One Red Deer car battery store has been very busy during this week’s cold snap.
“The cold weather kind of put (batteries) through their paces,” said Gerard Renaud, branch manager of Canadian Energy Red Deer, located on Industrial Drive.
Renaud said a battery’s lifespan can vary from vehicle to vehicle.
“Ten years ago or so, batteries would probably last five to seven years, but now we’re finding it can be anywhere between three to five. It’s really dependant on how people look after their batteries,” said Renaud.
“All the new vehicles have so much more electrical demands on them. It’s really important owners look after the battery.”
A cold snap like the one central Albertans are currently experiencing “really tests the weakness of a battery,” said Renaud.
“We sell an absolute ton of maintenance-smart chargers, so they can put them on their vehicles and can actually charge up their batteries in between drives.
“At night, just like you would with a block heater, you can plug in these battery chargers. They’re smart chargers too, so they won’t overcharge the battery. They also condition the battery as well, so that can really help to save the life of a battery,” he said.
Education on batteries is important for vehicle owners, Renaud added.
“We have a lot of distributors around town that sell our batteries as well,” he said.
“I took over the (Red Deer) branch a year and a quarter ago and I started with an education process, by teaching shops and mechanics to properly charge and look after batteries for their customers.”
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