For batteries to be able to store energy, the energy has to be in chemical form. The process of converting electrical energy into chemical energy so that the battery is able to store the energy is what is referred to as battery charging.
The battery thereafter produces electrical energy by converting the chemical energy. This therefore implies that battery charging is an important aspect in battery life.
When charging is not right, the battery can get destroyed or it can even explode and when explosions occur chances of acid spilling all over are high and at times even fire can occur.
Having known that battery charging is an important aspect we now need to explore some of the battery charging procedures and also, we will look at some of the things you need to do and not do while charging the battery.
Below are some 16 safety tips one can consider while charging a battery.
Battery Charging Safety Tips
Charging Room
You need to have a room allocated specifically for charging. This room needs to be prepared and designed in a way that suits charging of batteries. Not every room can be used a charging room.
Proper Ventilation
You need to have properly done ventilation in place. As the battery charges, the water inside the battery undergoes through what we call electrolysis.
Electrolysis is the breakdown of water into hydrogen and oxygen gases. Hydrogen gas concentration of up to 4% is very dangerous and cause an explosion anytime.
Therefore, the charging room should be well ventilated to allow gases out without creating any build-ups. As charging takes place there are other sulfur gases which will vent out of the battery and they need proper ventilation to be removed from the room.
Proper Lighting
Proper lighting is very essential. Natural lighting is preferred but in cases where a bulb is used to provide light, then the bulbs in use should be explosion-proof such that in the event that there is gas build-up in the room then chances of explosion is reduced. Lighting also helps the person operating in the charging room to clearly see and be sure of what they are doing.
Right Charge
You need to ascertain that the charger in use is the right one and is in good condition without any faults. The cables from the charger to the battery also need to be properly insulated so that we reduce chances of short circuits and even electrical shocks.
Switch Off the Battery Charger Before Connecting
Before connecting the battery charger to the battery, ensure that the charger is switched off from the electrical power supply. This reduces the risks of shock and even sparking as you connect the batteries.
Switch Off the Battery Charger Before Disconnecting
After the battery is full charged, before you disconnect the charger from the battery, you need to make sure that you switch off the battery charger from the main supply. Never should you try to have a liver charger disconnected from the battery.
Do Not Smoke In Battery Charging Room
There are gases that are released during the charging process. These gases some time stick around the electrodes and will be later released slowly.
Gases like this may explode when they get into contact with fire even long after the charging stopped. It is therefore advisable not to smoke or have open fires in the battery charging room during and even after charging is complete.
Do Not Charge Primary Battery
Never try to a charge a primary battery. Primary batteries are meant for single use and are not capable of being charged. For primary batteries, once the chemicals inside are exhausted, it has to be properly disposed. When you attempt to charge a primary battery, you are exposing yourself to the dangers of explosion and fire.
Use the Right Charge Voltage
When charging, the battery charger voltage should be as per what the manufacturer has designed and recommended to be used. In a case where you are charging several batteries, you need to ascertain whether the connections are in parallel or series and have the charging voltage adjusted adequately.
For instance, if you are charging two 12-volt batteries which are probably connected in series, then you need to use a 24-volt setting but when the connection is in parallel, then its fine to use the 12 Volt setting.
Connect Battery Charger Cables Correctly
The charger cables need to be connected appropriately to the right battery terminals. Always have the positive cable connected to the positive terminal and the negative cable connected to the negative terminal.
You can use the, markings on the battery for easy identification of the battery polarities because at times color may differ.
Avoid Loose Connections
Before switching the charger power on, take time to confirm that the battery cables are tightly and securely connected to the battery terminals.
This will help you to avoid sparking at the terminals. Have in mind that the sparking may cause fire. Once charging process starts, the cables should be left non-disturbed until the process is complete. This should be done so that the wires don’t get loose and no sparking happens.
Do Not Work on Charging Battery
If there is anything that need to be done on the charger cables, you need to always have the battery charger switched off. This is because if you leave the battery charger switch on, sometimes the power that goes through the cable is huge and may lead to electrical shock.
In addition to that, the power going through the cables might cause sparking at the terminals which may lead to a fire. For this reason, always make sure the charger is switched off from the main power supply before any work is done on the cables.
Avoid Loose Cables
The charging cables and the electric cables should be properly kept. The cables should be properly placed in a way that they don’t move freely in the charging room. No cable should be left dangling on the floor so that instances of tripping over are eliminated.
Avoid Sparks
You need to avoid anything that may spark inside the charging room. Remember hydrogen gas is very dangerous and with just one spark it can cause a huge explosive.
The hand tools and other electrical tools that are used in the charging room should be those that may not cause sparking in the charging room even as the battery charges.
Do Not Charge Frozen Battery
Never should you charge a frozen battery. The electrolyte inside the battery expands when the battery freezes and this damages the plates inside the battery.
The damaged plates can cause a short circuit. When a frozen battery is connected to the charger, the battery raises its internal resistance and when internal resistance rises, thermal runaway kicks in which can cause explosion of the battery and even fire.
Slow Charge the Battery
Always go for the slow charging of the battery because it of less stress to the battery as compared to fast-charging.
It is always advisable to observe the battery charging tips and also be aware of the charging method to be used. Even though most battery chargers are the plug and play type. Basically, there three charging methods and one needs to choose what suits their battery best.
Constant Voltage Charging Method
This is a case where the full current of the charger flows to the battery up to a voltage level that is set prior. When the preset voltage level is reached, the current will tamper down and will provide a floating charge which is to cater for the normal loss in the battery due to discharge
Constant Current Charging Method
In this case, current is set at percentage of the maximum battery rating which is 10% thereabout. The battery will therefore be charged for longer periods.
Its disadvantage is that if the charging is not monitored, the battery may overheat and get damaged. The best thing to do is therefore to use a timer to have the charging time in check
Constant voltage Constant Current (CVCC) Charging Method
As the name suggests, this is a combination of the above two methods. In this case, the amount of current is limited to the preset levels until the battery reaches a preset voltage level. After that, the charging current is reduced as the battery becomes more and more saturated.