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How do you charge a car battery with home electricity?
My car battery died. Is there an easy way to charge it at home?
Lisa Steuer McArdle · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Oh no! Dealing with
car repair issues
is never fun, especially when you rely on your vehicle to get you around. First, you can use a home inverter to charge your car battery–although, we don’t really recommend doing this. That’s because a car battery may not hold a charge from a home inverter well. In addition, if you don’t properly hook up the car battery to the inverter, you could face some serious issues with the battery leaking or even exploding.
A better method for charging your car battery at home is to use a car battery charger that’s compatible with your car.
If you do use a car battery charger, there are still some precautions and safety measures you should take. For instance, before removing the battery, make sure you have a clean, dry surface where you can place the battery down.
The next step is removing your car’s battery. You should refer to your individual car’s manual, but here are some basic steps:
- Open the hood of the car and locate the battery.
- Disconnect the black wire and the red wire.
- Remove the battery from the car.
Then, of course, it’s time to charge the battery:
- The charger should be off and it should **not **be connected to an outlet when you are connecting it to the battery.
- Make sure you are charging the battery in a well-ventilated area like your garage or outdoors, and that there is no gasoline or flammable substances near the battery.
- It’s also a good idea to wear safety goggles and electricity-repellant gloves while doing this to protect yourself.
- Connect the black wire to the charger’s negative port, and the red wire to the positive port.
- Check the connections again–improperly connecting the wires could result in a fire. Then connect the car battery to an outlet.
- While the battery is charging, do not touch the wire.
The charge may take anywhere between three and six hours. Once again, it’s important to consult your owner’s manual for proper procedures and safety precautions.
View full answer
- Gregory R.
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