Charging The Battery; Overload Protection - EINHELL AFEN 6 Mode D'emploi

3. Charging the battery

Motor vehicle manufacturers recommend disconnecting
the battery from the vehicle's electric system prior to
charging.
We wish to point out that even standard vehicle models
are equipped with numerous electric modules (e.g. ABS,
ASC, fuel injection pump, on-board computer and car
phone). Voltage peaks may cause damage to electronic
components. It is advisable therefore to disconnect the
battery from the vehicle's electric system during
charging.
Please note the instructions in the manuals supplied with
your car, radio, car phone, etc.
This charger is an automatic charger, i.e. it is particularly
suitable for maintenance-free batteries and for the long-
term and trickle charging of batteries not in constant use,
e.g. for boats, lawn mowers and the like. Battery gassing is
prevented by limiting the charging voltage to 14.1V (2.35V
per cell). Charging does not have to be supervised.
To charge the battery, proceed as follows:
Undo or remove the battery plugs.
Figure 1:
Figure 2: Check the level of acid in your battery. Top up
with distilled water if necessary.
Caution! Battery acid is corrosive. Wash off acid splashes
immediately and thoroughly with plenty of water and
consult a doctor if necessary.
Danger! Hazardous electrolytic gas may arise during
charging. It is imperative, therefore, to avoid sparking and
open flames during charging. Risk of explosion!
Figure 3: First connect the red charging lead to the
positive pole of the battery.
Figure 4: Then connect the black charging lead to the
negative pole of the battery.
Figure 5: Once the battery is connected to the charger
you can connect the charger to a 230V ( 50Hz
socket-outlet. It is prohibited to connect the
charger to a socket-outlet with any other
supply voltage.
Figure 6: Calculating the charging time:
The charging time depends on the battery's
charged condition. For an empty battery it is
possible to calculate the approximate
charging time with the following equation:
capacity in Ah
Charging time/h =
amps (charging current arithm.)
Example: 24 Ah =
9.6 h max.
2.5 A
A normally discharged battery is characterized
by a high initial charging current that is
approximately equal to the rated current and
which decreases as the charging progresses.
An old battery which does not show any
decrease of charging current has a defect,
e.g. short-circuiting of battery cells or ageing.
Figure 7: The only way to determine the exact condition
of the battery (level of charge) is to measure
the acid density with an acidimeter.
Please note: Gases are released during the charging
operation (bubbling on the surface of the battery liquid).
Make sure the room is well ventilated.
Acid density values (kg/l at 20°C)
1.28 battery charged
1.21 battery half charged
1.16 battery empty
Figure 8: Pull the power plug out of the socket-outlet.
Figure 9: First disconnect the black charging lead from
the negative pole of the battery.
Figure 10: Then disconnect the red charging lead from
the positive pole of the battery.
Figure 11: Screw or press the battery plugs back in place.

4. Overload protection

Figure 12: The flat fuse (10A) provides protection from
polarity reversal and short-circuiting. A
defective fuse has to be replaced by one of
identical amperage. Before you replace the
fuse, remove the power plug from the socket-
outlet and disconnect the charging terminals
from the battery.
An automatic circuit-breaker interrupts the
charging in the event of thermal overloading.
The circuit-breaker switches on again
automatically after a cooling interval.
5. Servicing and cleaning the battery and
charger
Make sure that your battery is always fitted securely in
the vehicle.
Check that the battery is properly connected to the
vehicle's electric system.
Keep the battery clean and dry. Apply a little acid-free
and acid-resistant grease (Vaseline) to the terminals.
The level of acid in non-maintenance-free batteries
should be checked about every 4 weeks. Top up with
distilled water as necessary.
Keep the charger in a dry room. Remove any signs of
corrosion from the charging terminals.
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