Battery Boosting, Jumping & Charging -Explained

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There are differences between boosting, jumping and charging a battery, especially when it comes to how it’s done and the resulting life, if any, left in your battery.

  • Battery Boost = when a jump/boost pack (a self-contained battery) is connected to a vehicle with a dead battery to attempt to start it
  • Jump-Start = when a vehicle that has a dead battery is connected to another vehicle with “jumper cables” in attempt to start the vehicle with a dead battery
  • Battery Charging = when a battery that is dead/low is connected to an external power source (charger) and is capable of delivering power to recharge the battery that is in fault. Charging can be delivered at a fast/high rate of charge (which can reduce the life of a battery due to heating/boiling) or can be delivered via a slow rate/trickle charge, which is much more conducive to furthering the life left in a battery after recharging is completed.