battery heaters vs. trickle chargers?

[boostlesstj]

I've heard that trickle chargers are better than heaters because it keeps the battery warm from the inside out. what do you guys think?

[The_Ronster]

I dont use either and never had a problem

[Disco69]

I've only had battery heaters in the 8 years that I've been up here, and I've never ran into a problem. I wouldn't know about the trickle charger, I think Ren runs one.

[DNA]

I've heard the same thing. The main reason why there is a scare out there is because of fire. I've heard of a few people that had their vehicle turn in to a carbeque while parked and plugged in. They blame it on the battery blanket. I think it's from being improperly installed. I've never met anyone that it has actually happened to so I can't vouch for the validity of it.

[The Bronze]

The reason for maintaining battery warmth is that the battery has a significant larger CCA when it is warmer. If your vehicle doesn't need the extra umph, then don't worry about it. If your rig is hard to start, has a battery draw, internal friction, worn starter, incorrect (advanced) timing, then there is a need for those extra CCAs.

I stopped installing battery blankets years ago. They don't effectively transmit heat into the battery. I stopped installing pads years ago. I have seen burned ones that have melted batteries, melted the heater and even melted the wiring up to the 3 way cord. The ones that caused full on engine fires are tough to determine as the battery cables, battery and heater are destroyed and make it tough to verify a bad heater. Still they do burn rigs to the ground. Take a look at any battery pad or blanket that has been installed for any length of time and you'll see the fire hazard. The corrosive gases and fluid corrodes the pad until the wires are exposed. They then touch the battery mounting surface and presto! your friends with the local fire department. Battery pads are also succeptible to chaffing from rough cast battery mounts and loose batteries as well as the typical failure of the cord end as it mounts to the pad. These are usually mounted 90 degrees against the battery and are the first parts to corrode.

The trickle charger is a reasonable device. From testing we have done, they don't create as much heat as is lost when it's significantly cold outside, but they do make a difference for sure. When wired correctly (that is the unit is placed away from the battery so that it also doesn't succomb to corrosion) they are not a common source of underhood fires.

My suggestion: Run the biggest CCA battery that you can fit in your rig. Then use a trickle charger if necessary. If you want to use a battery pad (make sure it is rated at 60 Watts or so, the larger ones 200 Watts+ are for oil pads and will quickly cause battery failure) replace it yearly and insure it is correctly secured. Wire in a small inline fuse and you have all but prevented a fire.

The next time it's cold, I will try to compare the battery pad and trickle charger and the CCAs that they make available for use.

[rpiereck]

I have a battery trickle charger on the TJ, I installed one when winterizing it because I too heard about a bunch of car fires from pads and blankets. One big advantage of a trickle charger is you can use it any time with another battery, even during the summer, to charge it if needed. Battery blankets or pads are useless when the winter ends.