Atec BC-91407 User Manual

MODEL BC-91407

EASY CHARGER™

OPERATOR'S MANUAL

IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

1. SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS. This manual contains important safety and operating instructions for the Model BC-91407 EASY

CHARGER™ battery charger. You may need to refer to these instructions at a later date.

2. CAUTION. To reduce risk of injury, charge only wet cell, lead-acid, automotive type rechargeable batteries. Other types of batteries may

burst causing personal injury and damage.

3. Do not expose the charger to rain or snow if specifically warned on the unit not to do so.

4. Use of an attachment not recommended or sold by the battery charger manufacturer may result in a risk of fire, electric shock, or injury to

persons.

5. To reduce the risk of damage to the electric plug and cord, pull by the plug rather than the cord when disconnecting the charger.

6. Make sure the cord is located so that it will not be stepped on, tripped over, or otherwise subjected to damage or stress.

An extension cord should not be used unless absolutely necessary. Use of a improper extension cord could result in a risk of fire and electric

shock. If an extension cord must be used, make sure:

a. That the pins on the plug of extension cord are the same number, size, and shape as those of the plug on the charger; b. That the extension cord is properly wired and in good condition; and c. That wire in cord is proper size as follows: Minimum recommended AWG wire size for various length extension cords used with this

charger:

Do not operate the charger with a damaged cord or plug, replace them immediately.

Do not operate the charger if it has received a sharp blow, been dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way; take it to a qualified serviceman.

Do not disassemble the charger, take it to a qualified serviceman when service or repair is required. Incorrect reassembly may result in risk of

10.

electric shock or fire.

11. To reduce the risk of electric shock, unplug the charger form the outlet before attempting any maintenance or cleaning. Turning off the controls will not reduce this risk.

Length of Cord, Feet 25 50 100 150 AWG Size 18 18 16 14

12. WARNING - RISK OF EXPLOSIVE GASES a. 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.

b. To reduce the risk of battery explosion, follow these instructions and those published by the battery manufacturer and manufacturer of

any equipment you intend to use in vicinity of the battery. Review cautionary markings on these products and on the engine.

13. PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS a. Someone should be within range of your voice or close enough to come to your aid when you work near a lead-acid battery. b. Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby in case battery acid contacts skin, clothing, or eyes. c. Wear complete eye protection, and clothing protection. Avoid touching eyes while working near battery. d. If battery acid contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and water. If acid enter eyes, immediately flood eyes with running

cold water for at least 10 minutes and get medical attention immediately.

e. NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in vicinity of the battery or engine. f. 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 parts

that may cause an explosion.

g. 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 burn.

h. Use this 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 this 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.

i. NEVER charge a frozen battery.

14. PREPARING TO CHARGE a. If necessary to remove battery from vehicle to charge, 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.

b. 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.

c. Clean the battery terminals. Be careful to keep corrosion from coming in contact with eyes. d. Add distilled water in each cell until battery acid reaches level specified by the battery manufacturer. This helps purge excessive gas from

cells. Do not overfill. For a battery without cell caps, carefully follow the manufacturer's recharging instructions.

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

rates of charge.

f. Determine 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 adjustable charge rate, charge the battery initially at the lowest rate.

CHARGER LOCATION

15. a. Locate the charger as far away from the battery as the DC cables permit. b. Never place the charger directly above the battery being charged; gases from the battery will corrode and damage the charger. c. Never allow battery acid to drip on the charger when reading the specific gravity or filling battery, d. Do not operate the charger in a closed-in area, or restrict ventilation in any way. e. Do not set a battery on top of the charger.

DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS

16. a. Connect and disconnect the DC output clamps only after removing the AC cord from the electric outlet. Never allow the clamps to touch

each other.

b. Attach the DC clamps to the battery post and twist or rock back and forth several times to make a good connection. This tends to keep the

clamps from slipping off the terminals and helps to reduce the risk of sparking.

17. FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN THE BATTERY IS INSTALLED IN A VEHICLE. A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY

MAY CAUSE A BATTERY EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY:

a. Position the AC and DC cords to reduce the risk of damage by the hood, door, or moving engine parts. b. Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that can cause injury to persons. c. Check the polarity of the battery post. The POSITIVE (POS, P, +) battery post usually has a larger diameter than the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -)

post.

d. Determine which post of the battery is grounded (connected) to the chassis. If the negative post is grounded to the chassis (as in most

vehicles), see item "e". If the positive post is grounded to the chassis, see item "f".

e. For negative-grounded vehicles, connect the POSITIVE (RED) clamp from the battery charger to the POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post

of the battery. Connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) clamp to the vehicle chassis, heavy gauge metal part of the frame, or engine block, away from the battery. Do not connect to the carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet metal body parts.

f. For positive-grounded vehicles, connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) clamp from the battery charger to the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) ungrounded

post of the battery. Connect the POSITIVE (RED) clamp to the vehicle chassis or engine away from the battery. Do not connect the clamp to the carburetor, fuel lines, or sheet-metal body parts. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine block.

g. When disconnecting the charger, disconnect the AC cord, remove the clamp from the vehicle chassis, and then remove the clamp from the

battery terminal.

h. See the operating instructions for length of charge information.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS WHEN THE BATTERY IS OUTSIDE THE VEHICLE. A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY MAY

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CAUSE BATTERY EXPLOSION. TO REDUCE THE RISK OF A SPARK NEAR THE BATTERY:

a. Check the polarity of the battery post. The POSITIVE (POS, P, +) usually has a larger diameter than the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) post. b. Attach at least a 24 inch long 6-gauge (AWG) insulated battery cable to the NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) battery post.

c. Connect the POSITIVE (RED) charger clamp to the POSITIVE (POS, P, +) post of the battery. d. Position yourself and the free end of the cable as far away from the battery as possible, then connect the NEGATIVE (BLACK) charger

clamp to the free end of cable.

e. Do not face the battery when making the final connection. f. When disconnecting the charger, always do so in reverse sequence of connecting procedure, and break the first connection while

standing as far away from the battery as practical.

g. A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. To charge it on board requires equipment specially designed for marine

use.

19. GROUNDING AND AC POWER CORD CONNECTION INSTRUCTIONS

The charger should be grounded to reduce the risk of electric shock. This charger is equipped with an electric cord having an equipment grounding conductor and a grounding plug. The plug must be plugged into an outlet that is properly installed and grounded in accordance with all local codes and ordinances.

DANGER. Never alter the AC cord or plug provided - if it will

not fit the outlet, have a proper outlet installed by a qualified electrician. Improper connection can result in a risk of an electric shock. This battery charger is for use on a nominal 120volt circuit, and has a grounding plug that looks like the plug illustrated in FIGURE (A). A temporary adapter, which looks like the adapter illustrated in FIGURE (C), may be used to connect this plug to a two-pole receptacle, as shown in FIGURE (B), until a properly grounded outlet can be installed by a qualified electrician.

DANGER. Before using an adapter as illustrated, be certain that the center screw of the outlet plate is grounded. The green-colored rigid ear

or lug extending from the adapter must be connected to a properly grounded outlet - make certain it is grounded. If necessary, replace the original outlet cover plate screw with a longer screw that will secure the adapter ear or lug to the outlet cover plate and make ground connection to grounded outlet.

NOTE: USE OF AN ADAPTER IS NOT ALLOWED IN CANADA. IF A GROUNDING TYPE RECEPTACLE IS NOT AVAILABLE, DO NOT USE THIS

APPLIANCE UNTIL THE PROPER OUTLET IS INSTALLED BY A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN.

CHARGE PERIOD

20.

The approximate required time to bring a battery to full charge state depends upon the number of ampere-hours (AH) depleted from the battery. AH's are determined by multiplying the number of hours times the number of amps supplied by a battery to a load and normally indicated on the battery. For example, if a load was connected to a battery, which drew 7 amps for a period of 5 hours, the battery will have supplied 35 AH. The approximate recharge time would then be calculated by dividing the 35 AH depleted from the battery, by the charge rate of the charger. To allow for tapering of the charge rate add 25 percent to the charge time.

OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS

The Model BC-91407 EASY CHARGER™ battery charger is designed to charge 12 volt and 6 volt lead-acid batteries of conventional, maintenance-free, or deep cycle construction. This charger will charge both large and small batteries, such as motorcycle and garden tractor batteries. The battery charger will automatically adjust the charging current appropriate to the type of battery. a. Follow the steps under DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS in section 16 when connecting the clamps to the battery. The charger has a "no-

spark attachment" feature, however for maximum safety follow the DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS.

b. Plug the power cord into a properly grounded electric outlet. c. The RED indicator lamp will turn on when the battery charger is charging the battery. If the light does not turn on check the output clamps

on the battery terminals for proper polarity. The red clamp should be connected to the positive terminal of the battery. If the connections are reversed, unplug the battery charger from electric outlet, and reverse the connections following the DC CONNECTION PRECAUTIONS and plug the power cord into the electric outlet. If the indicator lamp still does not light the charger requires service, unplug the charger's AC power cord and disconnect the charger from the battery.

d. The indicator lamp will begin to blink when the battery is fully charged. The battery charger will stop charging and continuously monitor the

battery. The clamps may be removed and the battery is ready for use. ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE CHARGER FROM THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET WHEN NOT IN USE.

e. If you wish to maintain a battery for an extended period such as winter storage, weekend use only, etc., follow the charging steps above

and leave the charger connected to the battery. The charger will automatically turn on when needed to maintain the battery at a full charge. It is recommended that the battery be checked periodically when charging for extended intervals. The charger may "hum" even when the output is not on because of the AC power used by the transformer. The wattage consumed by the charger when it is plugged in but not charging is small (about 20 watts).

REVERSE CLAMP PROTECTION: If the DC output clamps are connected to the battery backwards, the output of the charger will remain off and the indicator lamp will not light.

SPARK PREVENTION: The output of the EASY CHARGER™ charger will not activate until there is a voltage across the DC clamps of about 2 volts or higher. [At temperatures below -20 degrees F., charging may not begin unless the battery voltage is above 3 volts.] Additionally the voltage must be present for one second or longer. This prevents an output while the user is attaching the clamps. However if the clamps are removed while the charger is charging, a spark can occur. It is always best to unplug the charger from the electrical outlet BEFORE removing the clamps from the battery.

UPPER BATTERY VOLTAGE LIMITS: The EASY CHARGER™ charger will not start charging if the battery voltage is above 13.5 volts, this prevents overcharging a battery with a high surface charge. An absolute upper limit of 16 volts has also been included, which applies to 12 volt batteries, and 8 volts for 6 volt batteries.

LOW VOLTAGE CHARGING LIMITS: Charging will not begin unless the voltage across the DC output clamps is above 2 volts. If the charger stops after a few minutes (about 3) unplug the charger from the electric outlet for a few seconds, plug the charger back into the electric outlet to begin the charging cycle again. If the charger again fails to indicate charging after a few minutes unplug the charger from the electric outlet and disconnect the DC clamps from the battery. Have the battery checked at a qualified service center.

TIME LIMIT ON CHARGING: A charging time limit of 17 hours has been set for added safety.

CHARGE COMPLETE SIGNAL: The EASY CHARGER™ microcomputer checks the battery voltage and monitors the change in voltage with

charging time. When the microcomputer determines a full charge the indicator lamp will blink. Output current will be turned off and the lamp will continue blinking until the DC clamps are removed or the charger is unplugged from the electric outlet. It is always best to unplug the charger from the electric outlet BEFORE removing the DC clamps from the battery.

EXTENDED BATTERY MAINTAINER: The EASY CHARGER™ charger is ideal for maintaining batteries while not in use. When charging is complete, the charger will turn off charging current completely with NO TRICKLE charge that could overcharge a battery. If the battery self discharges below approximately 12.6 volts the charger will activate and recharge the battery, a 6 volt battery will restart at 6.3 volts. It is recommended that the battery be checked periodically when charging over extended intervals.

ENGINE START - 60 AMPS: The Model BC-91407 EASY CHARGER™ charger has a 60 amp engine start feature. When using this feature be sure that the CHARGE/ENGINE STARTER selector switch is set to the CHARGE position when connecting the DC clamps of the charger to the battery. The charger MUST have one minute of charging before attempting an engine start. After this initial charge time you may try an engine start by first setting the selector switch to the ENGINE STARTER position and then turn the ignition key to start the vehicle. A 1.3 second 60

amp burst will help start the engine. If the engine does not start, the battery will need more time to charge. Move the selector switch back to the CHARGE position and allow the battery to charge for a few minutes. There should be a minimum three minute wait between attempts to start, longer periods are recommended.

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