read again...

I'm saying that a safety switch is really an RCD by another name and only protect people from electrocution... RCD does bupkis to protect a circuit from overload, overvoltage or transient spikes... (you were the one who mentioned safety switches protect houses from electrical fires)...

Cars hit power poles and small substations all the time... I've even heard of 22,000v lines being dropped across 240v lines because of car crashes (in those situations, 240v equipment being fed 22,000V ends badly for the equipment).

So when such crashes into power poles or substations occur, its not inconceivable for equipment connected to 240v power points to be damaged... Nothing odd or funny about that, its factual... .

And if your car is connected to equipment plugged into 240V when such crashes occur, if any high voltage passes through to the vehicle due to some idiots pole dance, well you should be able to work it out. If you don't understand that, maybe stick to wheel alignments which is more within your wheelhouse

 

[tml678]

I was just about to ask the same question, not driving my 2017 VF wagon much anymore, would be A LOT easier to connect the trickle charger under the bonnet than in the boot, rekon it’s ok to close the boot with a the power cable running through the seal long term?

using the under bonnet method is fine. I’ve had a CTEK MXS 5.0 connected this way for a couple of years with no issue.

I actually unscrewed the red jump starting post and used the optional eyelet connector (See below link) to go over the threaded base and screwed the post back on. I earthed the negative to a nearby bolt.

so when I park it up all I have to do is lift the bonnet and plug it in. Works perfectly.

https://www.ebay.com.au/p/170275221...MIsOrdlonf6gIVUB0rCh3CFAJmEAQYAiABEgJfUvD_BwE

 

[mpower]

Half decent house safety switches prevent electrical fires as a result of surges and/or faults...

that's not what safety switches are for.

safety switches go when there is already fusion to stop the place burning down.

you want surge protection. BIG difference.

with a decent charger removing the terminals is definitely not needed.

as for jump start points under the bonnet - well you learn something new every day I had no idea these were a thing!

 

[gossie]

I've been charging the VE monthly on the posts under the bonnet for quite a while now.
Everything is working beautifully.

 

[gtrboyy]

With a good trickle charger like c-tek should be fine to do it from engine bay.

Only thing is it's recommended to be open area with decent ventilation...my cars always bonnet or boot up with roller doors open when charging,phobia from apprenticeship days recharging batteries.

 

[tml678]

my cars always bonnet or boot up with roller doors open when charging

A quality charger like CTEK doesn’t need this.

At the end of the day it’s designed to be connected to the car indefinitely and the final mode it reaches is ‘float’ where it gives the battery a little hit of juice once every few days when it detects it dropping below minimum voltage.

It’s not like the ‘dumb’ chargers of old which kept pumping the battery irrespective of whether it needed it or not. This is where dramas happened.

I don’t even open the boot, the dual ventilation tubes on VF Battery vents to atmosphere anyway.

 

[Wayno73]

I've been using a Ctek 10 Amp on the under bonnet pins for years. No problem at all. Never have boot or garage doors open.

Today I have just purchased a new battery - original lasted 9.5 years. Got the genuine Holden one due to the past history I had. $189 from the dealer.

 

[Skylarking]

I've been using a Ctek 10 Amp on the under bonnet pins for years. No problem at all.... original lasted 9.5 years.

9.5 years is a good run and a positive endorsement for ctek chargers

 

[gtrboyy]

Last line...phobia from apprenticeship days.

Had my c-tek unit 5 plus years.Great product BUT will never 100% trust them when you've had a battery blow up & sprayed with acid you never forget it....same thing when anyone starts a car stand to side not in front.Manual or auto doesn't matter.

Agree it's unlikely to happen but still careful with certain things.