SLA are OK charging at the 10 hour rate, for a 14AH battery, just about 1400mA. If your charger can give a max of 1500, you are not going to get much nearer than that. If it shuts off automatically, trust it. If not, then 12 hours max for a well discharged battery. That is more than 10 hours, but the chemical conversion is less than 100% efficient, and as the battery voltage approaches the output voltage of the charger, the current naturally reduces, quite apart from any control that the charger might introduce. If it isn't fully discharged, and the charger carries on at full rate, damage will happen. Fortunately most chargers, especially ones sold in the model trade, are limited to a voltage where this will not be a problem. They are intended for use by people who do not have an electrical background.

Ashley, if you hear the battery vent at all, you are shortening its life. If it vents, it is losing electrolyte that you cannot replace. Sealed means that nothing gets in, and it is sealed for life. When it gets empty, its dead. Trust the automatic cutout, it does know better.

If the charger can be set for a low rate, and 200mA would be low for that size of battery, it could safely be left indefinately, but would need at least 3 days to fully charge from flat.

I would be the first to admit that my knowledge of electronics, batteries and charging is limited to plug & play and that anything more than this falls into the realm of black arts which I am very happy to leave to the Grand Wizards of the dark side such as Lord VolderMilbourn (don't speak his name out loud)

But I do worry about leaving batteries on charge waiting for the auto cut out to work especially when the little buggers start to get get hotter and hotter.

Give me good old petrol engines any day……this is technology that I do understand.

Paul