Car Battery Charger Use – 10 Tips For Safe Charging
1.) You should ensure that the car battery charger is used only in places which have good ventilation. Flammable and possibly explosive gas is emitted when charging is taking place, ventilation will prevent any ignition of the gas.
2.) Ensure that there are no naked flames or persons smoking near to the car battery whilst you are charging it. Equipment that could cause sparking (electric motors for example) needs to be some distance from the charging area.
3.) If you are using metal tools, avoid short circuiting between the battery terminals. Also avoid short circuiting between the terminals to the vehicle bodywork or engine.
4.) It is important that when car battery chargers are used, they should be connected to the car battery prior to starting the battery charger. Potentially dangerous sparking with the possibility of flammable gas ignition will be avoided.
5.) Ensure that you have read the instruction booklet which came with the charger, and follow all instructions carefully. If the instructions have been lost, get a replacement copy from the manufacturer.
6.) If you are going to open the battery cells to check or top up the electrolyte levels, you should wear safety eye protection and acid-resistant gloves. The acid inside vehicle batteries is corrosive and can cause skin burns and eye injuries.
7.) Before starting to open up the battery cells, be sure to get some clean water and have it near to you. The water can be useful to rinse skin or eyes if you are unlucky enough to come in contact with battery acid.
8.) A discharged car battery may freeze if the weather is cold enough. If you suspect that the battery may have frozen, you need to let it defrost otherwise it may rupture and start to leak acid.
9.) It’s best to set the car battery charger to the minimum charge rate if possible. This lengthens the battery’s useful life and prevents excessive heating.
10.) Site the charger as far as possible from the car battery. You should also keep pets and people out of the area where you are charging.
To ensure safe charging, you should visit Peter Martin’s web site to get practical car battery charger information and useful car battery charger safety tips. This article, Car Battery Charger Use – 10 Tips For Safe Charging is available for free reprint.
July 29, 2010 | Posted by Peter Martin
Categories:
Tags: