Personal Precautions; Preparing To Charge The Battery - Midtronics DCA-8000 User Manual

DCA-8000
2

Personal Precautions

2.1 This charger is not to be used by people with reduced physical, sensory or mental capabilities,
or lack of experience and knowledge, unless they have been given supervision or instruction.
2.2 Children should be supervised to ensure they do not play with the appliance
2.3 Always have someone within range of your voice, or close enough to come to your aid, when
working around lead acid batteries.
2.4 Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, clothing or eyes.
2.5 Wear complete eye protection, clothing protection, and wear rubber soled shoes. Place damp
cloth over battery to protect against acid spray. When ground is very wet or covered with snow,
wear rubber boots. Avoid touching eyes while working near battery.
2.6 If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If acid enters
the eye, immediately flush with cold running water for at least 10 minutes, and seek medical
attention.
2.7 NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of a battery or engine.
2.8 Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto the battery. It might spark or
short circuit the battery or other electrical part that may cause an explosion.
2.9 Before working with a lead-acid battery, remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets,
necklaces, watches, etc. A lead-acid battery can produce a short circuit current high enough to
weld such items causing a severe burn.
The charger is not intended to supply power to a low-voltage electrical system other than
applications using rechargeable, lead-acid type batteries. Do not use the battery charger for
charging dry-cell batteries commonly used with home appliances. These batteries may burst
and cause personal injury and property damage.
2.10 NEVER charge a frozen battery; thaw it out first.
3

Preparing To Charge The Battery

3.1 If it is necessary to remove the battery from vehicle to charge it, always remove the grounded
terminal from the battery first. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are off, so as not to cause
an arc.
3.2 Be sure the area around the battery is well ventilated while the battery is being charged. Gas
can be forcefully blown away by using a piece of cardboard or other non-metallic material as a
fan.
3.3 Clean the battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming into contact with your
eyes.
3.4 Add distilled water in each cell until the battery acid reaches the level specified by the manu-
facturer. This helps purge excessive gas from the cells. Do not overfill. For a battery without
caps, carefully follow the manufacturer's recharging instructions
3.5 Study all battery manufacturer's specific precautions such as removing or not removing cell
caps while charging and recommended rates of charge.
3.6 Determine the voltage of the battery by referring to the car owner's manual and make sure that
the output voltage selector switch is set at the correct voltage. If the charger has an adjustable
www.midtronics.com
To avoid electrical shock or burn, never alter the
charger's original AC cord and plug. Disconnect
plug from outlet when charger is idle.
General Safety Precautions
7