Should I Leave My Golf Cart Plugged In All The Time?

If you are an avid golf player, you might own a golf cart of your own. A golf cart aims to make it easier to travel on the golf field as golf fields are enormous. Owning a golf cart comes with the responsibility of taking good care of it to ensure that it works for as long as possible.

One of the most significant parts of a golf cart is its battery. If looked after well, the battery can last a long time, and one does not have to worry about replacing it. When it comes to a golf cart’s maintenance, many people wonder what the necessary things they should do to ensure that their golf cart remains in good condition and has a long life.

What Happens When The Golf Cart Is Plugged In All The Time?

If you keep a golf cart plugged in all the time, it could cause several problems such as;

Battery Explosion

If a golf cart’s battery is always charging, at one point, there is a possibility that it will explode due to too much charging. An explosion is the most dangerous thing that could happen, and if people are standing while the battery explodes, it could seriously harm someone.

Once the battery has charged sufficiently, the charger should be removed as it is not safe For it to stay plugged in all the time.

Negative Effect

When the battery is continuously plugged in and the golf cart is always charging, it could negatively affect its performance. A negative effect means that the golf cart will no longer work as efficiently as if the charger was removed when charging was not required.

Expense Increased

A battery that is always plugged in will not last a long time, so a golf cart owner will have to spend money buying another battery. If the previous battery were of high quality, it would have a short life if always plugged in.

If you own a golf cart, you must ensure that the battery does not over-charge because that will increase your expense as good quality batteries do not come cheap. Once the battery has sufficiently charged, the plug should be removed.

Bad game

Imagine you want to play a golf game with your buddies. You get to the field, try to turn the golf cart on so that you could drive it to wherever you want to play, and you realize it is not working. Not only does it cause you embarrassment, but it will be a hassle to either walk to your preferred area of playing or look for another cart.

The scenario mentioned above is one reason why one should ensure that the golf cart battery remains fit so that you do not have to charge repeatedly or even spend money on a new battery because the old one stopped working due to being plugged in all the time.

Maintenance Of Golf Cart

Many golf cart owners wonder if it is a good idea to keep their golf cart plugged in all the time. There are some reasons why it is not a good idea, including;

Over-Charging

If the golf cart remains plugged in all the time, the battery overcharges, leading to its life depreciation. When the battery’s life decreases, one has to replace it every now and then. More time will be spent on repairing the golf cart than using it.

For this reason, one should not keep their golf cart plugged in all the time and remove the charger once the battery has sufficiently charged.

Design

The golf cart battery is designed to be charged whenever required, and once the battery has charged sufficiently, the plug should be removed. When a particular device is designed in a specific way, going against what should be done will harm the device, which is why one should not keep a golf cart plugged in all the time.

Use

When a golf cart has charged fully, it works as best as it can. However, if the charger is removed before it has charged enough, there is a high possibility that the number of times the cart could be used decreases.

Now, flip the situation in which the cart is constantly plugged in. When that happens, it leads to the battery not working efficiently; consequently, the number of times it could be used starts to decline slowly until the battery needs charging more than it should.

How To Increase The Battery’s Life

There are some things that you can ensure to increase the life of your golf cart’s battery. A rechargeable golf cart is entirely dependent on its battery; therefore, it must work well. Here are few tips to keep your golf cart’s battery healthy for as long as possible.

Guidelines

When you purchase a golf cart, it is vital to ensure that it comes with guidelines. A guidebook assists an individual in taking good care of the golf cart and its battery. As provided by a professional who knows well how it should be looked after, the advice is holy and must be followed if one wants to increase the golf cart’s battery life.

Keeping up with the guidelines will help you take better care of the battery, ultimately leading to a longer life.

Quality

Anyone who wants to ensure that their investment in the golf cart’s battery is long-term must purchase one that is of good quality. It may seem like a hefty expense; however, you should set aside your concerns because a good quality battery will be worth the money.

When you invest in a superior quality battery, you will no longer have to worry about purchasing another for a long time, and with good maintenance, it can last a good couple of years.

Maintenance

If you spend a good amount of money on a device, you would know it will last you long if you maintain it well. The same is with a golf cart battery that will have a longer life the better you take care of it.

Maintenance includes the battery is sufficiently charged every time it requires to be plugged in, and it is not overloaded, etcetera. If you do the maintenance regularly, there is no chance that the battery will have a long life.

Water Level

A golf cart battery also runs on the water just like it needs charging. If the water level is below than required amount, the battery could cause issues leading to its life decreasing with time. If one overlooks this issue and resolves it, the battery’s life will keep depreciating, and at one point, it will stop working.

Charger

As the tips mentioned above are, using the correct charger to charge is the batter is equally essential. If a low-quality charger is used, it could cause trouble for the battery leading to it not working. Due to this reason, one should invest in a good quality charger to ensure the battery lasts for as long as possible.

Voltage

It is essential to know the battery’s voltage before it is put on charge because if the voltage requirement is not met, it could harm the battery leading to it not working or a decrease in its life. If there is too much voltage, the battery might explore, and if there is not enough, it will take more time to charge.

Automatic Charger

There are automatic chargers available in the market that a golf cart owner can purchase. They automatically, as the name suggests, turn off once the battery has been charged enough. This saves the battery’s life from the negative impact of overcharging.

This charger can be an excellent investment as a new battery will surely cost a lot more than the said charger, which is why if you want to protect your golf cart battery, this charger could be a significant investment.

Charging At The Right Time

One of the most common mistakes that many golf cart owners make charges their golf cart after it dies. Until the battery is still working, they use it and wait until it cannot be used and needs to be charged. This can cause issues and decrease the life of the golf cart’s battery.

Conclusion

If the golf cart is well taken care of, it can be a magnificent investment for a person who plays golf regularly. The tips mentioned above and the things that should not be done should be kept in mind to ensure that the golf cart has a long life.

It is not too difficult to keep the battery in good condition as there are only a few things one needs to do to ensure that the batteries are in good health. Being mindful of those few things will increase the battery’s life and make it worth the money. It will also ensure that the golf cart you bought to make your life easier does not burden you.

References

• https://www.golfcartgarage.com/golf-cart-battery-charger-faq/
• https://www.txpgolfcarts.com/tips-for-maximizing-your-battery-life/