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Can I charge a 48 volt battery with a 12 volt charger?

Posted on 10/22/15 at 2:10 pm
Posted by baybeefeetz
Member since Sep 2009
31635 posts
Posted on 10/22/15 at 2:10 pm
I put together 4 12 volt batteries in series, and I want to charge them. If I get a 12 volt charger, will it just take longer to charge the 48 volt combination, or will it simply not work (or worse)?

Posted by CAD703X
Liberty Island
Member since Jul 2008
78043 posts
Posted on 10/22/15 at 2:35 pm to
what in the actual frick are you trying to do exactly
Posted by Dirtman16
Madison, AL
Member since Nov 2012
410 posts
Posted on 10/22/15 at 3:00 pm to
Well, I am not an electrical engineer, but I'm fairly certain you'd need an equivalent or greater voltage in the charger than you have in the batteries. Voltage is just a measure of potential, so current would want to go from the batteries back to the charger in your case. Right?

ETA: Think of it like trying to pour water into your bathroom sink to fill up the elevated water tank across the street.
This post was edited on 10/22/15 at 3:06 pm
Posted by mchias1
Member since Dec 2009
805 posts
Posted on 10/22/15 at 3:21 pm to
short answer no.


long answer, your charger is outputting 12 volts. 4 12V batteries in series is 48V like you said therefore you can not charge them that way. In theory, you could put them in parallel to charge them all at once. Practically this probably won't work because your charger won't have the current capacity to charge all 4 batteries at once.

you probably wouldn't damage the charger if you have tried to charge them, because most likely the charger has a diode blocking higher voltages from driving back into the charger.

Just use the charge as it's intended and all will be ok.
Posted by retired trucker
midwest
Member since Feb 2015
5093 posts
Posted on 10/22/15 at 3:29 pm to
sure can

it will just charge slower

the pos on one end and the neg at the opposite end of the series

LINK
This post was edited on 10/22/15 at 3:38 pm
Posted by CubsFanBudMan
Member since Jul 2008
5070 posts
Posted on 10/22/15 at 3:31 pm to
You would need to charge them one at a time, however, I don't think you would need to disconnect the series to do it.

With golf carts, when you convert a 36v system to a 48v system, you have to get a new charger. If you go from 4 12v to 6 8v batteries, the total is still 48v, so no change is needed to the charger.
Posted by Hammertime
Will trade dowsing rod for titties
Member since Jan 2012
43030 posts
Posted on 10/23/15 at 1:36 am to
Most car chargers shut off at 14.8V nowadays. Get a golf cart charger if you can't separate them
Posted by TexasTiger01
Lake Houston
Member since Nov 2013
3215 posts
Posted on 10/23/15 at 9:04 am to
Buy you a 48V scooter charger off of ebay for about $20.00 and splice the appropriate connector onto it. I converted my son's Razor dirtbike from 24V to 48V (4-12V batteries)and this method works great for charging it.
This post was edited on 10/23/15 at 9:06 am
Posted by STBTigerr
Mandeville/New Orleans
Member since Jan 2007
5345 posts
Posted on 10/23/15 at 12:27 pm to
Just hook them in parallel to charge. You're only going to be putting 3V on each battery in series, so even if it does work it will take a while and may not give it a healthy full charge.
Posted by Napoleon
Kenna
Member since Dec 2007
69074 posts
Posted on 10/24/15 at 12:03 pm to
quote:

I converted my son's Razor dirtbike from 24V to 48V (4-12V batteries)and this method works great for charging it.


That's awesome. I bet it was a lot faster. I've known people to tinker with Power Wheels, but not a battery two wheeler.
This post was edited on 10/24/15 at 12:04 pm
Posted by TexasTiger01
Lake Houston
Member since Nov 2013
3215 posts
Posted on 10/24/15 at 12:36 pm to
Yea, it's way faster. I modified all of his Power Wheels when he was younger also. Started out as an MX500, now it's an MX800 ;)

Went to a 36V 800Amp motor in place of the 24V 500amp motor. Overvolting it with 48V through a 48V controller. Also had a custom back sprocket cut for it to improve bottom end power. 21mph with me on it (165lbs.)

Posted by Hammertime
Will trade dowsing rod for titties
Member since Jan 2012
43030 posts
Posted on 10/24/15 at 1:27 pm to
Father of the year?
Posted by ILikeLSUToo
Central, LA
Member since Jan 2008
18018 posts
Posted on 10/24/15 at 1:31 pm to
My mother vetoed every attempt at getting me a dirt bike as a kid. So I became a computer nerd shut-in.
Posted by Hammertime
Will trade dowsing rod for titties
Member since Jan 2012
43030 posts
Posted on 10/24/15 at 1:52 pm to
Ditto, so I raced regular bikes and rode my buddy's dirt bikes. Who knows what could've been? Maybe, just maybe, I would've ended up being the next Jeremy McGrath
Posted by TigerMyth36
River Ridge
Member since Nov 2005
39730 posts
Posted on 10/24/15 at 4:13 pm to
220...221....whatever it takes.
Posted by pioneerbasketball
Team Bunchie
Member since Oct 2005
132323 posts
Posted on 10/27/15 at 6:21 am to
quote:

21mph with me on it (165lbs.) 


Riight
Posted by TexasTiger01
Lake Houston
Member since Nov 2013
3215 posts
Posted on 10/27/15 at 8:32 am to
Posted by Mark Makers
The LP
Member since Jul 2015
2336 posts
Posted on 10/27/15 at 3:58 pm to
If you have 4 Ea. 12 Volt batteries hooked in series, you can charge each battery individually with a 12 volt charger without disconnecting any cables.
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