Whether you own a golf cart to use around the golf course or as your main source of transportation, you’ll want to make sure that it’s always ready to go when you need it. Plugging in your golf cart is one way to ensure that its battery always has a full charge. But is leaving your golf cart plugged in all the time really necessary? It is wise to be concerned about the health of your golf cart battery, as repairing or replacing the battery on your cart can cost you a lot of money if you do not take care of it as you should.
When experienced and first-time golf cart owners raise similar questions, you can assume that the subject needs to be addressed. At J’s, we often hear this question from our customers.
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of leaving your golf cart plugged in so that you can decide what’s best for you.
Confusion Among Golf Cart Owners
Most of the confusion surrounding whether or not you should leave your cart plugged in is the difference of instruction between brands. It can become confusing for many when each of the prominent golf cart companies gives opposing instructions.
Club Car suggests that golf cart chargers should be left plugged in during prolonged storage.
E-Z-GO, on the other hand, suggests that golf cart chargers should remain unplugged during prolonged storage. Yamaha recommends completely unplugging the golf cart batteries until they run out of charge.
Because of this, we find it important to ensure that we set the record straight on providing the answer to whether or not you need to keep your cart plugged in.
Why Should You Leave a Golf Cart Plugged In All The Time?
When it comes to battery-powered golf carts, there are two schools of thought regarding whether or not it’s better to leave the battery plugged in all the time.
As it turns out, there are a few different factors to consider. First of all, batteries will slowly self-discharge even when they’re not being used. This is known as “standby loss,” and it can vary depending on the type of battery and the conditions under which it’s stored.
On the other hand, if you regularly let your battery run down until it’s completely discharged, this can also shorten its lifespan. This is because deep discharge cycles put a lot of stress on the battery, and can lead to what’s known as “capacity fade.”
By keeping the battery charged, you can help to ensure that it will be ready to use when you need it. If you only charge the battery when you need to use the golf cart, there is a risk that the battery will not be fully charged when you need it.
Often, particularly during winter, golf carts may go months without use. As a result, your battery cells will slowly dissipate if it is not charged in a prolonged period, which may negatively impact the overall performance of your battery.
For these reasons, it is generally advisable to keep your golf cart plugged in all the time.
Why Shouldn’t You Leave Your Golf Cart Plugged In?
For those of us who own golf carts, we may be tempted to just leave them plugged in all the time so that the battery is always charged and ready to go. However, there are a few reasons why this may not be the best idea. When you put a charger plugged in for elongated periods, it can have an adverse effect.
For one thing, it’s not good for the battery. A battery that is constantly kept at full charge will start to degrade more quickly, and will need to be replaced more often. A golf cart battery should be able to last you up to ten years if it is properly taken care of. When a battery is constantly kept at full charge, it undergoes a process called “cell polarization.” This essentially means that the battery cells start to break down, which reduces the overall capacity of the battery.
Another common problem that most owners who leave their golf cart battery plugged in the notice is that their circuit breaker keeps tripping. This indicates that the battery auto switch-off function has stopped working, compelling the charger to transmit a continual flow of electricity to your battery, hence overcharging and degrading it.
In addition, leaving your golf cart plugged in all the time can also lead to problems with the charger itself. Over time, the charger can become less efficient, meaning that it will take longer to charge your battery.
If you need to leave your golf cart plugged in for extended periods of time, be sure to unplug it periodically to give the battery a break.
The Bottom Line
A crucial point to remember is that a golf cart battery is built to discharge and recharge. Retaining a persistent state of full charge is not adequate for your overall battery performance. Enabling the battery to lose its charge before plugging it up again boosts its operational stability, resulting in optimal functioning for much longer. The best thing you can do for your battery is to charge it up entirely and then unplug it from the vehicle receptacle. It will enable your battery to discharge usually, which is beneficial for its long-term endurance.
Contact J’s Golf Carts Today
In conclusion, there are both pros and cons to keeping your golf cart plugged in all the time. If you have any more questions about how to take care of your golf cart, come visit us at J’s Golf Carts! We have both new or used golf cart to purchase here at our shop. If you would like to check out our selection of carts before you come in to visit us, browse our inventory of new and used carts. We hope to see you soon here at J’s Golf Carts!
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