Schumacher SE-5212A, SE-1275A Personal Precautions, Preparing to Charge, Charger Location

B. WARNING - RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES

1.WORKING IN VICINITY OF A LEAD-ACID BATTERY IS DANGEROUS. BATTERIES GENERATE EXPLOSIVE GASES DURING NORMAL BATTERY OPERATION. FOR THIS REASON, IT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT EACH TIME BEFORE USING YOUR CHARGER, YOU READ THIS MANUAL AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS EXACTLY.

2.To reduce risk of battery explosion, follow these instruc- tions and those published by battery manufacturer and manufacturer of any equipment you intend to use in vicinity of battery. Review cautionary markings on these products and on engine.

C. PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS

1.Someone should be within range of your voice or close enough to come to your aid when you work near a lead- acid battery.

2.Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, clothing or eyes.

3.Wear complete eye protection and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while working near battery.

4.If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immedi- ately with soap and water. If acid enters eye, immedi- ately flood eye with running cold water for at least 10 minutes and get medical attention immediately.

5.NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of battery or engine.

6.Be extra cautious to reduce risk of dropping a metal tool onto battery. It might spark or short-circuit battery or other electrical part that may cause explosion.

7.Remove personal metal items such as rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches when working with a lead-acid battery. A lead-acid battery can produce a short-circuit current high enough to weld a ring or the like to metal, causing a severe bum.

8.Use charger for charging a LEAD-ACID battery only. It is not intended to supply power to a low- voltage electrical system other than in an automotive application. Do not use battery charger for charging dry-cell batteries that are commonly used with home appliances. These batteries may burst and cause injury to persons and damage to property.

9.NEVER charge a frozen battery.

D. PREPARING TO CHARGE

1.If necessary to remove battery from vehicle to charge, always remove grounded terminal from battery first. Make sure all accessories in the vehicle are off, so as not to cause an arc.

2.Be sure area around battery is well ventilated while battery is being charged. Gas can be forcefully blown away by using a piece of cardboard or other nonmetallic material as a fan.

3.Clean battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with eyes.

4.Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches level specified by battery manufacturer. This helps

purge excessive gas from cells. Do not overfill. For a battery without cell caps, carefully follow manufacturer's recharging instructions.

5.Study all battery manufacturer's specific precautions such as removing or not removing cell caps while charging and recommended rates or charge.

6.Determine voltage of battery by referring to car owner's manual and make sure that output voltage selector switch is set as correct voltage. If charger has adjust- able charge rate, charge battery initially at lowest rate.

E. CHARGER LOCATION

1.Locate charger as far away from battery as DC cables permit.

2.Never place charger directly above battery being charged; gases from battery will corrode and damage charger.

3.Never allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading gravity or filling battery.

4.Do not operate charger in a closed-in area or restrict ventilation in any way.

5.Do not set a battery on top of charger.

6.Do not expose charger to rain or snow.

7.Battery chargers get hot during operation and must have proper ventilation. Air needs to flow around entire charger.

8.Do not set battery charger on flammable items like carpeting, upholstery, paper, cardboard etc. Charger may damage leather and melt plastic and rubber.

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