Would a battery charger drain a battery?

I'm not the best at remembering to take my batteries out of the charger once charging is complete. To avoid damaging the batteries from cooking them too long, I'm thinking of putting the charger on a timer so that it turns off automatically after a predetermined amount of time. Is there anything in a charger (in my case it is the Xtar VC4) that would drain the batteries once power is removed?

If you only leave the batteries for a few hours (Maybe a day), there is no reason to do anything, the charger will usual turn off when finished (There are a few exception to this).
In my reviews I usual list how much current the charger will drain from batteries when not powered.

Thanks HKJ! I must have missed that when I first read your review. I do see it now.

Why don't you just set a timer so when the timer goes off you can either check or remove the finished cells. Most chargers do not drain the cell but a few may trickle charge them. It would be best to consult the manual or contact the manufacturer to find out if your charger trickle charges the cells.

I have found after a few times charging batteries that you can gauge how long it would take to charge them. I keep in mind how long it took for the most discharged battery and adjust my estimate of time for batteries that are not as discharged. My batteries are 18650 at 3400mAh and 26650 at 5200mAh.

MidnightDistortions said:

Why don't you just set a timer so when the timer goes off you can either check or remove the finished cells.

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I may do something like this. Most often I will put the batteries on the charger at night, and I keep my charger is in the garage. I don't want an alarm waking me (or more importantly, the boss) during the night, so I may just put the charger on a switch along with a light. In the morning I go through the garage to take the dog out or get in the car. If the light is on, I'll know I need to take the batteries out of the charger. I know, all this sounds unnecessary, but many times I have left batteries in the charger for days.