BATTERY CHARGERS MODEL 1
Suitable for Lead/Acid batteries only
(Not suitable for non-rechargeable batteries)
INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE
BEFORE COMMENCING CHARGING
I
t is advisable to disconnect the battery from the car or motorcycle circuits in order to
avoid any possibility of damage to the vehicle's electrical accessories.
Charging a batter
y often causes droplets of electrolyte to be ejected from the filler cap
holes. It is therefore better to remove the battery completely from the vehicle to avoid
any possibility of these splashes causing damage to bodywork or engine parts.
Remember that battery electrolyte is a corrosive acid which can burn the skin.
Take particular care to protect eyes. If splashes occur, rinse with plenty of cold water.
Battery charging should be carried out in a well ventilated location, since gasses are
released which are explosive, and which can build up in confined spaces.
Do not use the battery charger outdoors in the rain, since rain entering the charger
constitutes a saf
ety hazar
d.
If the battery has cell filler caps (or a single large cap for all cells) then all the individual
caps or the single large cap should be removed or loosened before charging commences.
This allows any gases that are generated during the charging process to escape.
Remember to refit and/or re-tighten the cell filler caps when charging is complete.
With the cell filler ca
ps remo
ved, the level of the electrolyte should be inspected. If the
level of the electrolyte is below the level of the lead plates then the battery should be
topped up with distilled or de-ionized water before charging commences. Take care to not
overfill.
Add only enough water to reach to the top of the lead plates. Do not use tap water, which
may damage the batter
y and reduce its life. Suitable distilled or de-ionized water can be
obtained fr
om your usual motor accessory supplier.
If the battery is of the "Maintenance Free" type, and has no cell filler caps, then refer to:
"CHARGING SEALED BATTERIES".
2. COMMENCING CHARGING
Ensur
e that the charger is switched off at the mains.
Then connect the positiv
e lead of the
charger (coloured RED) to the battery positive terminal (usually indicated by + or P) and
the battery charger negative lead (coloured BLACK) to the negative terminal of the battery
(usuall
y indicated by - or N). ON NO
ACCOUNT CONNECT THE BATTERY CHARGER
TO THE MAINS BEFORE CONNECTING THE LEADS TO THE BATTERY,
Connecting "liv
e" leads to a batter
y sparks can be produced which on rare occasions can
ignite explosive gases in the battery cells. (Similarly, always switch off at the mains before
disconnecting the clips from the battery).
Ensure that the battery charger 6v/12v switch is switched to the correct position for the
battery being charged.
Connect the battery charger to the mains and switch on the mains.
The charger will now be charging the battery.
If a noticeable "click" sound is hear
d fr
om the charger either immediatel
y on s
witching on
the mains, or within a few seconds of switching on the mains, then this is an indication that
t
he automatic cut-out is being brought into operation due to an incorrect connection.
Should this occur, immediately check that the correct connections of the battery charger
h
ave been made to the battery (i.e. red to plus, black to minus), and that the 6/12v switch is
in the correct position.
A
n indication of the rate of charge can be obtained by connecting an ammeter (for instance
G
unson's AUTORANGER or TESTUNE in series with the charger. Turn off the charger at
the mains before connecting or disconnecting the ammeter, in order to avoid causing sparks.
3. DURATION OF CHARGING
A battery should be charged until it is fully charged, since a battery left in a partially charged
or discharged state will slowly deteriorate.
On the other hand, a battery should not be excessively overcharged, since overcharging
c
auses a loss of the water of the electrolyte to the atmosphere in the form of gas. This
process is known as "gassing" and is the principal reason why a battery occasionally needs to
be topped up with distilled or de-ionized water. Particular care needs to be taken to not
overcharge a sealed or "maintenance free" battery, since no provision is made for
replenishment of the water in the electrolyte in this type of battery.
Gunson's Model 1 battery charger charges both 6 and 12 volt batteries at a maximum rate of
about one amp, which reduces as the battery nears full charge.
An a
pproximate indication of the time needed to charge a reasonably new battery from the
discharged state is sho
wn in the table belo
w. (Note: the battery size in "Ampere Hours" is
usually marked on the battery).
Size 3 Ah Charge time
3 hours
66
12 12
35
35
43 43
Less time will be needed if the battery is not reasonably new, or is not totally discharged.
The best way to measure whether a battery is fully charged is to use a measuring instrument
such as Gunson's TESTUNE or START-CHECK, or a hydrometer. These instruments are
available fr
om an
y good motor accessory supplier.
It is useful to note that if a batter
y is "gassing" then this is an indication that the battery is at
or near full charge. Gassing will be noticed by the presence of bubbles occasionally rising in
the cells, often accompanied by a sulphurous smell. Battery charging should be discontinued if
"gassing" is evident.
During charging,
the batter
y charger ma
y occasionally "cut out" f
or a few minutes (the user
may hear a "click" from the battery charger as the cutout disconnects or re-connects). This is
normal pr
ocedure, and is to guard against the battery charger overheating. The charger will
cut out mor
e often in warm weather or if it is placed in a position with poor v
entilation or if
the battery is very discharged.
The Cut-out is also a protection against the leads of the charger being inadvertently shorted
together, or connected to the battery with reversed polarity. In either of these events, the
cut-out will come into operation immediately. After a few seconds the cut-out will attempt
to r
e-mak
e the connection. Clearl
y the user should avoid making such incorrect connections,
and should quickly switch off the charger if such incor
rect connections are noticed.
IF A "CLICK" SOUND IS HEARD FROM THE CHARGER WITHIN A FEW SECONDS OF
THE POWER BEING CONNECTED,THEN THE USER SHOULD EXAMINE THE
CONNECTIONS TO ENSURE THAT THE CHARGER HAS BEEN CORRECTLY
CONNECTED, AND THAT THE 6/12v SWITCH IS IN THE CORRECT POSITION.
4. AFTER CHARGING
When charging is complete, switch off the mains supply and unplug the charger before
disconnecting the charger leads fr
om the batter
y.
IT IS MOST IMPOR
T
ANT THAT THE
MAINS IS DISCONNECTED BEFORE THE CHARGER LEADS ARE
DISCONNECTED, since otherwise sparks may be caused which may ignite the explosive
mixture of gasses that may be given off during the charging process. Check the level of the
e
lectrolyte in each cell of the battery, and top up if necessary, taking care to not overfill.
Electrolyte just sufficient to cover the plates of the battery is sufficient.
R
eplace the cell filler caps and tighten.
Wipe over the battery with a damp cloth to remove all traces of splashes of
b
attery electrolyte.
Re-install the battery in the vehicle, remembering to clamp the battery in the battery
c
ompartment if such a clamp is provided.
E
xamine and clean the battery terminals and the battery lead clips (brushing with a wire
b
rush if necessary), and re-connect the battery lead clips to the battery terminals. Apply a
thin film of Vaseline or an aerosol type corrosion preventative to the connections, and re-
attach any protective boot covers to the battery terminals.
The user may wish to carry out a further check to ensure that the alternator of the vehicle
i
s operating satisfactorily and maintaining the battery at full charge under normal running
conditions. Such a check is described under "NOTES ON BATTERY CARE".
5 CHARGING SEALED BATTERIES
Some batteries, often called low maintenance batteries, or maintenance free batteries, have
cells which have no filler caps, and which are not intended to be topped up with water. It is
impor
tant that such batteries are not allowed to "gas" since this will reduce the level of
electrolyte in the cells, which can not be replenished.
It is known that "gassing" commences when the voltage at the terminals of the battery rises
above a level which is around 14.1 volts for a 12 volt battery, and 7.05 volts for a 6 volt
battery. Below this voltage there is negligible "gassing". It is therefore important with such
batteries that the v
oltage at the battery terminals is kept at or below this value.
Such batteries are preferably charged with an "Automatic" or "Voltage Controlled" battery
charger. They can be charged with care using a normal battery charger, but this preferably
requires the use of an accurate voltmeter, such as Gunson's TESTUNE. Alternatively, for a 12
volt batter
y, Gun son's "Start Check" can be used.
The method is to attach the voltmeter or the tester to the terminals of the batter
y, so that
the v
oltage at the terminals of the batter
y can be monitored during the charging process.
Charging is continued while the voltage remains below 14.1 volts for a 12 volt battery (or
7.05 volts for a 6 volt battery), or the LED of START-CHECK is "out", but is discontinued as
soon as the battery terminal voltage reaches 14.1 volts (or the START-CHECK LED comes
"on"). The battery is then allowed to rest for a period of say 30 minutes, and charging re-
commenced. When the voltage again reaches 14.1 volts the charging is again discontinued,
and so on. Eventually, after several cycles of charging and resting, the battery voltage will rise
to 14.1 volts v
er
y soon after the charger is switched on, and then the battery can be deemed
to be fully charged.
NOTES ON BATTERY CARE
1. INTRODUCTION
Essentially a battery is a unit for storing electricity. It acts as a reservoir for the electricity
produced by the alternator, evening out the bumps and troughs in the electrical supply, and
providing power for the various electrical systems of the car or motorcycle at times when
the engine is not running. Ho
wever, the big job that the battery has to do is to supply the
massiv
e surge of electrical power that is required in order to drive the starter motor to turn
the engine
. This is why, when a battery is beginning to fail, the first symptom is its inability to
start the engine.
Vehicle batteries work on the lead\acid principle, and are made up of a number of cells, each
with a nominal voltage of 2 volts, which are connected together internally to give a battery
with the required total voltage. A car battery comprises 6 cells, connected together to give
nominally 12 volts. 6-volt and 24-volt batteries would have 3 and 12 cells respectively.
Each cell consists of a number of positive plates interleaved with a number of negative plates,
the two types of plate being held in very close together, but separated by ceramic separators.
In a fully-charged battery (for instance when the battery is new), the positive plates are
f
ormed fr
om lead per
oxide, the negative plates from a spongy form of lead, the whole
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