Battery Charging

The equalizing charge is a timed, eight- hour cycle. The cycle can be ended early by interrupting the AC power to the charger at any time during the cycle. Equalizing should only be engaged after the batteries have been fully charged by a normal battery charging cycle.

During this equalizing stage, the battery voltage will increase to the equalize voltage. This will cause the battery bank to gas profusely and will accomplish the following:

1.Removal of residual sulfate. Each time a battery is cycled (discharged and charged), a small amount of sulfate is left on the plates.

Over time, this gradual buildup of sulfate will compromise the performance of the battery. By applying an equalizing charge, the sulfate is returned back to the electrolyte, raising the specific gravity and fully exposing the active material of the plates.

2.Bring all cells to the same potential. All lead-acid batteries are made up of individual 2 volt cells. As the battery bank is cycled, slight differences in the cells result in different cell voltages, affecting the overall charge effectiveness. Equalizing brings all cells to the same voltage and the electrolyte in each cell to the same specific gravity.

3.Mixing up of the electrolyte. Electrolyte in battery cells tends to separate into layers of acid and water. The vigorous bubbling action of the battery during equalizing serves to physi- cally mix the electrolyte. Refer to the Remote Control Panel and Link Owner’s Manuals for additional cautions on equalizing.

Note: Do not equalize gel cell batteries.

WARNINGS

1.Do not equalize gel cell batteries. Check remote default settings.

2.Always monitor the equalize charge cycle. Provide proper ventilation for battery fumes. Do not allow any sparks during equalizing. If one or more cells begin to overflow, terminate the equalize cycle.

3.Check the battery electrolyte both

before and after the equalizing charge. Do not expose the battery plates to air. Leave the battery caps on while equalizing. Top off after equalizing.

4.Remove all loads from the DC system before equalizing. Some DC loads may not tolerate the high charge voltage.

5.With the Remote Control Panel the battery state-of-charge LEDs sequence during equalizing. When the equalization cycle is complete, the charge automatically goes to float and the green float LED bat- tery status light is on. With Link Instrumentation, the red charge LED flashes during the equalizing cycle. When the equalization cycle is complete, the charger automatically goes to float and the green float LED is illuminated.