Clarke BC1 User guide

6V/12V 1A BATTERY CHARGER/MAINTAINER

MODEL NO: BC1

PART NO: 6267022

OPERATION & MAINTENANCE

INSTRUCTIONS

ORIGINAL INSTRUCTIONS DL1025

INTRODUCTION

Thank you for purchasing this CLARKE Battery Charger.

Please read this manual thoroughly, before attempting to operate this product and
carefully follow all instructions given.

It is vitally important that ALL precautions are taken, as specified, which will not only
provide protection for yourself and that of others around you, but will also ensure that
the battery charger will give you long and satisfactory service.

GUARANTEE

This CLARKE product is guaranteed against faulty manufacture for a period of 12
months from the date of purchase. Please keep your receipt as proof of purchase.

This guarantee is invalid if the product is found to have been abused or tampered
with in any way, or not used for the purpose for which it was intended.

Faulty goods should be returned to their place of purchase, no product can be
returned to us without prior permission.

This guarantee does not effect your statutory rights.

ENVIRONMENTAL RECYCLING POLICY

Through purchase of this product, the customer is taking on the obligation
to deal with the WEEE in accordance with the WEEE regulations in relation
to the treatment, recycling & recovery and environmentally sound disposal
of the WEEE.

In effect, this means that this product must not be disposed of with general
household waste. It must be disposed of according to the laws governing Waste
Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) at a recognised disposal facility.

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SPECIFICATIONS

Model Number BC1

Operating Voltage and Frequency 230 V, 50Hz
Battery Charging Voltages: 6V & 12V
Maximum Input Power 20W
Start Voltage 3.5V
Charging Current 6V: 1A, 12V: 1A
Charging Steps 6 steps
Charging Time 1 Hour per Amp: 4 Hours for 4Ah Battery

10 Hours for 10Ah Battery
20 Hours for 20Ah Battery

40 Hours for 40Ah Battery
Min./Max. Charging Battery Size 4Ah up to 30Ah
IP Rating IP65
Operating Temperature Range 0°C to 40°C (32°F to 104°F)
Dimensions (L x W x H) 150mm x 60mm x 40mm
Power Cable Length 1.55m
Power Cable Plug Fuse 3A
Charging Clamp Cable Length 1.20m to Connection Plug + 35cm to Clamps/

Ring Terminals
Ring Terminal Cable Fuse 15A
Weight 400g

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SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

WARNING: ALWAYS SWITCH OFF THE CHARGER WHEN
CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING LEADS TO AVOID SPARKING AS
HIGHLY INFLAMMABLE HYDROGEN GAS CAN BE RELEASED IN THE
PROCESS OF BATTERY CHARGING

PLEASE READ BEFORE USING THIS UNIT

1. DO NOT use this charger/maintainer on Lithium Ion batteries.

2. Batteries can generate explosive gases during normal operation. ALWAYS use in
well ventilated area.

3. DO NOT smoke, strike a match or cause a spark in the vicinity of the battery or
engine. Avoid explosive gas, flames and sparks.

4. Remove all personal jewellery, such as rings, bracelets, necklaces and watches
while working with a vehicle battery. These items may produce a short circuit and
could cause severe burns.

5. Be extra cautious to reduce the risk of dropping a metal tool onto the battery. It
may spark or short circuit the battery or other electrical hardware which may
cause an explosion or fire.

6. Wear complete eye protection, hand and clothing protection. AVOID touching
eyes while working near a battery.

7. Study all battery manufacturers specific precautions, such as removing or not
removing cell caps while charging and recommended rates of charge.

8. Clean battery terminals before connection with the charger. If there is corrosion
on the terminals, AVOID eye contact.

9. When it is necessary to remove the battery from the vehicle to charge, ALWAYS
remove grounded terminal from the battery first. Make sure all accessories in the
vehicle are switched off in order to prevent an arc.

10. This charger is NOT intended to supply power to an extra low voltage electrical
system or to charge dry cell batteries. Charging dry cell batteries may cause the
battery to burst and cause injury to person or property.

11. NEVER charge a frozen, damaged, leaking or non rechargeable battery.

12. If battery electrolyte contacts skin or clothing, wash IMMEDIATELY with soap
and water. If electrolyte enters your eye, IMMEDIATELY flood eye with running
clean cold water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical attention immediately.

13. DO NOT place the charger in the engine compartment, near moving parts or near
the battery. Place as far away from them as the cable permits.

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14. NEVER place the charger directly above the battery being charged, gases or
fluids from the battery will corrode and/or damage the charger.

15. DO NOT cover the charger while charging.

16. DO NOT expose to rain or wet conditions.

17. Connect and disconnect the DC output connections only after disconnecting the
charger from the mains power supply.

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

19. DO NOT overcharge batteries by selecting the wrong charge mode.

20. To reduce the risk of damage to the electric plug and cord, pull by the plug rather
than the cord when disconnecting charger from mains power supply.

21. To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from mains power supply before
attempting any maintenance or cleaning.

22. Operate with caution if the charger has received a direct hit of force or been
dropped. Have it checked and repaired if damaged.

23. NEVER attempt any repairs yourself. If you have a problem with your charger
contact your local CLARKE dealer or contact [email protected]

24. When charging is complete, ensure that the vehicle battery leads are secured to
the proper terminals which should be clean, and lightly smeared with petroleum
jelly to prevent corrosion. Finally, re-check the electrolyte level.

SAFETY SYMBOLS

Before Use, Read The
Instructions Fully

Class II Appliance Wear Eye Protection

For Indoor Use Only

Wear a Protective Mask Wear Protective Gloves

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ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS

Plug must be BS1363/A approved.

WARNING! READ THESE ELECTRICAL SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
THOROUGHLY BEFORE CONNECTING THE PRODUCT TO THE
MAINS SUPPLY.

Before switching the product on, make sure that the voltage of your electricity supply
is the same as that indicated on the rating plate. This product is designed to operate
on 230VAC 50Hz. Connecting it to any other power source may cause damage.

This product may be fitted with a non-rewireable plug. If it is necessary to change the
fuse in the plug, the fuse cover must be refitted. If the fuse cover becomes lost or
damaged, the plug must not be used until a suitable replacement is obtained.

If the plug has to be changed because it is not suitable for your socket, or due to
damage, it should be cut off and a replacement fitted, following the wiring
instructions shown below. The old plug must be disposed of safely, as insertion into a
mains socket could cause an electrical hazard.

If the colours of the wires in the power cable of this product do not correspond with
the markings on the terminals of your plug, proceed as follows.

• The Blue wire must be connected to the terminal marked N or coloured
Black.

• The Brown wire must be connected to the terminal marked L or coloured

Red.

Always fit a 3 Amp fuse.

Neutral

(Blue)

Ensure that the outer sheath of the cable is firmly held by the clamp

We strongly recommend that this machine is connected to the mains
supply via a Residual Current Device (RCD)

If in any doubt, consult a qualified electrician. DO NOT attempt any repairs yourself.

Live

(Brown)

This symbol indicates that this is a Class II product, and does not
require an earth connection.

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OVERVIEW

1 Battery Charger Unit 5 Charging Clamp Negative (Black)

2 LED Indicator Light 6 Charging Ring Terminal Positive (Red)

3 Power Cable 7 Charging Ring Terminal Negative (Black)

4 Charging Clamp Positive (Red) 8 15A Fuse

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PREPARATION

1. It may be necessary to remove the battery from a vehicle to charge it.

• Always remove the grounded terminal from the battery first.

• Ensure all accessories in the vehicle are switched off to prevent sparking.

2. Clean the battery terminals. Be careful and avoid any corrosive matter from
coming in contact with eyes. If corrosive matter enters your eye, immediately
flood eye with running clean cold water for at least 15 minutes and seek medical
attention immediately.

3. If the battery can be topped up, add distilled water to each cell until the battery
acid reaches the level specified by the battery manufacturer. This helps remove
unwanted gas from the cell. DO NOT overfill. For a battery without cell caps,
follow the manufacturer's instructions.

4. Study all the battery manufacturer's specified precautions: for example, removing
or not removing cell caps while being charged and recommended rates of charge.

5. Refer to the vehicle manual and battery rating plate to find the voltage of the
battery and make sure that the output is set to the correct voltage.

6. If the charger has adjustable charge rate, charge the battery initially at the lowest
rate.

CHARGER LOCATION

1. Place the charger as far away from the battery as possible. NEVER place the
charger on the battery or the battery on the charger.

2. DO NOT position the charger above the battery during the charging procedure.
Gases from the battery may corrode and damage the charger.

3. DO NOT let battery acid drip on the charger when reading a hydrometer for
specific gravity or when you fill the battery.

4. DO NOT use the charger in an enclosed space with reduced airflow.

5. During charging, if the temperature of the battery exceeds 40°C, the charging
current will be reduced. If the temperature exceeds 45°C, the charger will stop.
Charging will not recommence until the battery temperature reduces to safe limits.

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CORRECT USE

WARNING: NOT SUITABLE FOR LITHIUM ION BATTERY TYPES ­ONLY USE ON LEAD ACID BATTERIES

The charger is designed for charging non maintenance free or maintenance free 6V &
12V lead acid batteries and Lead Gel and AGM batteries which are used in motor
vehicles. The charger is designed for mobile use only and not for installation in
caravans, mobile homes or similar vehicles. The charger cannot be used as a buffer
power supply, e.g. while changing a battery. DO NOT expose the charger to rain or
snow.

The charger is to be used only for its prescribed purpose. Any other use is deemed to
be a case of misuse. The user/operator will be liable for any damage or injuries caused
as a result of this.

NOTE: Please note that the charger has NOT been designed for use in commercial,

trade or industrial applications. The warranty will be voided if the charger is
used in commercial, trade or industrial businesses or for equivalent purposes.

BATTERY CHARGER DISPLAY INDICATORS

Indicator Light Meaning

1 Blinking Green Fast No Battery Connected/Detected

2 Blinking Green Slow Charging

3 Green Constantly On Fully Charged

4 Blinking Red Fast Error: Short Circuit or Reverse Polarity/Inversely Connected

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OPERATION

Before you connect the charger to the power supply, make sure that the data in the
specifications are identical to the supply voltage.

WARNING: DO NOT CHARGE ANY FROZEN BATTERIES.

Please refer to the instructions in the owners manual of the vehicle or the battery
manufacturers user information before charging any battery.

CHARGING THE BATTERY

1. Release or remove the battery stoppers (if fitted) from the battery.

2. Check the acid level in the battery. If necessary, top up the battery with distilled
water (if possible).

WARNING: BATTERY ACID IS AGGRESSIVE. RINSE OFF ANY ACID
SPLASHES THOROUGHLY WITH LOTS OF WATER AND SEEK
MEDICAL ADVICE IF NECESSARY.

3. Choose the type of quick connect cable you wish to use (clamps or ‘O’ rings) and
connect then to the charger.

4. Connect the charger to the mains power supply.

NOTE: The GREEN light will blink fast.

5. First connect the red charging cable to the positive pole (Red) of the battery.

6. If the battery is still in the vehicle, then connect the black charging cable to the
bodywork of the vehicle away from the battery and fuel pipe.

NOTE: Under normal circumstances the negative battery pole is connected to the

bodywork and you proceed as described above. In exceptional cases it is
possible that the positive battery pole is connected to the bodywork (positive
earthing). In this case, connect the black charger cable to the negative pole
on the battery, then connect the red charger cable to the bodywork at a point
away from the battery and fuel pipe.

7. If the battery is out of the vehicle, then connect the black charging cable to the
negative pole (Black) of the battery.

8. The charger will automatically recognise the battery voltage (6V or 12V) and start
charging.

NOTE: The GREEN light will blink slowly if charging correctly.

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NOTE: The GREEN light will stay on constantly once the battery is fully charged.

NOTE: The RED light will blink fast if there is an error, short circuit or reverse polarity

of the connectors. Turn off charger immediately and retry points 3 to 7 again.

NOTE: Charging may create dangerous explosive gas and therefore you should avoid

spark formation and naked flames whilst the battery is charging. There is a
risk of explosion. It is essential that you ventilate the area well.

CALCULATING THE CHARGING TIME

The charging time depends on the charge status of the battery. If the battery is fully
discharged, the approximate charging time up to approximately 100% charged can be
calculated using the following formula:

Charging time in hours = Battery capacity in Ah divided by Amp. (charging current)

The charging current should be 1/10 to 1/6 of the battery capacity.

BATTERY SIZE

4 Ah 4 Hours

10 Ah 10 Hours

30 Ah 30 Hours

60 Ah 60 Hours

APPROXIMATE TIME TO CHARGE TO

100%

TROUBLESHOOTING RED ERROR LED

The RED error LED will flash in the following cases:

1. If the voltage of the battery is less than 3.5V or more than 15V. The battery is
either unsuitable for charging or is defective. It is also possible that other battery
errors or faults can mean that the battery cannot be charged.

2. If the terminal clamps are connected to the battery terminals with the wrong
polarity. The protection against swapped poles ensures that the battery and
charger do not get damaged. Remove the charger from the battery and start the
charging process from the beginning again.

3. If there is a short circuit between the two terminal clamps (the metal parts of the
clamps come into contact with each other). The protection against short circuit
ensures that the battery and charger do not get damaged.

FINISHING CHARGING THE BATTERY

1. Disconnect the charger from the mains power supply.

2. Disconnect the black charging cable from the bodywork or negative pole of the
battery.

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3. Disconnect the red charging cable from the positive pole of the battery.

NOTE: IMPORTANT, In case of positive earthing, first disconnect the red charging

cable from the bodywork and then the black charging cable from the battery.

4. Screw or push the battery stoppers back into position (if there are any).

NOTE: If the mains plug is pulled out but the charger cables are still connected to the

battery, the charger will draw off a small amount of electricity from the
battery. We therefore recommend that you always completely remove the
charger from the battery when not in use.

CARE & MAINTANENCE

This battery charger requires minimal maintenance. As with any appliance or tool, a
few common sense rules will prolong its working life.

WARNING: ALWAYS BE SURE THE CHARGER IS UNPLUGGED
BEFORE PERFORMING ANY MAINTENANCE OR CLEANING. ANY
REPAIRS MUST BE DONE BY A QUALIFIED SERVICE TECHNICIAN.

1. Wind up the leads when not in use. Examine the leads at regular intervals for
damage and have them replaced if necessary.

2. Clean the case and leads if necessary with a moist cloth and clean any corrosion
from the clamps with a solution of water and baking soda.

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PARTS DIAGRAM

PARTS LIST

NO DESCRIPTION NO DESCRIPTION

1 Screw x 6 7 Face Label

2 Bottom Casing 8 Power Cable

3 Seal 9 Output Cable

4 Printed Circuit Board (PCT) 10 Quick Connect Crocodile Clamps

5 Top Casing 11 Quick Connect O Rings

6 Outer Casing 12 Cable Clip x 2

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DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY - UKCA

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DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY - CE

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