If you have power tools, then you know how helpful they can be and how much convenience they bring to your life. However, if you use them regularly, you also know that there are times when the battery will stop working. Sometimes the solution is as simple as popping it into the charger and waiting an hour or so for it to reach full charge. Other times, it will not charge. Typically, this means that the battery is faulty and may need to be replaced.
Other times, however, the fault does not lie with the battery but with the charger. Power tool chargers are quite delicate. Being dropped can damage or loosen parts inside, causing the charger to stop working. This is often the case if you find that your Ridgid battery charger has suddenly stopped working. However, there is a way to check to see what the issue is and potentially fix it before spending money on a brand-new charger. Read on to find out how.
How Do I Fix a Ridgid Charger?
If you have discovered that your charger is not working, but you are not ready to spend money on a brand new one, you can do some troubleshooting and potentially fix the faulty one instead. You will need the following tools:
- A security bit set.
- A soldering iron.
- A regular screwdriver.
- A knife.
Using a security bit driver, unscrew the screws from the back and remove the back from the rest of the charger. The most likely issue is that the charger has been dropped. Because the transformer is so large it is easily jostled. That jostling has, in turn, knocked a soldering joint loose. If you want to, you can locate the transformer by removing the circuit board. Knowing where the transformer is can help you figure out where the solder joints are located.
If you are familiar with what solder joints are and look like, you do not need to remove the circuit board to locate them. They will be in the upper left area of the circuit board. You can see if one or more is loose by gently pressing your screwdriver against them. If you find one that is loose, you have confirmed the issue and can now move on to fixing it.
Before you use the soldering iron, scrape the area around the loosened solder joint until the copper is showing through on the circuit board. Take your soldering iron and clean the tip of it, by scraping it firmly with a knife. Next, make sure that it has enough fuel otherwise it will not warm up properly.
Once you have made sure it has enough fuel, turn it on and warm it up. Make sure that the source of the heat is turned away from the circuit board, so it does not blow warm air on the rest of the charger. This could cause damage or require you to fix more than you would otherwise. Press the end of the heated soldering iron against the area of copper around the solder joint until warms up. This will allow the solder to stick to it.
Next, press the end of the soldering iron against the solder joint, until it melts. The melted solder should stick to the warm copper, and this will keep it from moving again. Plug it in and see if a green light comes on. If it does that means it is working. Test it out further by putting a battery into it. If a green light starts flashing on the charger, and a yellow light starts flashing on the battery, that is an indication that the battery is charging. You now have a working charger.
Conclusion
Having Ridgid power tools requires batteries that work and a charger that works. Unfortunately, Ridgid chargers are quite fragile so dropping one can cause the soldering joints on the circuit board to loosen. This will result in a charger that does not turn on, much less charge any batteries. However, before you get frustrated and buy a whole new one, you may be able to fix the faulty one and save yourself some money.
Remove the back of the charger and locate the solder joints on the circuit board. Gently press them until you have located which one is loose. Scrape the area around the joint with a knife until copper shines through, warm up the copper with the soldering iron. Melt the solder joint, until it has attached to the copper. Plug the charger in, put a battery in, and see if it starts charging.