Car Battery Chargers – 10 Safety Tips
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.) Do not smoke or have any naked flames near to the battery when charging, as they may ignite the gas emitted during charging. Anything which could cause a spark e.g. motors or other electrical equipment should also be kept away from the area.
3.) Tools made from metal should never be allowed touch both battery connections simultaneously. They should also not touch the connections and bodywork or engine simultaneously.
4.) Car battery chargers should never be switched on before connecting to the battery to be charged. Connect to the battery terminals then switch on the charger, this will avoid sparking which could start ignition of the gas from the battery.
5.) Be sure to follow the battery charger instructions when the charger is in use. If you are unsure how to use the charger and have no instructions, contact the manufacturer for a new instruction manual.
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.) Be sure to keep the charger away from the vicinity of the battery. It’s also important to stop any people or animals from accessing the area.
Be safe, see Peter Martin’s site for more vehicle battery charger information and essential vehicle battery charger safety tips.