Your RC is dying down quicker than you’d like. Well, you might not be charging your batteries properly which might be causing this. Hence, it’s crucial to charge it to the optimum level.
So, how long to charge 1S-2S (3.7V-14.8V) LiPo battery?
Normally, it takes 30-60 minutes to charge a LiPo battery. However, the charging time is reliant on the size of the battery or cell count. Your charger’s power output and capacity is also a determinant in this case. The battery type and the voltage play an important role as well.
This is merely the essence of the whole topic. To learn more about the factors that determine the charging time follow along!
Contents
- Does the Charging Time of LiPo Depend on Voltage?
- 2 Kinds of Charging Rates for LiPo: Explained
- Charging Time for 1S/3.7V RC LiPo Batteries
- Charging Time for 2S/7.4V RC LiPo Batteries
- Charging Time for 3S/11.1V RC LiPo Batteries
- Charging Time for 4S/14.8V RC LiPo Batteries
- Can you Overcharge LiPo Batteries?
- FAQs
- Final Words
Does the Charging Time of LiPo Depend on Voltage?
Yes, the charging time of LiPo depends on voltage. Batteries charge quickly when there’s an adequate amount of current and voltages. But an unnecessary amount can cause harm to the batteries.
Specifically, the current decides the charging period of a battery. You can charge an 8 Amp battery in 2 hours with a 4 Amp charger. It will only take an hour if you charge the same battery with an 8 Amp charger. It’s basically twice the previous charger Amp.
To alter this input voltage, a DC-to-DC converter is often used. The in-built circuits basically regulate the pressure and oscillate the current flow. The device’s programming controls the amount of current that flows through. Moreover, you should take a glance at VBat to understand this more.
What are Cell Count and Volt in LiPo batteries?
The nominal voltage in a LiPo cell is 3.7V. The battery can be damaged if the voltage is below 3.7V. Or if it’s greater than 4.2V.
You see, the quantity of voltage is determined by the number of cells. Hence, 2 cell LiPo batteries voltage is 7.4V. It’ll basically increase by 3.7V with an addition of each cell.
2 Kinds of Charging Rates for LiPo: Explained
The charging rate and time vary with different types of chargers. LiPo batteries are complex and it’s important to know how to charge a LiPo battery. Here we’ve explained 2 kinds of charging methods for your LiPo batteries.
Using other methods for recharging LiPo batteries might impact the rc battery health. So, this is a real concern for the rc users.
Balanced Charging
A balanced charger controls the voltages of particular cells in the series at a consequent rate. Thus your LiPo batteries in the series charge equally. So cells that require nominal charge need to be overcharged. This will also ensure the other cells’ are fully charged.
This method is basically referred to as balanced charging. Your balanced charger can be set from 0.1-5 amps. Using the required amp you can balance charge a 2S 3000mAh battery in 2.5 hours.
Note: No matter how much charge is left, charge it to its estimated capacity. This will ensure all the cells are charged.
Fast Charging
You can charge a rechargeable LiPo battery in 15-30 minutes using a superfast charger. This can deliver up to 3 amps and will charge your batteries quicker compared to 1A/700mA chargers. Moreover, we’ve seen this method reducing charging time for different capacity NiMH batteries.
Nonetheless, this rechargeable battery might disintegrate quickly if charged with over 4.2V. In this case, your LiPo battery won’t last more than 50-75 recharges. This is compared to its average 500 recharge cycles.
Charging Time for 1S/3.7V RC LiPo Batteries
The pace of charging a 1S LiPo battery relies on the current delivered. So, let’s learn about the nominal and fully charged voltage of a 1S LiPo battery.
Nominal and Fully Charged Voltage of 1S/3.7V LiPo
Nominal voltage basically defines the particular voltage in a battery series. The nominal voltage of a 1s LiPo cell is 3.7V. When each LiPo cell attains 4.2V, it gets fully charged.
How Long to Charge 1S/3.7V RC LiPo Batteries?
Here we have a LiPo charge rate chart for a 1S/3.7V LiPo battery. Let’s have a look at it:
| Capacity | Fast Charging Time | Balanced Charging Time |
| 800mAh | 16 minutes | 19.2 minutes |
| 1200mAh | 24 minutes | 28.8 minutes |
| 1500mAh | 30 minutes | 36 minutes |
| 1800mAh | 36 minutes | 43.2 minutes |
| 2100mAh | 42 minutes | 50.4 minutes |
| 2500mAh | 49 minutes | 1 hour |
| 3000mAh | 1 hour | 1 hour 12 minutes |
| 3500mAh | 1 hour 6 minutes | 1 hour 24 minutes |
There you go! You now know how long does it take to charge a 7 4V LiPo battery.
What Charger to Charge 1S/3.7V LiPo?
We’ve got some charger recommendations for your 1S/3.7V LiPo. Browse the recommended ones down below:
| Image | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | UP-S6AC 6-CH Intelligent Fast Balance Charger | Check Price |
  | SUPUlSE Lipo Battery Charger 6-in-1 DC 3.7V 1S 1 Cell Micro 6 Ports Compact Charger | Check Price |
These are some of the best 1S/3.7V chargers you can get!
Charging Time for 2S/7.4V RC LiPo Batteries
Compared to the 1S/3.7V batteries, the 2S/7.4V LiPo batteries require double the time. Let’s find out the reason below.
Nominal and Fully Charged Voltage of 2S/7.4V LiPo
A 2S LiPo battery series has 2 cells in the sequence. So the nominal voltage of 2S LiPo is (3.7×2) 7.4V. The fully charged voltage is (4.2×2) 8.4V.
How Long to Charge 2S/7.4V RC LiPo Batteries?
Here’s the time limit you’ll need to charge your 2S LiPo batteries:
| Capacity | Fast Charging Time | Balanced Charging Time |
| 800mAh | 32 minutes | 38.4 minutes |
| 1200mAh | 48 minutes | 57.6 minutes |
| 1500mAh | 1 hour | 1 hour 12 minutes |
| 1800mAh | 1 hour 12 minutes | 1 hour 26 minutes |
| 2100mAh | 1 hour 24 minutes | 1 hour 41 minutes |
| 2500mAh | 1 hour 32 minutes | 2 hours |
| 3000mAh | 2 hours | 2 hours 24 minutes |
| 3500mAh | 2 hours 12 minutes | 2 hours 48 minutes |
As you can see the 2S batteries takes twice as long to charge as 1S batteries.
What Charger to Charge 2S/7.4V LiPo?
Here are some charger recommendations for your 2S/7.4V LiPo batteries. Check the list below.
From this list, you can purchase a decent quality charger for your 2S/7.4V.
| Image | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | SUPULSE LiPo Battery Charger 2S-3S RC Balance Charger 7.4-11.1V B3AC Pro Compact Charger | Check Price |
  | Ultra Power - UP-S4AC 2S LiPo / LiHV Four Channel AC/DC Charger | Check Price |
Charging Time for 3S/11.1V RC LiPo Batteries
The 3S RC LiPo batteries will need 3 times more charging time than 1S LiPo batteries. This is due to the 3 cell batteries compared to one cell. We’ve exemplified the matter below.
Nominal and Fully Charged Voltage of 3S/11.1V LiPo
A 3S LiPo battery bundle indicates there are 3 cells in sequence. So the nominal voltage of 3S LiPo is (3.7×3) 11.1V. 3s LiPo fully charged voltage is (4.2×3) 12.6V.
How Long to Charge 3S/11.1V RC LiPo Batteries?
Here the following list shows the different charging duration for your 3S LiPo batteries.
| Capacity | Fast Charging Time | Balanced Charging Time |
| 800mAH | 48 minutes | 57.6 minutes |
| 1200mAh | 1 hour 12 minutes | 1 hour 26.4 minutes |
| 1500mAh | 1 hour 30 minutes | 1 hour 48 minutes |
| 1800mAh | 1 hour 48 minutes | 2 hours 9.6 minutes |
| 2100mAh | 2 hours 6 minutes | 2 hours 31.2 minutes |
| 2500mAh | 2 hours 27 minutes | 3 hours |
| 3000mAh | 3 hours | 3 hours 36 minutes |
| 3500mAh | 3 hours 18 minutes | 4 hours 12 minutes |
This list will give you an idea about how long to charge 11.1V LiPo batteries.
What Charger to Charge 3S/11.1V LiPo?
Here’s an amazing list of charger recommendations to charge your 3S/11.1V LiPo batteries:
| Image | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | ISDT D2 Mark 2 LiPo Battery Balance Charger | Check Price |
  | HTRC LiPo Charger 2S-3S Balance Battery Charger | Check Price |
Hope this helps you to find a great charger for your 3S LiPo batteries.
Charging Time for 4S/14.8V RC LiPo Batteries
Here we’ve demonstrated the nominal and fully charged voltage of 4S/14.8V LiPo batteries. Let’s check all the details of this right here!
Nominal and Fully Charged Voltage of 4S/14.8V LiPo
A 4S LiPo battery packet demonstrates there are 4 cells in line. Therefore, 4s LiPo minimum voltage is (3.7×4) 14.8V. The fully charged voltage is (4.2×4) 16.8V.
How Long to Charge 4S/14.8V RC LiPo Batteries?
The following table shows the required charging period for your 4S LiPo batteries. Here check it out:
| Capacity | Fast Charging Time | Balanced Charging Time |
| 800mAh | 1 hour 4 minutes | 1 hour 16.8 minutes |
| 1200mAh | 1 hour 36 minutes | 1 hour 55.2 minutes |
| 1500mAh | 2 hour | 2 hour 24 minutes |
| 1800mAh | 2 hour 24 minutes | 2 hour 52.8 minutes |
| 2100mAh | 2 hour 48 minutes | 3 hour 21.6 minutes |
| 2500mAh | 3 hour 16 minutes | 4 hour |
| 3000mAh | 4 hour | 4 hour 48 minutes |
| 3500mAh | 4 hour 24 minutes | 5 hour 36 minutes |
You can use the LiPo charge rate calculator online to calculate the charging time.
What Charger to Charge 4s/14.8V LiPo?
We’ve prepared a charger recommendation list for your 4S/14.8V LiPo. Check it out:
| Image | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
  | SKYRC B6 AC V2 50W LiPo LiFe LiIon NiMH NiCd Battery Charger | Check Price |
  | Blomiky 14.8V 4S 4 Cell Lipo Battery Charger and Balance Charger | Check Price |
You can use either of these chargers for your LiPo batteries! However, if you’re charging your drone batteries then you can use a usb cable for this purpose too.
Can you Overcharge LiPo Batteries?
Yes, you can overcharge your LiPo batteries if you charge it for too long. The NiMh cell will start to deteriorate. When the charge rate goes over C/10 the cell starts to build up hydrogen inside it. This can even cause the battery to burst!
That’s all! We’ve attempted to demonstrate everything about the charge time of LiPo batteries here.
FAQs
Can I charge NiMH battery with NiCd charger?
No, you can’t charge a NiMh battery with a NiCd charger. These two batteries have unique and varied requirements. Thus, the NiMH batteries might get heated up with a NiCd charger.
Can I charge NiMH batteries in series?
Yes, you can charge your NiMH batteries in series. It’s relatively okay to charge the batteries for about 20 hours at C/20. Nonetheless, you should sometimes balance the batteries.
How fast can I charge NiMH batteries?
You can charge your NiMh batteries in an hour by adjusting the charge rate at 1C. You can adjust the rate from 1-10C and the charging time will be reduced accordingly. 10C being the fastest rate.
Final Words
We hope you got the whole picture of how long to charge 1S-4S(3.7V-14.8V) LiPo battery. One added tip, see if your charger gets hot too quickly. In this case, replace it with a new one. You’ll be able to charge your batteries quickly!
Have a good day!
