The charging port on your car gives you access to a whiz-bang electrical grid. But what if you could charge your car battery using the same power grid that supplies your home?

Car batteries are only as strong as their charge — and plugging into the electrical socket at home is one of the most convenient ways to get a quick boost. Because our homes usually have an extra outlet or two, this is an easy solution. You’ve probably used a portable charger before.

These are small, battery-powered devices that plug into a wall socket so they can be used when travelling or away from an electricity source like home or office. They are useful because they enable you to avoid buying another battery for your phone, camera or other small electronics.

Most models work by giving off pulses of electricity over short periods of time – similar to how alternating current works in standard household plugs. The amount of energy they give off depends on the size and type of portable charger and its charging capacity (the maximum ampere rating).

This article explains what happens when you plug a portable charger into itself, and how much energy it will use doing so.

What happens when you plug a portable charger into itself?

When you plug a portable charger into itself, it will probably draw more power than it needs to charge the battery it has. This is because the portable charger is already connected to a power source and it simply draws energy from that source.

If you have a lot of electronics plugged in, then you might notice that your charger is drawing too much power and draining your battery.
To avoid this situation, it’s always best to unplug as many devices as possible before connecting the charger to your car battery. That way, you can use all the power from your home socket without having to worry about overloading the portable battery.

How much energy does an USB port use?

When you plug an USB-powered device into a standard wall outlet, the electrical current gets converted to DC power first. This is the type of power that can be used to charge a battery. But when you plug one USB-powered device into another, this conversion doesn’t happen. Instead, the current flows directly from one port to the other.
An USB port uses a small amount of power to convert AC power from your wall outlet to DC power, but otherwise it does not use any energy in its own right.

How long does it take to charge a battery?

When plugged into a wall outlet, the size of the portable charger’s ampere rating determines how long it will take to charge a battery. Smaller chargers can charge batteries sooner than larger ones. How much power is available in your home’s electrical system also affects how fast a battery can be charged.
A standard household plug, for example, has a 5-amp maximum ampere rating. Plugging a charger with that rating into one of these sockets will charge the battery faster than if you had plugged it into an outlet with a lower amperage rating.
The biggest factor is how big the trickle charge rate is for your portable charger. A model with a high trickle charge rate means it can give off pulses of electricity over short periods of time – and this quick pulse gives off more energy per hour than one with a lower trickle rate. So plugging in your portable charger will automatically scale up to meet its needs, while saving you money on buying another battery for your device.

Which portable chargers can be used together?

Some portable chargers are designed to plug into two different power sources at the same time. These usually charge from a wall socket and from the car battery. For example, a Power Bank is capable of charging from its own rechargeable battery pack or by plugging into an AC mains outlet.

The BOOSTUP Power Bank 2i is an example of such charger that can be used together with your home wiring or on a car’s 12V battery.
If you want to use standard USB charging cables, you need to make sure that your portable charger has a suitable output for it. Some devices have a USB output, while others can work with only specific types of cables (e.g., Apple’s Lightning connector).

Known issues with charging ports

The charging port in your car has been designed with safety in mind. Because it sits right on top of the battery, you don’t want to get too close.

This is to prevent any possible power spikes or overcharges from damaging the battery. But with this added protection, there are still some risks.

When you plug a portable charger into a port that is already plugged into an outlet, a circuit breaker may be tripped and cause the charging device to stop working. Additionally, if your battery is low then it will charge slower than normal.

Final words: Is a portable charger really worth it?

Portable chargers are a great way to charge your devices without worrying about charging at home or in your car. They are especially useful to someone who doesn’t have a lot of time to charge their devices. I’m sure you have experienced a time when you have no time to charge your phone or tablet because you are always running around. A portable charger will always come in handy in these situations. It’s definitely something you should consider getting if you travel often.

This is a question that popped up in my mind last year when I was researching what it is like to charge a car battery using the electrical grid provided at home.

The answer depends on your priorities. If you are now looking for a way to charge your mobile device, this might be an option.

But if you have three or four devices that need charging and you don’t want to carry another portable charger, it might not make sense to plug one into another.