Schumacher SF-2254 User Manual
Battery
Charger
Model:
Owner's Manual
SF-2254
2/20/40 Amp Continuous Charge
125 Amp Engine Start for 6-Volt Batteries
225 Amp Engine Start for 12-Volt Batteries
With Battery Tester
–Save–
Important Safety Instructions
Read Rules for Safe Operation and Instructions Carefully
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.
WARNING: Handling the cord on this product or cords associated with accessories sold with this product, will expose you to lead, a
chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
A. GENERAL BATTERY SAFETY
Wash hands after handling.
1. Before you use your battery charger, be sure to read all
instructions and cautions printed on:
• Battery Charger
• Battery
• Vehicle or unit using battery
2. Use battery charger on LEAD ACID type rechargeable batteries only, such as used in autos, trucks, tractors, airplanes,
vans, RV's, trolling motors, etc. Charger is not intended to
supply power to low-voltage electrical system other than in
an automotive application.
WARNING: Do
cell batteries that are commonly used with home appliances.
These batteries may burst and cause injury to persons and
damage to property.
3. Use only attachments recommended or sold by manufacturer. Use of non-recommended attachments may result in
fire, electric shock, or injury.
4. When disconnecting the battery charger, pull by the plug
not by the cord. Pulling on the cord may cause damage to
cord or plug.
5. Locate battery power cord so it cannot be stepped on, tripped
over, or subjected to damage or stress.
6. Do not operate charger with damaged cord or plug. Have
cord replaced immediately.
7. Do not operate charger if it has received a sharp blow, been
dropped, or otherwise damaged in any way. Take it to a
qualified professional for inspection and repair.
8. Do not disassemble charger. Take it to a qualified professional when service or repair is required. Incorrect reassembly may result in electric shock or fire.
9. To reduce risk of electric shock, unplug charger from outlet
before attempting any maintenance or cleaning.
not use battery charger for charging dry-
10. Do not use an extension cord unless absolutely necessary.
Use of an improper extension cord could result in fire or
electric shock. If an extension cord must be used, make
sure that:
• Pins on plug of extension cord are the same number,
size, and shape as those of the plug on the charger.
• Extension cord is properly wired and in good electrical
condition.
• Wire size is large enough for AC ampere rating of charger,
as specified below:
Length of cord (feet): 25 50 100 150
AWG size of cord: 16 12 10 8
(American Wire Gauge)
11. Always charge battery in a well ventilated area.
NEVER operate in a closed-in or restricted area without
adequate ventilation because of risk of explosive gases.
WARNING: Risk of explosive gas.
12. Locate charger as far away from battery as DC charger
cables permit.
13. Do not expose charger to rain or snow.
14. NEVER charge a frozen battery. If battery fluid (electrolyte)
is frozen, bring into a warm area to thaw before charging.
15. NEVER allow battery acid to drip on charger when reading
specific gravity or filling battery.
16. NEVER set a battery on top of charger.
17. NEVER place charger directly above battery being charged.
Gases from battery will corrode and damage charger.
18. NEVER touch the battery clips together when the charger
is energized.
SCHUMACHER ELECTRIC CORPORATION
801 BUSINESS CENTER DRIVE • MOUNT PROSPECT, ILLINOIS 60056-2179
Send Warranty Product Repairs to: 1025 E. Thompson, Hoopeston, IL 60942-0280
Call Customer Service if you have questions: 1-800-621-5485
1
00-99-000342/0503
B. PERSONAL PRECAUTIONS AND SAFETY
1. WARNING: Wear complete eye protection and clothing pro-
tection, when working with lead-acid batteries.
2. Make sure someone is within range of your voice or close
enough to come to your aid when you work with or near a
lead-acid battery.
3. Have plenty of fresh water and soap nearby for use if battery acid contacts skin, clothing, or eyes. If battery acid
contacts skin or clothing, wash immediately with soap and
water.
4. Avoid touching your eyes while working with a battery. Acid
particles (corrosion) may get into your eyes! If acid enters
your eye, immediately flood eye with running cold water for
at least 10 minutes. Get medical attention immediately.
5. Remove all 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.
6. Take care not to drop a metal tool or other metal onto the
battery. Metal may cause sparking or short circuit the battery or another electrical devise. Sparking may cause an
explosion.
7. Always operate battery charger in an open well ventilated
area.
8. NEVER smoke or allow a spark or flame in the vicinity of
the battery or engine. Batteries generate explosive gases!
C. GROUND AND AC POWER CORD CONNECTIONS
Charger should be grounded to reduce the risk of electric shock.
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. This battery
charger is designed for use on a nominal 120 volt circuit and
has a grounded plug that looks like the plug illustrated in FIGURE 1 (A). This plug should be used in a grounded outlet. The
plug pins must fit the receptacle (outlet).
ADAPTER: A temporary adapter, as shown in FIGURE 1 (B)
and (C), may be used to connect the charger plug to a two pole
receptacle (outlet), as shown in FIGURE 1 (B).
NOTE: The temporary adapter should be used only until a properly grounded outlet can be installed by a qualified electrician.
DANGER: Never alter the AC cord or plug provided. If it will not fit outlet, have a proper outlet installed by a qualified electrician.
Improper connection can result in a risk of an electrical shock. 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 original outlet cover plate screw with a longer screw that will
secure adapter ear or lug to outlet cover plate and make ground connection to grounded outlet.
"Use of adapter plug not allowed in Canada"
FIGURE 1 GROUNDING METHODS
GROUNDING
SCREW
D. PREPARING TO CHARGE
1. Make sure you have a 12 volt or a 6 volt lead-acid battery
and select battery charger switch accordingly.
2. Clean battery terminals. Take care to keep corrosion from
coming in contact with your eyes.
3. If required, add distilled water in each cell until battery acid
reaches levels 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.
4. Study all battery manufacturer's specific precautions, such
as removing or not removing cell caps while charging, and
recommended rates of charge.
5. 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 non-metallic material as a
fan.
6. 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.
7. A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on
shore. To charge it on board requires equipment specially
designed for marine use.
E. CHARGER LOCATION PRECAUTIONS
Never place charger directly above the battery being charged,
gases from battery could damage the charger.
Never allow battery acid to drip on the charger when reading
specific gravity of filling battery.
Never operate charger in a closed in area, or restrict ventilation
in any way.
Do not set battery on top of the charger.
2
F. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS: CHARGING BATTERY IN VEHICLE
When charging battery in the vehicle, take care to determine the battery type and which post is grounded. To reduce risk of a spark near
battery, follow these steps when battery is installed in vehicle. WARNING: A spark near battery may cause battery explosion.
1. Position AC power cord and DC charging cords to reduce
risk of damage by hood, door, or moving engine parts.
2. Stay clear of fan blades, belts, pulleys, and other parts that
can cause injury.
3. Check polarity of battery posts. Battery case will be marked
by each post: POSITIVE (POS, P, +) and NEGATIVE (NEG,
N, -). NOTE: The positive battery post usually has a larger
diameter than the negative post.
4. Determine which post of battery is ground (connected) to
chassis.
NOTE: The negative post is normally grounded.
NEGATIVE GROUNDED POST
5A. For negative-grounded vehicle, connect POSITIVE (RED)
clip from battery charger to POSITIVE (POS, P, +) ungrounded post of battery. Connect NEGATIVE (BLACK) clip
to vehicle chassis or engine block away from battery. Connect to a heavy gauge metal part of the frame or engine
block.
POSITIVE GROUNDED POST
5B. For positive-grounded vehicle, connect NEGATIVE (BLACK)
clip from battery charger to NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) ungrounded post of battery. Connect POSITIVE (RED) clip to
vehicle chassis or engine block away from battery. Connect to a heavy gauge unpainted metal part of the frame or
engine block.
WARNING: Do not connect clip to carburetor, fuel lines, or
sheet-metal body parts. NOTE: Attach clips to battery post
and twist or rock back and forth several times to make a
good connection. This tends to keep clips from slipping off
terminals and helps to reduce risk of sparking
6. Follow steps 1-4 in Battery Charger Section K.
7. When the battery is fully charged, unplug the charger from
the AC power source.
8. Remove charger clips from (1) chassis and (2) battery pole
in that order.
9. Clean and store battery charger.
G. OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS: CHARGING BATTERY OUT OF VEHICLE
When charging battery out of vehicle, take care to determine the battery type. To reduce risk of a spark near battery, follow these steps
when battery is outside vehicle. WARNING: A spark near the battery may cause battery explosion. WARNING: When removing battery
from vehicle or boat, disconnect grounded pole first. When disconnecting, make sure all accessories are off, so as not to cause an arc.
(NOTE: A marine (boat) battery must be removed and charged on shore. (To charge on board requires special equipment designed for
marine use.) WARNING: When reinstalling battery, attach the ground post first.
1. Check polarity of battery posts. Battery case will be marked
by each post: POSITIVE (POS, P, +) and NEGATIVE (NEG,
N, -). NOTE: The positive battery post usually has a larger
diameter than the negative post.
2. Attach a 24-inch long (or longer) 6-gauge (AWG) insulated
battery cable to NEGATIVE (NEG, N, -) battery post.
(The 24" lead is not supplied. You may purchase at most
automotive stores.)
The 24" lead provides a safer connection condition. Sparking or arcing could occur when connecting the charger clip
to the lead.
3. Connect POSITIVE (RED) charger clip to POSITIVE (POS,
P, +) post of battery. Rock clip back and forth to make good
connection.
4. Position yourself and free end of 24 inch cable as far away
from battery as possible. Then connect NEGATIVE (BLACK)
charger clip to free end of cable.
WARNING: Do not face battery when making final connection. Rock clip back and forth to make a good connection.
5. Follow steps 1-4 in Battery Charger Section.
6. When battery is fully charged, unplug charger from AC
outlet.
24" Cable
7. When battery is fully charged and the charger is unplugged:
(1) Remove clip from end of the Negative end of cable,
then
(2) Remove clip from Positive battery post, in that order.
8. Clean and store battery charger.
WARNING: Be sure area around the battery is well ventilated
while battery is being charged. Gas can be forcefully blown away
by using a piece of cardboard or other non-metallic material as
a fan.
Battery Cable
3
H. OUTPUT SELECTOR CONTROLS
0
CHARGING
10
20 30
40
START
Manual operation. Must be monitored.
6 VOLT BATTERY
12 VOLT BATTERY
BAD
WEAK
GOOD
CHARGI NG
SYSTEM
GOOD
TIMER: The main function of the timer is to prevent over charging while allowing a battery time to obtain a satisfactory charge.
To properly set the timer you must know the size of the battery
in ampere hours or reserve capacity in minutes and the state of
charge. Often the state of charge is not known, this is one reason why the timer was limited to 2.25 hours. With the aid of a
battery load tester the state of charge can be obtained within a
few seconds. For example, the average size automotive battery
at a 50% state of charge will require 1 to 1.5 hours of charging
at the 40 amp rate to reach the full charge state. For the same
battery with the timer set to it’s maximum, 2.25 hours, over charging will occur, but not likely cause harm to a battery that was
other wise in good condition. When the charge state is not known,
start out with a timer setting of 1 hour or less.
HOLD This position defeats the timer function, allowing for continuous operation. Use when you want to charge more than 2.25
hours. This is normally the case when the 2 amp charge rate is
selected. Be sure to monitor the charging and stop the charge
when the battery is charged.
Rotary switch - Use the rotary switch to select the charge rate
or engine start setting you require. Read the switch dial for those
available on this charger.
The Ammeter indicates the amount of current measured in am-
peres that is being drawn by the battery. For example, In the 40
amp charge rate a typical discharged battery will initially draw
approximately 40 amps. As the battery continues to charge, current will taper to 15 to 20 amps at full charge. The Start area of
the meter indicates a high rate of current being drawn from the
charger. When cranking an engine, the starter motor draws upwards to 200-300 amps. The meter needle will be at the extreme right side of the start area. Sometimes a battery for the
first few minutes of it’s charge will draw more than 40/60 amps,
in this case the needle may be within but not to the extreme
right side of the start area. The 2 amp charge rate (on some
models) may indicate some activity on the meter. The meter
doesn’t have the resolution to display this low rate.
The Voltmeter indicates the voltage at the battery terminals.
Note that Model SF 2254 is not a Load tester, but a voltmeter.
Use as follows:
1. Charger need not be plugged into AC outlet. Timer should
be in the Off position, 6v/12v switch in position to match
battery being tested, and then connect following instructions in Section F.
2. Observe the meter indication. Keep in mind that this reading is only a battery voltage reading, a false surface charge
may mislead you. We suggest that you turn on your
headlamps for a couple of minutes before you read the
meter. Read a couple of minutes after you have shut the
headlamps off, then follow the convenient color code of the
meter.
4
I. ENGINE START
1. Set charge rate switch and timer to OFF positions.
2. With the charger unplugged from the AC outlet, connect
the charger to the battery following instructions given in
section F.
3. Plug the charger AC power cord into the AC outlet, then
move timer from OFF to HOLD position.
4. Set the charge rate switch to the engine start position that
matches the vehicle battery and then crank the engine. Follow the duty cycle printed on the front panel of your charger
for proper ON / OFF times. During extremely cold weather
or when the battery is severely exhausted, charge the bat-
5. If the engine fails to start, charge the battery for 5 more
minutes before attempting to crank the engine again.
6. After the engine starts, move the charge rate switch and
timer switch to OFF and unplug the AC power cord from
the outlet before disconnecting DC clips.
Do not try to engine start a vehicle without a battery in it.
You may damage the vehicle’s system. If the engine spins,
but doesn’t start after several starting attempts, there is a
problem with the engine of the vehicle other than its starting system. STOP cranking the engine until the other problem has been found and corrected.
tery for about 5 minutes before cranking the engine.
J. CHARGE PERIOD
Determine the charge level of your battery with a hydrometer or electronic percent of charge tester. Determine the ampere hour rating of
your battery. It may be on the battery information label. If the battery is rated in Reserve Capacity, convert to ampere hour rating using
the following formula:
Ampere Hour rating = (Reserve Capacity) + 16 Example: AH rating = (168 Reserve Capacity) + 16 or AH = 100
(2) (2)
"Reserve capacity is in minutes"
Use the following formula to determine the time of charge required: (AH x % of charge needed) divided by amp setting of the charger, times
1.25 = hours of charge: Example: State of charge of the battery is 50%
Percent of charge needed is 100% - 50% = 50% (.50 decimal)
Ampere rating of the battery is 100AH
Charger setting is 10 amps
100 x .50 = x 1.25 = 6.25 hours of charge needed
10
+ 1.00 hour more if charging a deep cycle battery
7.25 hours total for a deep cycle battery.
A hydrometer reading of the specific gravity of the electrolyte (fluid) of the battery in good condition should be between 1.25 and 1.28.
When a battery reaches 80-85% of full charge, bubbles will appear on the surface of the fluid. As the battery nears full charge, bubbling
will become more vigorous.
K. BATTERY CHARGING
CHARGER MUST BE ASSEMBLED BEFORE USING.
1. Before charging any battery, make sure the electrolyte (bat-
tery liquid) in each cell is at correct level.
2. Set all switches and timers to the OFF position.
3. If the battery is being charged inside the vehicle, use con-
nection procedures outlined in Section F. Should the battery be removed from the vehicle, follow the instruction in
Section D, step 6 and Section G. Plug the power cord into
the AC outlet.
4. Set the charge rate switch to the desired charge position.
See Charge Rate Charts.
CHARGE RATE*/CHARGING TIME - HOURS**
2 AMP 10 AMP 30 AMP 40 AMP 60 AMP
NR NR NR NR
SMALL
BATTERIES
CAR/TRUCKS
MARINE/
DEEP CYCLE
BATTERY SIZE/RATING
Motorcycle, Garden 6 - 12 AH 3-6
Tractor, etc. 12 - 32 AH 3 - 18
200 - 315 CCA 40 - 60 RC 13 - 20 2 ½ - 4 ½ - 1 ½ - ¾ NR
315 - 550 CCA 60 - 85 RC 20 - 35 4 - 7 1 - 2 ¾ - 2 ½ - 1
550 - 875 CCA 85 - 125 RC 35 - 55 7 - 11 2 - 7 2 - 3 1 - 2
55 MC 34 7 NR NR NR
80 MC 50 10 NR NR NR
105 MC 66 13 NR NR NR
5. Set the timer from OFF position to desired timed charge,
30-135 minutes.
NOTE: These battery chargers are not automatic and can
overcharge a battery if permitted to operate for extended
periods of time. Monitor the charging often.
*Charge Rates for this model are listed on the
front panel.
**Based on battery at 50% charge.
AH Ampere Hours
NR Not Recommended
CCA Cold Cranking Amps
RC Reserve Capacity
MC Marine Capacity
5
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