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All You Need To Know About Batteries continuedInformationGeneral Procedure for All Types of ChargersThis section gives common information for all types ofchargers. The sections below give details for different types ofcharger.1. Check the electrolyte-levels in all the cells. If these arebelow the tops of the separators, top up with distilled ordeionised water to the tops of the separators. Do not fill to ahigher level before charging, but adjust the levels aftercharging. See Section D.2. If you are using a constant-current charger or aboost-charger, remove the vent-plugs or manifolds beforecharging. (See below). There is no need to remove thevent-plugs or manifolds if you are using aconstant-potential or a ‘smart’ charger.3. Check that the charger is switched off.4. When fitting the charger to the battery, connect the positivelead to the positive terminal and the negative lead to thenegative terminal.5. Switch on the charger. See below for the correct chargingconditions depending on your type of charger.6. Stop charging if the battery begins to gas freely (somegassing is normal during the last stages of charging) or ifthe battery temperature rises above 50°C.7. Switch off the charger.8. It is good practice to wait for about 20 minutes for thegases to clear before removing the leads from the batteryas some chargers remain ‘live’ and can cause a spark.9. Check the electrolyte-levels in all the cells and top up ifnecessary. See Section D.10. Refit vent-plugs or manifolds if these have been removed.11. Wash the battery with hot water and dry it.12. Note. Many customers severely underestimate the amountof time necessary to charge a flat battery. This results incustomers returning batteries saying that they havecharged the battery but that it is still not holding charge.Types of Charger and how to Use these.There are many types of charger available; their workingprinciples and the procedure for using these is given below.IndexSection Charger Type1 Constant Current Chargers.2 Constant Potential Chargers.3 Modified Constant Potential Chargers.4 ‘Smart’ Chargers.5 Boost Chargers.1. CONSTANT CURRENT CHARGERS.These maintain a fixed, constant, preset current throughout thecharging period irrespective of the battery on-charge voltage.Do not charge AGM batteries on a constant current charger.Charging Procedure with Constant Current ChargersA. Ideally, charge each battery on a separate charger unit. Ifthis is not possible, charge batteries in series. We do notrecommend charging batteries in parallel because it is notpossible to control the amount of current passing througheach battery.If batteries in different states-of-charge are being chargedin series, each battery should be removed as soon as it ischarged. (If you wait until the last battery is charged, someof the batteries will be overcharged).B. Measure the open-circuit voltage of the battery. To obtain astable voltage, the battery should not have been used orcharged for a minimum of 3 hours before checking thevoltage.C. Charge the battery at the recommended charge rate (SeeBattery Specifications section of the Catalogue). If youcannot set the recommended rate, extend or reduce thecharging time on a pro rata basis.For example, if the recommendation is to charge thebattery at 4.0A for 6 hours (24Ah = 4.0 x 6), charge thebattery for 12 hours if you can only set the charger at 2.0A(24Ah = 2.0 x 12).D. Charge the battery for the number of hours shown in thetable below depending on the open-circuit voltage.For example, if the battery has a voltage of 12.16V, chargeit for 10 hours at the recommended charge rate.OPEN-CIRCUITVOLTAGE (V)CHARGINGTIME (HOURS)Above 12.40 412.31 – 12.40 612.21 – 12.30 812.11 – 12.20 1012.01 – 12.10 1211.91 – 12.00 1411.81 – 11.90 1611.71 – 11.80 1811.00 – 11.70 20Below 11.00See paragraph E belowE If you are charging a battery below 11.00V (overdischarged)that has been in service, a specialised charger capable ofproviding a very high charging voltage may be necessary,and the recommended current may not be obtainable atfirst. In this case, monitor the current and adjust asnecessary during the charge.If a battery has become overdischarged, it will have lostboth life and performance because of irreversiblesulphation. Charging may reduce further its potential life.524